Vodafone India - Since the 3 months I have had their connection, it has been nothing but a headache. Lets hear the story (true story bro!)
1. New connection taken. Since I wanted to test the network coverage, I chose for the lowest possible initial recharge. So my balance is 20 odd Rs., and lo behold, Vodafone applies its smart brains and now they activate Missed Call Notification at the cost of Rs. 30 - my balance goes to negative and since the customer care calls cost .50 Rs per 3 min, I can't complain. So I get another recharge, call customer care. Firstly they refuse, and on a raised voice, put me on hold and drop the call.
To Vodafone's credit, an email to the Nodal officer got a refund within 24 hours. I think, they are not that bad after all!
2. Without any notification, my outgoing is barred. I call Vodafone Customer Care (I pay for this again, mind you) and am told that I need to submit my documents - this after I purchased the pre paid connection from Vodafone Store and not some 3rd party store!
I go to Vodafone Store again, seems like they have lost my documents - instead of apologizing, they choose to ask me to submit the documents again. This time, their ever "Happy to Help" rep. gets intimidated by my shouting and enables my out going with a request that I have to submit my documents, picture etc again or my services will again be stopped. Dejected, I comply - celebrating a minor victory, though.
3. I use the online recharge facility, recharge gets failed, the amount still gets deducted. I call customer care - they drop my call - I happen to check my bank account again - the amount is refunded automatically - a sigh of relief (if you can call it that!)
4. 1 month passes, everything is as smooth as it gets, then again I need to recharge online. Recharge succeeds, amount gets deducted from my bank. I wait for a call balance on my phone, nothing. I wait the stipulated 24 hours the customer care executive promises for the balance to materialize - nothing happens. I check the transaction id - MCIT[protected] - on their website - it says its invalid! This after I get a success message and email after the recharge (without any balance to my number).
Another trip to Vodafone Store (the place seems like a second home now - I even know every reps. name). I am told the amount will be deducted within 5 days - as is the case with all FAILED recharges. I insist that since the recharge was success, but no balance to the phone, he should register a complaint - I am promptly refused this right - policy being sacrosanct rather than customer satisfaction.
After 5 days, no refund to my account - finally the rep at Vodafone store registers the complaint. It has been 7 days since then - I have been visiting / calling the vodafone store - all they promise is some action from their head office but nothing materializes.
Oh, this time the email to the Nodal Office (the person is different - do they keep committing suicide?) results in an answer, the balance will be refunded within 5 days of FAILED recharge - this when it already has been more than a week since the day lady luck robbed me blind! Gosh, simple math skills look like non-existent in this e-age.
I am still not loosing hope, after all - social media is supposed to shift the power to consumers. Let this be a test case of how a public complaint against a corporation results in a swift or no action.
Your move, Vodafone.
Was this information helpful?
Vodafone — failure to refund
i had requested vodafone for an additional postpaid connection. the company representative visited my place and collected Rs. 500 as security deposit vide reciept no.7483 towards sim no. [protected]/ [protected] dated[protected]. subsequently i was informed that my verification has failed as my company name didnot match that given during my earlier connection. i asked for a refund for which i was asked to visit collection office in okhla. after multiple trips to collection office and vodafone stores the sim was collected back and refund promised. however the refund was never made.