[Resolved]  Vodafone — GPRS CHARGES

Hi,

I, Mr. Baji Sepoy[protected], would like to inform that I was falsely charged by Vodafone for the GPRS service, which my wife had never subscribed for it. All these while I was never checking the details of my bills, and based on the sms message, I was making payment through internet. Just few days back, I was shocked to notice that from Aug 2008, they have been charging my wife’s add on card[protected], an amount of Rs 499/- towards GPRS service, which till date she has never used it. She is not even aware about the GPRS facility, nor does she know how to initiate the GPRS request.

When I inquired with Vodafone in regards to the initiation of the GPRS service, I got three different versions of the story from three different Vodafone officers.

1. First one was, this service was activated via sms.

2. Second feedback was given by Dinesh, that this facility was activated via their Vodafone internet site.

3. Now the third feedback was, it was activated via IVR.

Till date they are unable to provide me with any concrete evidence for my activation request. Since the last reason given was IVR, and since it is digital, I have requested them to send the digital recording via a dat file. Now Vodafone is just not interested in giving me any evidence, in regards to the activation. They did orally inform me that since my wife has never used the GPRS facility, they were willing to refund me 1000/- Rs. I am just not interested for the refund, I am more interested to know how this service was activated. In my eyes this is a mistake on Vodafone’s part, and they need to refund the entire amount, which they have falsely charged the customer.

I do admit that it is my mistake for not checking their bills. But isn’t it their duty to check for customers who are paying such hefty amounts and not using their facilities. If they had carried out the exercise at their end, then they would have highlighted to my wife, about their services, not being utilized.

For your reference, I have enclosed the chain of emails being exchanged between me and Vodafone. Though I do have time constraints, but at the same time I do want to teach a lesson to these MNC’s that they cannot just fleece customers at their will. Therefore please guide me accordingly.

Thanking you in advance.


Regards,

Baji Sepoy.
[protected]

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From: Corporate Assist [Corporate.[protected]@Vodafone.com]
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 5:17 PM
To: Baji Sepoy
Subject: RE: Excess billing [protected]





Dear Mr. Sepoy,

Thank you for your email dated 25/06/09 regarding your concern for monthly rentals for the Vodafone Mobile Connect service for the Vodafone number [protected].


We wish to reiterate that the Vodafone Mobile Connect service was activated from your end through the IVR option and hence the charges have been accurately applied. We are unable to reverse the same.



In case you need further assistance, please do call or email us. We’ll do our best to help you.


Happy to help,


Dhruti Panchal
Vodafone Care
Contact numbers
Vodafone Care : 111 or +91-[protected]
(Toll free from Vodafone mobile phones within the home network)
Fax number : +[protected]
E-mail : corporate.[protected]@vodafone.com
Website : www.vodafone.in






[protected][protected][protected][protected]

From: Baji Sepoy [mailto:[protected]@globeop.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 5:49 PM
To: Corporate Assist
Subject: RE: Excess billing [protected]



That is the purpose such a disclaimer is kept in the last line, with such small fonts, so the clients would require magnifying glass to read it.



That is exactly what I meant, MNC carrying out day light robbery with such disclaimers in place.



This whole episode and the attitude of your staff, just stinks. I have no other words to express my ill feelings.



Baji Sepoy

Phone : (+[protected]

.


[protected][protected][protected][protected]

From: Corporate Assist [mailto:Corporate.[protected]@Vodafone.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 5:35 PM
To: Baji Sepoy
Subject: Excess billing [protected]









Dear Mr. Sepoy,

Thank you for your email dated24/06/09 regarding your concern for monthly rentals for the Vodafone Mobile Connect service for the Vodafone number [protected].



We regret the typographical error in the below mentioned email and wish to inform you that the Vodafone Mobile Connect service was activated with effect from 21/08/08.



Mr. Sepoy, the Vodafone Mobile Connect service was activated from your end through the IVR option and hence the charges have been accurately applied.



We would like to draw your attention to the reverse of page 1 of your bills that mentions that any discrepancy in the bill needs to be noted within the due date, else the charges are deemed to be accurate.

Now, activation/deactivation of services can be done easily via an SMS command to 111(toll free) and the service would be activated/deactivated accordingly. We have attached herewith a list of SMS service commands for reference.

In case you need further assistance, please do call or email us. We’ll do our best to help you.

Happy to help


Rubina Kazi

Vodafone Care
Contact numbers
Vodafone Care : 111 or +91-[protected]
(Toll free from Vodafone mobile phones within the home network)
Fax number : +[protected]
E-mail : corporate.[protected]@vodafone.com
Website : www.vodafone.in













[protected][protected][protected][protected]

From: Baji Sepoy [mailto:[protected]@globeop.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:31 PM
To: Corporate Assist
Subject: RE: Excess billing [protected]



It is not a question of reversing the rentals. You need to be give me evidence that you have rightfully charged the fees, for which I have used your services. Can you give an evidence from 21/08/08, whether anybody has browsed the internet through [protected]. If the services has not been utilized till date, do you think your clients are fools to initiate your GPRS services via IVR, and pay 500/- Rs a month as rentals? This utter rubbish, and in any court of law you will loose your battle. I do not have any other word besides, day light robbery.



The worst is you have not even give the initiation dates correctly, you have specified 21/08/09. This clearly shows the lethargy at which Vodafone functions.



I am not going to call you, if you want you can call me on[protected] and discuss.



Baji Sepoy

Phone : (+[protected]

.


[protected][protected][protected][protected]

From: Corporate Assist [mailto:Corporate.[protected]@Vodafone.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 6:45 PM
To: Baji Sepoy
Subject: RE: Excess billing [protected]







Dear Mr. Sepoy,

Thank you for your email dated 23/06/09, regarding Vodafone mobile connect service for Vodafone mobile number [protected].



Further to the email dated 23/06/09 and your conversation with our colleauge Ms. Reshma Khan on 18/06/09, we confirm we have addressed your concern.



We wish to reiterate that the Vodafone Mobile Connect service was active on the above mentioned number effective, 21/08/09 via IVR. We are unable to reverse the rentals levied for the same.



In case you need further assistance, please do call or email us. We’ll do our best to help you.


Happy to help,


Dhruti Panchal
Vodafone Care
Contact numbers
Vodafone Care : 111 or +91-[protected]
(Toll free from Vodafone mobile phones within the home network)
Fax number : +[protected]
E-mail : corporate.[protected]@vodafone.com
Website : www.vodafone.in






[protected][protected][protected][protected]

From: Baji Sepoy [mailto:[protected]@globeop.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:47 PM
To: Corporate Assist
Subject: RE: Excess billing [protected]



Alifiya,



Well since Vodafone cannot provide any sort of evidence in regards to the activation of this service, I have filled my complaint to the consumer forum(email enclosed). Though I do have time constraints at my end, but I will definitely file my complaint in the consumer court. More so, because I got three different feedbacks from your concerned officer, which clearly shows that you people are not sure about the mode of the activation for the GPRS service.



I am disgusted the way you people have handled my case, with such lethargy. But I can assure you, I will not take it lying down. Those monopolistic days are over, whereby the consumer could not do anything against the muscle power of the MNC’s. You cannot charge yr customer, when they are not using your services. Even though your client my pay yr charges in good faith, but it is Vodafone’s duty to ensure that they do not falsely charge their customers.



Regards,

Baji Sepoy

Phone : (+[protected]

.


[protected][protected][protected][protected]

From: Corporate Assist [mailto:Corporate.[protected]@Vodafone.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:21 PM
To: Baji Sepoy
Subject: Excess billing [protected]

















Dear Mr. Sepoy,

Thank you for your email dated 18/06/09, regarding Vodafone mobile connect service for Vodafone mobile number [protected].



We wish to confirm that Vodafone mobile connect service is active on the above mentioned mobile number via IVR effective 21/08/09.



We regret to inform you that we would be unable to provide you with the recording of the activation of the service on the above number.



We regret the inconvenience caused to you.


Now, activation/deactivation of services can be done easily via an SMS command to 111(toll free) and the service would be activated/deactivated accordingly. We have attached herewith a list of SMS service commands for reference.



In case you need further assistance, please do call or email us. We’ll do our best to help you.


Happy to help,


Alifiya Chataiwala
Vodafone Care
Contact numbers
Vodafone Care : 111 or +91-[protected]
(Toll free from Vodafone mobile phones within the home network)
Fax number : +[protected]
E-mail : corporate.[protected]@vodafone.com
Website : www.vodafone.in
















[protected][protected][protected][protected]

From: Baji Sepoy [mailto:[protected]@globeop.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 4:52 PM
To: Corporate Assist
Subject: Excess billing [protected]



Reshma,



This is the third contradictory feedback being given by your officer. First one was, this service was activated via sms. Second feedback was given by Dinesh, that this facility was activated via your Vodafone internet site. Now the third feedback is, it was activated via IVR. Fine if it was done via IVR, please can you send me the recording via a DAT file. Since these are digital recording, it should not be a problem in retrieving from your system. Let me hear the voice to understand, whether my wife or any of my family members have activated the GPRS service, when none of them were going to use it.



Please check your records, has my wife ever accessed internet after subscribing yr GPRS facility?. The answer will be a big “No”. Then why should she activate through any of the medium available at your end.



I am attaching my second email, whereby I had interacted with Dinesh, and he had given a complete different view of activating this service.



Please provide me with an evidence that my family member had activated this service. Any organization can tell me that such and such facility was activated on so & so date, and that’s the reason they are charging me. I cannot digest this crap when I am getting three different opinions.



I am surprised that company of such a big stature, cannot provide such a small evidence to their client.



Baji Sepoy

Phone : (+91) 22 – 40948899



.


[protected][protected][protected][protected]

From: Corporate Assist [mailto:Corporate.[protected]@Vodafone.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 2:48 PM
To: Baji Sepoy
Subject: Excess billing [protected]









Dear Mr. Sepoy,

Thank you for your email dated 15/06/09, regarding your Vodafone mobile number [protected].



Further to our conversation, we confirm that your query has been addressed.



We wish to inform you that the Vodafone Mobile Connect service was active on the above mentioned number effective, 21/08/09 via IVR.


Now, activation/deactivation of services can be done easily via an SMS command to 111(toll free) and the service would be activated/deactivated accordingly. We have attached herewith a list of SMS service commands for reference.



In case you need further assistance, please do call or email us. We’ll do our best to help you.


Happy to help,


Reshma Khan
Vodafone Care
Contact numbers
Vodafone Care : 111 or +91-[protected]
(Toll free from Vodafone mobile phones within the home network)
Fax number : +[protected]
E-mail : corporate.[protected]@vodafone.com
Website : www.vodafone.in













From: Baji Sepoy [mailto:[protected]@globeop.com]
Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 1:53 PM
To: Vodafonecare Mum
Cc: [protected]@yahoo.com
Subject: Excess billing [protected]



Hi,



I am Baji Sepoy[protected], I would like to inform that am thoroughly dissatisfied with your billing process. All these while I was never checking the details of my bills, thinking that an MNC companies would never cheat in their billing process. Today, I was shocked to notice that all these while from 2008, you have been charging my wife’s add card[protected], an amount of 499 towards GPRS service, which till date she has never used it.



Today, I was given to understand that my wife had sent an email in 2008, to activate this service on [protected]. I have one question to ask Vodafone, why should she activate a facility, which she was never going to use it ? Till date she has never browsed internet from her cell. May be my 7 year old kid, looking at all your advt’s could have activated this facility from her cell. Since my wife has never used this facility, and your company having charged her for last 1 year, it should have been Vodafone’s responsibility to have pointed out this excess billing being charged to her account. I do take the part onus on my self for overlooking the charges being charged every month. But this is all thanks to the good faith I had in your company(which does not exists anymore). Looking at this incident, I feel Vodafone has taken advantage of customers having faith in your company & your billing process.



Today morning I did a complained in your Complainedbilling department about this incident. The 1st officer did inform me that looking at my case, she will take up my case with her seniors and there is a possibility of me getting a refund upto 1000 Rs(I do not recollect her name). After that the line got disconnected, and I spoke with Arif Shaikh, who was not even willing to listen to the entire episode. He was just insisting that it is my mistake to have not checked my bills, and there is no way Vodafone is going to refund. He mentioned that I will have to pay my bills, and even pay for the next billing cycle. In my opinion this is worst than a day light robbery.



Well I have asked my wife to deactivate this service, and since it is partly my mistake, I will pay even for the next cycle. But I can tell you, I am not going to take it lying down. I am going to alert the Indian consumers though the consumer forum, stating that one does not have to keep a blind faith in MNC’s & their billing process. Even they tend to cheat their customers, and try to extract an extra pound.



Please do not think that I am doing all this to get a refund of 1000/- Rs. I am just totally dissatisfied with this whole episode, it gives a very poor taste from a company of Vodafone’s stature..



Please ensure that the GPRS facility is disconnected from her nos([protected]).





Baji Sepoy

OTC Derivatives Director

GlobeOp Financial Services

Interface11, Malad(West),

Mumbai 400 064, India.

Phone : (+[protected].



www.globeop.com



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Thank you Vodafone Essar.