[Resolved]  Vodafone Mobile Broadband USB Stick — Shabby Customer Care- Product not activated

Address:

Delhi

I am submitting below the details of lackadaisical attitude & poor services by Vodafone meted out to my daughter on her purchasing a new UBS stick (mobile broadband) and request you to kindly suggest suitable remedies:

1. My daughter (Divya Kumar) is an existing postpaid customer of Vodafone (mobile no. [protected] / relationship No. 5.26051.00.00.100615) for more than five years now. This new connection & SIM was given to her under corporate connection plan while she was working for an MNC (Equinox) in Gurgaon. Our residential address was registered as the billing address with Vodafone.

2. Later on (in 2007) my daughter got job in TCS and shifted to Mumbai and she gave this number to me for use. Since then, I have been using this Vodafone number. All the monthly bills generated in the name of my daughter are being regularly paid as and when due.

3. About one and half years back, my daughter got transferred back to Delhi (TCS) and received a new mobile connection from Airtel as a corporate client that she is using for herself. Vodafone number ([protected]) is still being used by me with all bills being paid whenever due.

4. Sometimes back my daughter got a deputation assignment in London where she is currently posted for the last 8 months now. She has to serve there for another 2-3 months.

5. In February 2011 she came home on leave for a week and with a view to get GPRS services activated on mobile no. [protected] being used by me, she called up Vodafone customer care no. 111 on 07.02.2011 to enquire the details of the services. During that interaction, Vodafone customer care also informed her of Vodafone's new Mobile Broadband USB Stick for mobile internet, explaining various plus and benefits.

6. My daughter was here only for a week; she was not very keen to go for it. She informed them the same. Thereafter, Vodafone customer care explained that:

a. Only Rs. 1,600/- was the cost of device and activation charges etc. that could be paid by cheque or cash.
b. They can immediately send their executive at our home for delivery of device.
c. The services would be activated within three working days of purchase of device.
d. With the launch of 3G in March 2011, the mobile internet speed would also become very fast.
e. With a monthly rental of Rs. 500/- unlimited download could be done, &,
f. Even if she was going back to London, anybody else using laptop etc. in the house could utilize the same.

7. Hence, with a view to buy that facility for me, my daughter decided to go for it and asked them to do the needful.
8. Within few hours of this discussion, one of their executive (Mr. Sunil Kaushik – mobile no. [protected]) visited our home on 07.02.2011 with the device. He got the required form filled up in my daughter’s name, collected all relevant documents, address proof, photograph of my daughter and got it signed by her.
9. The selected plan as mentioned by him was unlimited download @ Rs. 500/- p.m. rental. Though this was not printed on the form, he wrote the same on the back of the form with a pen, mentioning that since the plan was started just 1-2 days back, it was not printed on old form that he was using for my daughter’s subscription.
10. When we explained to him that my daughter was here for only a week, he re-assured that all the procedural formalities and activation shall be concluded within three working days from that date i.e., upto 10.02.2011.
11. Following was also handed over to him:
a. Cash payment of Rs. 1,600/- for which he issued cash receipt no. 05 42 dated 07.02.2011 of Connect (India) Mobile Technologies Pvt. Ltd. mentioning store name as Super C.C.
b. A cheque no. 315606 dated 07.02.2011 of HDFC Bank for Rs. 10/- towards the security cheque for effecting realization of monthly payments through ECS, which my daughter had opted as payment option. This cheque under no circumstances was to be presented for encashment.
12. He informed that there would be a verification call on our mobile number [protected] that must be respond after which the device would be activated. But in any case, all the procedures would be completed within three working days i.e., till 10.02.2011. He also assured that in case of any difficulty, he could be contacted on his mobile no. and that he would ensure proper addressing of it.
13. Description of device purchased are as under:
Item purchased/subscribed: Vodafone Mobile Broadband USB Stick
Date of purchase: 07.02.2011
SIM No.: [protected]
IMEI No.: [protected]
SIM Mobile No.: [protected]
14. It is at this point onwards that our ordeal started. There was a verification call from Vodafone on our mobile number [protected] on 08.02.2011 but the device was not activated till 10.02.2011.
15. Thereafter, we started calling Vodafone customer care and device was finally activated on 13.02.2011. The internet speed was very slow that was reported to Vodafone customer care, who assured that in March 2011, with the launch of 3G, the speed would improve.
16. On 14.02.2011, my daughter left for London to complete her balance term of deputation terms with her employer (TCS).
17. On 16.02.2011, one executive from Vodafone came to our residence with a welcome kit and wished to meet the subscriber (my daughter). On informing him that she has gone to London, he refused to hand over the welcome kit to us and insisted on meeting her only. He went back without giving welcome kit.
18. I informed this matter to my daughter in London who then spoke to Vodafone customer care on 18.02.2011, informing them that she was in London and it was not possible for her to come back to India for next few months. She was then assured that welcome kit would be delivered at her residential address and accordingly, next day I also received a call from Vodafone saying that they would do the needful to address the issue.
19. The device was used for just few hours during subsequent 1-2 days.
20. However, just after 2-3 days, the device stopped working; showing no network available.
21. I spoke to Vodafone customer care, who informed that the device was deactivated due to failure of address verification of the subscriber (my daughter). When I informed him that the device was activated in her presence and only after the verification, the customer care executive simply refused to listen to me and said that subscriber has to visit Vodafone stores with a valid address proof and then only the device could be reactivated.
22. This was a ridiculous response by Vodafone. I tried to explain that my daughter was in London and could not come but their tele-executive simply disconnected the phone line.
23. Thereafter, my daughter sent emails to Vodafone’s designated email IDs’ (customer care, corporate care and nodal officer) but their responses have also been very disappointing.
24. The net result is that till today, the device is inactive and lying with me as a dead stick. The tall claims of excellent customer care by Vodafone have turned into a hollow and shabby customer treatment. Calling their customer care is proving a futile exercise.
25. Further, to our utter surprise, we found that the cheque of Rs. 10/- (refer point 11b above) has been used by Vodafone as payment received. This amount got debited in my daughter’s HDFC bank account on 05.03.2011. It is pathetic.
26. Now, we have received bill dated 06.03.2011 (for the period 06.02.2011 to 05.03.2011) Rs. 196.97 from Vodafone for the services that has never been provided. This is showing Rs. 10/- as payment received on 03.03.2011 and total amount due as Rs. 186.97 payable by 24.03.2011. This is also showing usage of 789.10 minutes which is ridiculous. The device was hardly used for 1-2 days for a few hours only.

The address verification failure as claimed by Vodafone and subsequent deactivating the device and not listening to our side shows hiding of their inefficiency by Vodafone’s internal staff since:
- Prior to this, Vodafone mobile no. [protected] (postpaid connection) in the name of my daughter is being used for more than five years with the same address.
- Only after the verification, the device was activated (six days after it’s purchase as against within three working days assured by them) and that too after repeated follow-up by us.
- The bill has also been sent (refer point 26 above). If there was no verification of address, how come that Vodafone remained quite for so many days and suddenly woke up with billing cycle and sent bill on unverified address ( as claimed by them).
- Using the cheque of Rs. 10/- (given as a security for ECS payment) as payment received speaks of breach of trust.


As per the fact stated above, kindly advise suitable remedies and whether we can ask for:
- Cancellation of the facilities (mobile broadband USB stick)?
- Refund of full amount paid for the device?
- Refund of Rs. 10/- that has been unethically accounted for as payment received?
- Compensation for harassment meted out to us?