Airtel — Not Providing Promised Broadband Connection

Address:

South Delhi, Delhi

Q. What is this ?
A. This is a detailed description of the internet connection provided by Airtel via its outdated and substandard internet modem provider Beetel. Please notice that the highest download speed attained is 2554 kbps (2.5Mbps approx) and the lowest speed attained is 804 kbps (0.8 Mbps approx). Surprisingly for everyone, fluctuating speed is also not the issue.

Q. What is the issue ?
A. As specified above the highest speed attained is 2.5 Mbps. Ironically enough, I am subscribed to the 8Mbps (Pfft!) Plan Rapid 30 GB according to which I get 8 Mbps upto a 30 GB download limit (A limit that I have not exceeded till date) following which the speed changes to 512 Kbps (which funnily it always changes to for the last week of the billing cycle regardless of the downloads) as of 27th April 2013. Whats worse is that the plan before this 4Mbps (Pfft! Again!) Turbo 30 GB according to which I am entitled to 4 Mbps upto a 30 GB download limit (Needless to say I've never received such a speed or a download limit) following which the speed changes to 256 Kbps (the same last week pattern is followed) as of 27th August 2011.
According to the above Airtel has been ripping me off of hard earned money for the past 1 YEAR AND 9 MONTHS ATLEAST (Customer care first refused to give me details of my previous plans claiming they had no record but gave in after they realised I wasn't buying their ).
Also, about 10 days ago, which is when the technician visited I was told that this speed issue would be rectified by 27th May as that was the date of my billing cycle. Today is the 29th of May and I still see no rectification.

Q. Why have I uploaded this on facebook instead of filing a complaint with customer care?
A. Customer care refuses to file complaints, they say they are not authorized to file such complaints (because obviously you need authorization to take complaints right ?). If I request to be put through to someone senior i.e. someone who can take a call on the issue I am put on hold till I don't disconnect (Obviously I am being charged for these calls also since Airtel has decided to charge customers for customer care). The technician who came over to look over the issues I was facing also refused to take forward the complaint saying he has already shown me more than he is authorized to and cannot further delve into the matter and suggested I call customer care (its a vicious cycle of passing the buck).

Q. Why the technician was called in the first place ?
A. The substandard moden from Beetel was giving me trouble as usual, all lights were on, internet was said to be functioning properly but obviously there was no internet. Even the technician and technicians before him have clearly said that the modems provided were pathetic and it would be better if I purchased a DLink or Netgear modem instead from the market.
Another problem faced is that my landline remains dead more often than not. One technician claimed that the squirrels were chewing through the wiring (its funny that these uber smart squirrels only chose my wires to attack repeatedly and ignored all my neighbors, I must be doing something to gravely offend them). Another time I was instructed to step out of my house and search for a technician since their records said that someone was on a round in my area. (why thank you airtel, would you like me to get him a coffee from starbucks while I'm on this goose chase ?).

Q. How you can check if you're being ripped off ?
A. Us consumers are not given this tool to check if we are being ripped off. God bless the technician who taught me how to check this and see what a crooked company Airtel really is.

Step 1. Open Internet Browser (I am using Google Chrome).
Step 2. Put in your IP Address (Mine is 192. 168. 1. 1)
Step 3. The Beetel Login Page opens asking for a Username and Password.
Step 4. Username is "username" and Password is "password".
Step 5. Click Device Info.
Step 6. Click Summary.
Step 7. Line rate downstream is the speed you are getting.

I REQUEST Airtel India TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND TO STOP RIPPING OFF CONSUMERS OF THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY. THIS IS BLATANT CHEATING AND ITS TIME YOU REALISED WE AREN'T A BACKWARD LOT WHO WILL TAKE THIS LYING DOWN.

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