[Resolved] Bharti Airtel Broadband Service — Bharti Airtel cheating customers in the guise of "Old Plan "?

mpneerkaje

from Bengaluru, Karnataka

Address:

Bangalore, Karnataka

Dear All,

I would like to seek help from legal experts here in the consumer forum, regarding my grievance with Airtel broadband (Bharti Airtel), with respect to my billing. My current broadband plan has a limit of 3GB Data usage, and it attracts a monthly rental of Rs 598.

Now, as per my claim, any excess usage above 3GB should be charged as Rs 0.20/MB. However, Airtel has charged me Rs 0.60/MB for extra usage above 3GB. Below are some details about the same :

Bill Date : 27/09/2012
Total usage : 4048 MB
Free usage : 3072 MB
Extra usage : 976 MB
Extra amount as per 20p/MB : Rs 192
Actual extra amount charged in the bill (as per 60p/MB) : Rs 586

I haven't included the other details - Total bill amount, phone call usage, tax etc - here, as I have no contention in those things.

Now, even if I concede for a while that my memory was wrong, and that the cost of extra usage as per my plan is in deed Rs 0.60/MB, I should at least be able to find my billing plan details from Airtel to re-affirm the same. So I thought of checking their website about my plan - 598 plan with 3GB data usage limit or "South Value Combo 598 @ 256 kbps" as mentioned by Airtel customer care - over their website. But there is no such plan in their website.

Then I raised a complaint with Airtel, asking for billing details about my plan. What they sent me in reply is an xls sheet having the so called "bill plan details". Here I have few comments :

1. Firstly, why did they sent me xls sheet instead of giving link to their website?
2. Are the plan details supposed to be public, fair and equal to everyone or is it a private contract?
3. The plan details which they sent says that the broadband speed is 256 kbps (I have their mail as the proof). Where as my current broadband speed is 512 kbps (I have the proof for it). Does not it prove that they were using wrong bill plan for me all these days?
4. I called the Airtel customer care no 198, and inquired about the the billing complaint. I was surprised to hear him saying that I was using some "Old plan", so the details of the same are not available on their website.
5. He further insisted that as per that "Old plan", extra usage will be charged 60p/B.
6. I insisted that I need the proof of that "Old plan" in public domain, i.e., in their website. He said that is not available and he finally said he will transfer the call to his manager.
7. I did wait for couple of minutes, but no one was available on the line. It did not mention how long should I wait, so I cut the call.

Interestingly, there is a new plans from Airtel which is available in their website, called "Surf 599-Airtel/KT/FL/10" which charges Rs 1 extra for a broadband speed of 512 kbps, which is double the speed of my "supposed to be" plan of Rs 598! But there is another difference there, my 598 plan had Rs 150 free phone calls, where as the new 599 plan had no free phone calls. I am not going to challenge the "worthiness" of these plans, that is up to Airtel to decide whether these plans make sense or not. However, I do have issues regarding :

1. If Airtel thinks both the plans i.e., Plan 598 and Plan 599 are priced fairly, what stops them from publishing both the plans in their website?
2. Even if the new plan 599 is price cut-down version of the earlier plan, and Airtel has no business in informing its customers about the new low-cost alternate plans, does that mean it can hide the "Old plan" from public?
3. As per the customer support, I was using the so called "Old plan". What is the definition of "Old plan"? Are they those plans which are not in service at all? If so How is it possible that I am still being charged under the non-existing plan?
4. If that "Old Plan" is not scrapped all together and is still in service, how come Airtel can hide its details from Public?

I know Airtel can find excuses for all these queries, but I am sure I do have some legal points on my side. Can any one here in this forum help in this regard? Can any expert here go through my points and find out if :

1. I have any legal stand against Airtel for charging me wrong bills all these days?
2. Does Airtel has to right to hide bill plan details (for the plans which are in operation) from public?

If you need to examine the proofs which I have (Airtel Bill which I mentioned, the so called "Plan details" xls sheet which the Airtel customer care sent and one proof of current broadband speed which is a screen shot of an on line speed test dated on Oct 27, 2010), please send me a test e-mail to prasad DOT mahesh AT gmail.com.

Looking for your kind help..

Regards,
Mahesha

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Aug 13, 2020

Complaint marked as Resolved

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Comments

mpneerkaje

from Bengaluru, Karnataka

Sorry, one correction here :

Bill Date : 27/09/2010 instead of 27/09/2012

mpneerkaje

from Bengaluru, Karnataka

@Rakesh. I have written the mail to you and to the Nodal officer. No one is interested to solve the issue.

kuljitoberoi

from Mumbai, Maharashtra

Bharti Airtel Broadband Service — Fraud

Hi,

My name is kujit singh and I am from Delhi. I recently witness a fraud from a Brand Called "Airtel Broadband service".

On the September 20th, 2010 there were two Airtel sale people were at home door, to complete a survey. As i was aware about the great services of Airtel Broadband internet and was looking for the service for my home, so I invite them inside to know more about the offer. I was informed by one of the sale representative that I can enrolled for the service by paying the installations charges of Rs. 500.00, so I provide them the required information like the photograph and the photo identification proof and also gave them the Rs.500.00. I received a slip of the conformation of enrollment and a commitment of service activation within the 3 days of time duration. Regrettably it couldn’t be possible and i start connecting the sources to know the status of me Broadband services. So first I called the number which I received on the time enrollment which was the number for Mr. Ranjit with the contact number ([protected]) and the response I revived was Sir we don’t have the line in your area so we can not provide you the service. After receiving the information, when I asked for the refund and the reason why I was informed and enrolled for the service if you don’t have a line here, he conference me with his boss Mr. Raju shrivastav.

The supervisor asked me to get 10 connections in order to get my services activated. I would like to know the process for the Airtel Broadband service activation. Is this required for all the customers to get 5 or 10 connections in order to there service activated? So we end up with bad customer experience and a fake customer service promise of Airtel Broadband service.

WOW you did it Again.

On the 11th October afternoon I received a call which was again form the Airtel Broadband service. In that call I was informed that we (AIRTEL) has successfully installed the internet lane in your locality and now I can enrolled for the services again. I informed the whole story to the sale girl that how I was cheated and miss guide from Airtel in regards of my service activation. However the sale representative told me that this time she guaranties me 110% that they have the service in my locality. Being a victim of fake promise I still make my mind to give Airtel a second chance.

Here I would like to inform you that I disconnect my current internet services as i have my billing cycle 12th of every month. And the same sale representative came to collect the form and the money again which I revived last time through courier service. So this time I also enrolled for the IPTV service also and get the conformation of 3 days to services get activated. So I fill a form for IPTV and gave them a Rs. 1750.00 check. But after waiting for more then a week I decided to know the status of my request, but when I called Ranjit the same guy who enrolled me first time and also the second time, he informed me that they don’t have the services available in my area.

Being a frustrated consumer I decided to visit the office of Ranjit. And I called him again to know his address, pleas note that following is the address I received form Ranjit:

B-201/4
Gujrawala Town
Part 1 Delhi.

This is the address for Fortune Sales Corporation, and amazingly Ranjit was not aware about the route for his office. However I tried hard I locate the address. So I visited the place and told them the whole fraud happened with me. The officers proposed me the refund for the recent request and also told me about the offer for the new customers. If a new customer joins Airtel services he/she will get a Reebok watch or sun glass, which was not informed by Mr. Ranjit.

So I have some matter of concerns and questions form Airtel:
1. Why I was informed and enrolled for the services when there were no services available.
2. Why as a consumer I was harassed and miss guided by Bharti Airtel.
3. second time when I told the sale representative that I don’t have the service here in my locality, why I being promised 110% that I will receive the services in the next 3 days
4. Why I was asked to get 10 connections in order to get my services activated.
5. Who is responsible for this fraud and miscommunication?

Please be informed that I am not writing this e-mail because I need the Rs 500.00 refund, but I would make sure that kind of fraud and worst service I received as a consumer nobody ever faced it

If you need the scan copies of both the RS 500.00 SLIP and the copies of form, please revert to me with the e-mail address. I would love to share the information with you.

Victim of fraud from Airtel

Kuljit singh
[protected]/[protected]

dgtarun

from Bengaluru, Karnataka

Hi this is Rahul Roy. I using Airtel broadband for past 1 year and no issues so far with the connection except one. Sometimes, the speed decreases to such a level that I can't even open my Google home page which was not found in Tata wimax connection. Rest of the other things are fine. I am really happy with the customer care services which I was not able to get in my previous connection i.e.Reliance and Tata. I would like to thank to the Airtel Customer Service Team and their support to me in solving my each and every queries. I have two more questions to ask i.e. Firstly, I would like to know that if Airtel is providing 2 Mbps tariff plan with unlimited downloads with no fair usage policy. I really hate that stupid fair usage policy which has been adopted by Airtel and that bloody BSNL. I would n't mind in paying the price of 2 Mbps tariff plan but I just want to know the same. Secondly, I would like to know when is Airtel going to launch the wimax broadband. I am very eagely to know it and if such plans are there, I would be the first one to get it. I am just eager to know about it. I request the Airtel Customer Service Team to provide me the correct details regarding the two queries.

Thanks in advance,
Rahul Roy

V.Prashaanth

from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

from: [protected]@yahoo.com my airtel number[protected]

dear sirs
i am not receiving airtel broadband bills at all, despite my several reminders
over phone. the customer service in this area withregard to forwarding of
bills is very poor and deserve your immediate attention.
please do the needful and ensure thati receive the bills regularly
every month. thanking you,

yours sincerely,
v. Prashaanth.