[Resolved]  Airtel — misuse of addon no with a different sim card

7th July 2008.

To

The Head- Operations,
Bharti Tel- Ventures Limited,
Circle Office : 55, Divayashree Towers,
Bannergahtta Road,
Bangalore – 560 029.

Dear Sir,


Reg: Wrong Billing and misuse of the mobile add on number: [protected]


This is to bring into your kind attention that the above number was give to me as a add on card by one of your dealers from Jayanagar, Bangalore in the year 2005. I have a existing number ( [protected])which I am using from 2001 .I am a prompt payer of your bills and the amount is being paid on or before the due date. Recently I happened to see my mobile Bill ie: on 22/4/2008 wherein, I find that Rs 240 is being charged towards rentals on to my add number. This particular mobile number is not been activated till now nor I have given any instructions either over phone or in writing to activate The rentals are being paid since 2005 (when I checked up with the Airtel Service Centre, Nandidurg Road, Bangalore) wherein due to my own oversight I was paying the rentals till May 4th 2008 . I brought this issue over telephone on 22/4/2008 to your BPO executives customer care centre and I spoke to a couple of them. The names of the executives I have interacted are Ms.Kausar, Mr.Praveen, Ms.Meetal, Ms.Shalini &Mr. Satish . They gave me an assurance that the add on number will be cancelled and the rentals paid will be adjusted to my future bills of existing number. The next day I find that all out going calls from my existing number was barred. I was totally out of communication for at least a couple of days. On 2/5/2008, I approached the Airtel customer service centre at Nandidurg Road, Bangalore. and to my bad luck I find the mobile phone giving a message that the SIM card registration failed. I am using the SIM for almost 8 years. I consulted the customer service executive Ms.Vinutha at Airtel, Nanadidurg Road and she tried with three SIM and finally I got the fourth SIM cleared on to my mobile and she told me that the by afternoon my Mobile ( Existing ) will be activated. I did’nt get the SIM activated the same day. The next day I got the mobile activated and to my astonishment it was the add on number which was being activated by Airtel, Nandidurg Road, Bangalore. I could check the same by trying from my BSNL land line. I have never activated the add on card or given any verbal or written instructions to activate the add on number till this day. I have instructed to cancel the Number by contacting the customer service centre (ie; on 22/4/2008) for which no actions has been taken so far.. I approached Airtel, Nandidurg Road met Ms.Vinutha and mentioned that my existing number is not activated instead of that the add on number is activated. Ms. Vinutha took my mobile and told me that it was a mistake and hence forth the add on number will not be activated and that she will have the old number and existing number activated. Within 8/5/2008 I got my old number and existing number activated. It went on smoothly and I was using the number without any hassles..

On 9/6/2208, I get a SMS stating that the total outstanding in respect of my mobile bill is Rs 5700/- . I have ever used my mobile for such a big amount or I have a necessity. Till May 4th 2008 I was paying only rentals for the add on number due to my own negligence. But in the bill for the period 5th May 2008 to 4th June 2008, I find that the bill amount for my regular and existing number is only Rs1481 which is acceptable and the itemized bill is been provided for the same. But I noticed an amount of Rs 4303.95 to be paid in respect of the add on number- [protected] which is not at all used by me .One of the mistakes I had done is paying the rentals for almost three years which has costed me more than Rs 8000 ( Verified with Customer service centre of Airtel, Nandidurg road) Apart from that someone has misused the add on number allocated to me. I assume that the activation has taken place within the period 22/4/2008 and 15/5/2008. This act of misusing the number has taken place from the time I claimed for the refund of rentals for the add on number which is not activated by me or used by me by calling the customer service BPO Airtel and for cancellation of the add on number and simultaneously bringing the issue to the notice of the Airtel Customer Service centre at Nandiudurg Road, Bangalore. I met the customer service executives for the clarification on the misuse. It also registered into my mind that the SIM card of the activated add on number which is being misused need to checked. The SIM number which is been allocated to me in 2005 and the SIM which is been misused to activate differs .The SIM which I received in 2005 the number is[protected] and the misused SIM number is[protected]. This details I gathered from Ms. Sangeetha of Airtel Customer Centre at Nandidurg Road, Bangalore. She called on to the add on number which is been misused and she could also clarify that it is being used by Mr. Praveen and the person who had got the number to him was out of station since he had gone to Kerala. She also called up her distributor of the Airtel at Jayanagar as well. I also insisted her to block outgoing calls as it may end up revenue loss if the misuse continues. Ms. Sangeetha had escalated this issue to her seniors in my presence and I could also hear from them that the issue is the misuse of the add on number. How is that the number being allocated to somebody for the past 3 years without the concurrence of the original owner of the number either in writing or authorization being used by a third person.

I feel another possibility in this misuse, when at the time of changing the SIM of the existing mobile number [protected] of mine they have activated the add on number
and when I contacted Airtel the next day Ms. Vinutha has mentioned to me that the add on number was activated by mistake. It was only for half a day. Meanwhile the SIM for the add on number would have been in activation mode. Meanwhile she had rectified and activated my existing number( [protected]) with a different SIM. She would have forgotten to cancel or give instruction for cancellation of the SIM for which the misused add on number was activated. I feel that it is a team which is involved in this misuse process. Also there is no necessity of identification since my identity proof is already there and the bill comes directly to me which is of no concern to the guy who is misusing the number.

I also wanted to emphasize the fact that the bills which been sent to me consist of itemized bills for my old and existing number. The itemized bill for the add on number which is being misused is not there except for the total amount of the bill. Why is that? I wanted to scrutinize the itemized billing in respect of the same and I request you to send me the same at the earliest. Also I have noticed from the consolidated bill in respect of the add on number that the guy who has misused the number has made 881 calls locally, 71 calls by STD and 344 SMS has been made. The guy has gone in full spree. I wanted the complete statement in an itemized manner . You may see my track record for the existing number ([protected]) which clearly shows my payment history as well as on the usage of the mobile number as well my billing which has not gone above a certain limit( On an average of App. Rs 2000 a. month). I am also aware of the fact that mobile usage is costlier than land line. I am also subscriber of your landline connection. If these type of misuse is taking place, how do I trust the service provider? I may have to discontinue with Airtel totally.


I have lost enough of time by meeting the executives of Airtel. Recently twice I get calls from the Airtel office stating that the misused amount is waived and that will not reflect in my bill for the future.( Mr. Vinutha from Airtel has spoken to me on the same.) Also I need to high light the guys in the customer service counter talk everything smoothly that they could do everything and not knowing to help and rectify the mistakes. Later calls come from the BPO for payments. The number which I get constant calls from Airtel is : [protected] for payments and also I get continous SMS for payments, this need to be stopped. The need of the hour is to find the truth and win the customer who is with you for 8 years using your various services.What I feel is that anything could be manipulated using different SIM for the number which is been allocated as an add on number of the existing subscriber if the number is not in use. Here the case is I was paying rentals for an add on SIM which is not activated so the comfort is much more for the person who misuses. The person is of the hope that it could go unnoticed..


I wanted to mention that my time is money and I have also lost enough time in meeting the executives of your organization. The mental agony and torture by people from the payment department or recovery is also causing lot of trouble wherein it create lot of mental disturbance and agony not at office alone but also at home. I do agree if the mistake is mine but if somebody misuses how I can be responsible.


I wanted immediate justification for the queries I had asked for or else I am constrained to go forward with the consumer court, press or legal authorities. I am attaching some of the recent bills for your perusals along with the copy of the pouch of the add on number allocated to me in the year 2005.







I am management consultant and have put in 22 years of Corporate experience worked with companies such as Kotak Mahindra, Kelvinator, TVS Group, Franklin Covey, US etc and also traveled widely and knows about the management functioning of various organization.
I am one of the brand ambassadors of your company and using the service since 2001 and if we are been deceived by someone like this it doesn’t speak good of the company and the message spreads. There should be an operational mechanism by which you need to check who has been allotted the SIM. Those SIM’s which is been allotted in respect of the numbers allotted to the existing subscribers should not be allocated to anybody without the consent of the original subscriber either in person or with the authorization and identity proof. The SIM which is been allocated has to be locked in the system.

I await for your response within a week failing which I am constrained to approach the legal authorities for the damages being done .


Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely


Shivaram Gopinath
D-105, Premier Grihalakshmi Apartments,
S.M.Road, Jalahalli- West
BANGALORE- 560 015
Mobile: [protected]

CC: The Head- Operations, Bharti Tele- Ventures, H-5/12, Quatab Ambience,
Mehrauli Road, New Delhi – 110 030.