[Resolved]  Idea Cellular — Fraud Schemes

Dear Sir / Madam,

This mail is to file a complaint against Idea Cellular from Aditya Birla group for trying to sell me a post-paid connection first by fraud and then by force.

I got a call from Idea call center on 21st of July 2008(or 22nd) from phone number +[protected] around 1:30 - 2:00 pm. A call center executive named Akash asked me my name and told me that he is from Idea and wanted to tell me about a postpaid plan that their company had launched. Explaining the scheme he told me that they will take 500/- from me once and then for next 6 months they will give me 1000/- local talk time to any other network, 1000 local messages and 100 /- STD talk time. The call rates will be 49 paisa/Min. for local calls and 99 paisa/min for STD calls. They will put this amount in my balance at the start of every month for the next 6 months. I asked him whether it is a post-paid plan or pre-paid plan as I am using their pre-paid plan for last 3 years and not interested in a postpaid connection. The executive (Akash) confirmed me that it is indeed a pre-paid plan. The he informed me that to avail this scheme I need to fill up a form and give 500/- along with an identity proof. He also told me that I need to come to their A-30, Mohan Cooperative industrial Estate(Delhi) office to fill up the form. I told him that Mohan cooperative is too far and I can not come there. He suggested that in such case they will send an executive, who will get the form filled by me and will collect the money. I asked him to call me the next day so that I could gather all my queries and then confirm him whether I need the plan or not. He agreed to give me the call.

The same executive (Akash) called me a day later. I asked him my other doubts regarding the plan like what if I exhaust my 1000 /- talk time before the month end, he said I can get any other recharge coupon for top-up until I get my next month balance activated. Then I asked him my second doubt about roaming. I asked him when I will be on roaming from where will they deduct the charges, he said that will be deducted from my 1000/- local charge, however the call rate will be as per the roaming charges. Then I confirmed with him again that 1000/- talk time for local charges is for any network or just Idea-to-Idea? In reply to this he confirmed that it is to any local network. I had asked him this query the day before as well (during the first call he made to inform me about the scheme). All this conversation made it very clear that we are talking about a pre-paid connection; still I confirmed again that it is a pre-paid scheme and not post-paid. He confirmed it to me that it is a pre-paid scheme. I asked him to send the executive and asked him what will he give me as a proof of that form and the money? He told me that the executive will give me a customer copy of the form and it will have the amount I have paid mentioned on the slip. I told him that I am available in my office in Gurgaon. It was 24th July 2008, Thursday. He took my office address from me. I got a call the same day around 2:45 from the same executive(Akash) and he said that the person they have send to my office is some where near by my office and they wanted me to tell him the exact location of the office so that he could reach quickly. He connected me to the executive who had come to get the form filled. I told him the route. Once he reached, he again contacted me through the call center executive to inform him that he has reached my office and I could meet him. I went to meet him. I again confirmed the scheme from the executive who had come to get the form filled. He filled the form for me and mentioned the scheme on the form. The form serial number is 1065798. He wrote 500/- cash in the activation charges column on the form (put (took) the activation charge as 500/- cash). While he was filling the form I asked him that this is a pre-paid scheme or not, he said it is a pre-paid scheme. Finally at the end I asked him when they will activate my scheme, he said in 24 hrs.
At the same time a colleague of mine wanted some information on post paid connection so I asked the same executive if he could assist my colleague with the post-paid information. The executive said that he will connect us to the same call center executive Akash and he will provide us the information we have asked. He connected us to Akash. My colleague asked him about the scheme. That executive said that he can provide the same scheme (the one they have given me on pre-paid) on post-paid to my colleague though he need to pay a rental charges of 99 /- per month. Then he explained the same scheme to my colleague. That left us with no doubt that mine is a pre-paid scheme. The executive promised me to get my scheme activated in 24 hr. I asked him what if it doesn’t get activated; he said I can call up at the customer care and asked them to check the status. After that he left.

Next day was Friday and I waited for my scheme to get activated in vain. I decided to wait for another day. When I didn't get my service activated till 27th July (Sunday) I called up the customer care to inquire. An executive Seema attended my call. After explaining her entire situation first thing she said is "We can not help you" I was shocked to get such kind of reply from my service provider's customer care whose service I am availing for the last 3 years. The way she spoke to me was very rude. She was literally talking to me as if I have run away with her money instead of her company's representative. She started saying that some fraud has been done to me. I was very sure of that number from which I had got the call for the scheme as earlier also they have called me from the same number to inform me about their schemes. I also told her that I have the original receipt of Idea. After trying very hard she agreed to give me address of some customer care center where I could go and show that receipt and then they'll see whatever they want to do with that. She also informed me that it is closed on Sunday so I couldn't get it done the same day. I decided to go the next day which was a Monday.

Next day I got the call from the same number +[protected]. So I got sure that it was not a fraud done by some outsider but from the Idea people only. I asked that executive that they didn’t activate my scheme and I even called at their call center to inquire. On that note he said that he has called me today to confirm about he activation of the scheme only. That gave me a bit relief. But then when I asked him to activate the scheme he started asking me to where to deliver my new SIM. At that I asked him why is he giving me a new SIM when I already have a SIM? I only want to get my scheme activated. On this he said that it is not a pre-paid scheme and is a post-paid scheme. Hence they will give me a new SIM. I told them that I had confirmed this 3 times with there executive whether it is a pre-paid or post-paid scheme. Only after making it sure I have gone for this scheme. I also told him that I got call from Idea so many times to get a Post-paid connection but I always refused as I don't want a post-paid connection. But despite of helping with my problem the executive started saying that I will have to take this scheme only and started arguing. I denied to take this forceful connection and asked for my money back, in reply to which he said that he wouldn’t return my money and that is non-refundable. After his arguing more I finally thought to use that connection for a month. But then when I asked him to repeat the scheme he told me that it is 1000/- Idea-to-Idea calls. This really made me angry that first they tried to sell off their post paid connection by fraud, lying and cheating and they are forcing me to go for another scheme. I asked them to return my money to which they didn’t agree. I asked him to call me again next day to confirm whether I want to get it activated or not meanwhile I would like to talk to there customer care.
Next day again he called me from +[protected] and asked me to get it activated and again I refused as I hadn’t had talk to their customer care. At this I asked him what has he done or how else can I proceed. He told me that it is a fraud done by some DSA and he has filed a complaint in their system on my behalf from their Mohan Cooperative office.
I called at the customer care and explained my case to them. In reply to that their executive started saying that Madam isn't it your duty (the word used by her was "Farz") to call the customer care first and confirm whether we have such scheme or not. Then I told her that I have been getting calls from that number since very long and I am very sure that the number is of Idea and I even checked the originality of the form, now how else can I be sure whether the person is from Idea or not, and anyway by then I already knew that the person was from Idea indeed. I requested her to make me talk to some senior if she is not able to help me. First she didn't agree to it and started saying that it is a post-paid scheme and we handle pre-paid customer care so we can't help you. I still requested her that I am a pre paid customer, I don’t have any post paid connection or land line through which I can get in touch with their post-paid customer care so kindly connect me to some senior executive who could help me this. After requesting 3-4 times she said that she will transfer the call but ultimately my call was dropped. I called up again and some other customer care executive picked up the call. I explained him how I have already called few minutes back and have explained the whole scenario to some other executive and she couldn’t help me through that and requested him to transfer my call to some senior executive. This executive asked me to explain the entire story to him rather than transferring the call. I again told him all the events that I have written till now in my mail. He also started telling me that he can not help me with this as he is a pre-paid customer care and I need to call a post-paid customer care. I explained him how I can not call at Post-paid customer care. In reply to which he said (in his literal words) my asking him about his problem is “like calling at Idea and asking about Hutch schemes". To which I asked him then how come their executive can do something "like calling from Idea and giving Hutch information?” After much arguing with me he finally agreed to transfer my call to their senior. Then after keeping me on hold for 2-3 minutes he returned back and said that his senior has refused to talk me to and has said that he can not help me. I insisted to him that I still want to talk to the senior. Finally I got through some senior executive. I again explained the entire story for the 3rd time. He also said that it is done by the DSA and Idea can’t not do any thing. I asked him the company has given the DSAs the authority to speak on the company's behalf, so whenever the DSA is saying something the customer is tend to take it as the word from the company and ultimately the company is responsible for any fraud done to the customer. After much discussion that senior told me to get the information of the DSA and said that only after that they can take some action. He suggested me to ask them to deliver the SIM to me and at the time to delivery ask the executive to provide me with the details of the DSA. He told me that they can check from the SIM identification number that to which DSA the SIM was allocated. He said once they have the details of the DSA, then I can ask them to not to activate the SIM and refund my money. I took his advice and waited for the call from the person to confirm about the delivery of the SIM.
I got the call (this time from a different number) to confirm about the delivery of the SIM. I asked them to deliver and asked them who will deliver the SIM, is it going to be the same person who came to get the form filled. In reply to this the executive on call said they are going to get it delivered by some courier service. I refused to take it and said that I need the details of the DSA who has done the fraud. At this node he started telling me that the DSA sends the requests to some center and from there the Idea people get the request and he can not provide the DSA information. I asked him I understand that they do not interact with DSA directly but there has to be some way by which they can track the DSA. Despite of replying to my query he started shouting at me that didn’t I listen that there is something between him and the DSA. Is this the way customer care people are supposed to talk to their customer? When I am talking to him politely, despite of them bugging and harassing me since last 10 days, and trying to get away with my money by fraud, he is shouting at me? Is that what is expected out of the customer care.
This is how they have taken my money by fraud and now when I want them to return my money they are harassing me by shouting at me. They think they can get away with this kind of fraud by making their pitch high. When they are not able to sell their product, they are trying to do it by fraud. They are trying to force the customer to take there product by hook or by crook. This entire episode has really wasted my time as well as mental peaces along with my hard earn money. Now I need your guidance and help to recover my money and to get out of their trap. At the same time I would like people to know that these companies with such big names are doing such disgraceful thing. There are people who don’t fight and just surrender in front of such impolite customer care executive and their high pitch, shouting voice however I want people to stand against such incidents and bring them in to light.
I hope I have come to the right forum and hope to get my money back.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Neha Pandey