Vodafone Essar Mobile Services Limited — Malfunction in billing and shocking response

To,
The Manager,
Customer Service
Vodafone Essar Mobile Services Limited,
C 48, Okhla Industrial Area - Phase II
New Delhi 110 020


SUB : Malfunction in billing.

Sir/ Madam
This is to bring to your notice that I (Jyoti Verma) was holding a post paid connection (converted from the prepaid) with the number [protected] from Nov. 2007 to February 2008. In the first month I had opted for the plan ‘399 super’ in which service provider Vodafone had offered to give 1, 000 minutes Vodafone to Vodafone free local talk time and 1, 000 minutes Vodafone to Vodafone STD talk time free. But in the first bill I received in the month of December 2007, all STD calls made on Vodafone were charged at the rate of Rs. 1/- per minute and the rest STD calls at the rate of Rs. 2/- per minute. I complained about this discrepancy in the customer care on 27.12.2007 through registration No.[protected] and requested for the revised corrected bill. I was told to pay the entire bill saying that it will be adjusted in the next bill. But in the next bill in the month of January 2008 no adjustment was made and again the bill was considerably high. By this time I had changed the plan to ‘Plan 444’. On 25.01.08 I again complained about the discrepancy in the bill through the registration no.[protected] and asked for the revised bill. But sorry to mention about the poor customer care service- company didn’t bother to respond. I made repeated requests to generate the revised bill, but to no help.
Around 20th of February, telephone service on my no. was withdrawn without any intimation. After a month I received a bill for about Rs.1, 600 out of which I made a payment of Rs 1, 000 thinking after making amendments in the bill, I shall pay the rest amount.
When there was no intimation from the service provider, I made a visit to the Vodafone outlet to make the final settlement. I was shocked to know that the outstanding amount was now nearly 1, 700 Rs. And the reason I was given was all the more shocking- after receiving a payment of Rs 1, 000/- from me, my connection was resumed by the company (again without any intimation). As a consequence a sum of Rs. 444/- was being added every month in my account, while this particular number has not been used at all after February 2008. In the mean time I have been harassed time and again and threats are being given on behalf of Vodafone that a non bailable warrant is being issued against me or I make the demanded payment. It is very unfortunate that instead of addressing to customers’ grievances, they are being taken to ransom. The entire affair has caused ample stress to me and landed me up in the hospital.
I thought it appropriate to inform the company before taking the matter to the consumer court and TRAI.
Regards

Jyoti Verma
603, Patrakar Vihar,
Nyaykhand-I
Indrapuram
Ghaziabad. UP

Dt:12.10.08