[Resolved]  Shopping. Indiatimes.com — Selling locked mobile handset in India

Address:

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

I saw the ad for Motorola Atrix 4g in TOI on 21st of Jan 2012 and placed the order for the phone on the same day in shopping.indiatimes.com website. [Order #: [protected]]

Issue Summary:
I received the phone on 27th Jan 2012. But unfortunately, I'm not able to use the phone by inserting my BSNL SIM card as the phone is locked with AT&T.

Technical Issue [Details]:
The initial startup screen of this phone expects me to input my "MotoBlur" login credentials, which I do not have.
As per the Motorola website, the first time when a SIM is inserted, the phone is supposed to give you two options :
[a] Register with Motoblur [new users]
or
[b] Login with Motoblur id [existing users].
But this phone does not display the first option since it is locked with AT&T and I'm trying to use it with BSNL SIM.. There is no way to use the phone without passing through this step. Also there is no way to bypass this step... Also I'm not able to create Motoblur id online as well... Ultimately the phone which I bought from your esteemed site is lying unusable. Also I find the at&t logo everywhere in the package, user manual etc..

Complaint:
I called the customer care and was informed that the phone will be either unlocked or replaced with unlocked phone and this will take 10-15 days!! When I asked how can you treat a customer like this [selling a locked phone] when I have paid the amount in full, there is a suggestion from your executive asking me to go to Motorola service myself or to contact the Merchant in Delhi!!
Complaint # 105317

This appears to be a very serious issue in the way business is conducted. I don't understand how they expect the customer to use the locked phone.. There is not a single warning in the advertisement that this is a locked phone.
Hope you understand the frustration on the part of the customer who has paid the money in full in advance and yet is delivered a product which cannot be used. I don't think this is the way a leading e-retailer like indiatimes should be doing business and treating customers.

I expect my phone to be either unlocked/replaced with an unlocked phone as soon as possible. But I've been asked to wait for atleast 15 days which in this case is really bad... as in the first place it is their responsibility to deliver the appropriate product, which obviously has been overlooked.

-Giridhar [+[protected]]