Airtel — Complaint regarding Fraud, Unfair Trade Practices, and Deficiency of Service by M/s Bharti Airtel Limited

I am filing this complaint under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 against M/s Bharti Airtel Limited citing gross deficiency in service, unfair trade practices, deliberate fraud, and systematic obstruction of grievance redressal mechanisms.

Detailed Background and Timeline:

27 May 2025: Airtel sold me an Airtel Black plan (WiFi + IPTV) for INR 999/month, collected INR 1, 000 booking amount promising immediate installation.

28 May 2025: Engineer collected INR 1, 800 more, confirmed IPTV not launched in Delhi NCR, and admitted customer care continues to fraudulently book such services to meet targets.

Upon installation: Airtel unilaterally changed the agreed Airtel Black plan to a 3 month advance 799 WiFi-only plan without consent, demanded INR 1, 500 more for IPTV activation.

Multiple Escalations: Through calls, emails (including email dated 17 June 2025), chats via the Airtel Thanks app, and social media, Airtel kept passing the issue from one agent to another, refused to escalate, and gave false assurances.

Systematic Suppression: Airtel's customer care ecosystem is intentionally designed to frustrate escalation. Chatbots trap consumers in endless diagnostic loops; human agents refuse to document complaints, disconnect calls, and avoid providing escalation contacts, violating consumer rights.

Legal Issues:

1. Fraudulent sale of services not launched in the region.
2. Unauthorized change of the agreed-upon contract without consent.
3. Unfair trade practice under Section 2(47) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
4. Gross deficiency in service under Section 2(11) of the Act.

Reliefs Sought:

Immediate delivery of promised services under Airtel Black plan without additional charges

INR 1 lakh penalty for fraud,

INR 10, 000 compensation towards mental harassment, and agony..

Direction to Airtel to provide a detailed, written response addressing each allegation within a time-bound period.

I also reserve the right to amend, modify, or add to this complaint as needed.

Supporting documents including receipts, chat transcripts, call records, and email communications are attached.

Thank you.