[Resolved]  Airtel — Incorrect Recharge - Refund denied - Insensitive customer care assistance

Address:

Chandigarh

Consumer Forum, 

This is to bring into your notice a Sheer Denial from Airtel so called cx service for acknowledging refund/ conversion of plan of Internet.

I paid a retailer sum of 149 to get the Internet pack recharged for 30 days validity. I got an SMS confirmation as following: 

Recharge Successful on[protected] at 03:35PM,MRP: Rs 149.00, STax: Rs16.39, TransID[protected] Validity :28 days Benefit:700 Local A2A minutes

As you can see the benefit mentioned in SMS was 700 free local minutes whereas I paid for 149 /- Internet plan. Considering there might be a misunderstanding I called Airtel cx service and Sharad answered the phone. I explained him the situation and requested him to either refund my 149 money or simply convert 700 free mins plan into Internet pack as free mins as no use of me. I also informed that nit even a second is consumed from 700 mins credited to my number. He refused! When I further insisted for support he denied very rudely and even raised his voice. This made Me angry and I asked for manager, He Denied that call can't be transferred there is no such procedure. If He has refused so it's a permanent refusal. When I still did not relent he transferred me to a senior escalation team and I spoke to Rohit, he was polite and atleast heard me but he said he can't refund my money and also can't convert the plan from free mins to Internet pack though the price is just the same. He said it's reatiler's fault. He asked me to check with him. I explained since I'm working women and I can't go and talk to retailer when at the end solution has to come from Airtel only. As a cx for me it's Airtel's bad and doesn't matter be it retailer or frontline executive. But he denied and then I asked him to put me through the manager.

My call was then transferred to Sumit Mehra the team manager who heard the whole story 3rd time and gave me the same answer. He said you have recharged and Now u have to consume 700 free mins... I explained that they are of no use to me as nobody in my family has Airtel phone and they are useless for me. I asked him to convert tha plan into Internet if he can't refund but he bluntly denied. He said that  I should now use free mins and there is no solution from his side. I tried to convince him that I don't want to waste my money but he remained very insensitive and this was least cx centric conversation I ever had. I was helpless and I told him since he can't help me then I m left with no option but going to consumer forum. He said 'go ahead if you want to' as if this doesn't meant anything for Airtel reputation. 

Hence, with Airtel's team manager Sumit Mehra's due permission, I am hereby writing this to you because as a cx it doesn't matter to me whose mistake was it. All that matter to me is that i don't want to end up paying for service which I am not even going to use. So kindly either refund my 149 /- or convert the free mins package to Internet pack worth 149/- it's my money and i have right to spend it on something I need to, want to, but not on something forced upon me.

I am extremely dissatisfied with the support provided by Airtel and I am very sure I will discontinue using this no as soon as I get myself another brand that can show some sympathy towards their cx. Or at-least have logical support boundaries. No one like to pay for things forced upon them.