Reliance TV — Fraudulent change of set top boxes

Address:

South Delhi, Delhi

Reliance TV (previously BIG TV) has suddenly hit upon a novel way of forcing its old subscribers to buy new set top boxes for its DTH services. At 7.15 p.m. on 25th June 2012, all the channels of Reliance TV went off air due to 'signal problem'. Repeated calls at its consumer centre from 7.15 p.m. to 10 p.m. got only one reply-'cannot take your call at the moment as the computer system is down for updation, please call after some time'. I checked with some of my neighbours who also had Reliance TV and found that they too were facing the same problem since 7.15 pm. Then suddenly an engineer from Reliance TV (wearing the unifrom of BIG TV) shows up at my door at 10 pm and asks if my Reliance TV is down. I'm surprised as my complaint had not been registered and yet the engineer showed up. When I asked him how he came to know about the problem, he evaded the question. He checked the system and announced that my set top box has developed some fault and replaced it with new one and demanded Rs. 525 for it. I protested that how could the set top box develop fault all of a sudden when it was functioning fine until 7.15 pm. Further, how could set top boxes of other people also in our complex develop fault at the same time, i.e. 7.15 pm? he had no answer. All he said that if you want the services to resume, new set top box will have to be purchased. New set top box will carry the warranty of 12 months. What guarantee is there that it will also not 'develop fault' after 12 months once the warranty period is over. I see some big game plan in this forced interruption of services by the Reliance TV. I request the authorities to look into the matter and stop this company from committing 'day light robbery'.