[Resolved]  Vodafone Postpaid — Bill Dispute for INR 29,000 in Roaming Charges

Address:

Mumbai City, Maharashtra

I had reported a stolen sim card report from Spain Barcelona where I was on vacation on July 13, 2013. The verbal notification was followed by a written email, post which my Sim was temporarily cancelled. The complaint was made on the same day, within three hours of the theft, not days later. I returned to Mumbai on July 27 and activated my phone once again. I have recently received a bill of INR 35,000, which includes 29,000 in roaming outgoing charges made on July 13, the day of the theft. Summary of my Day to Day Interaction with Vodafone: July 30th, 2013: I first spoke to your customer care representative on July 30th, 2013 but he was no help. His argument was that between the time of the complaint and the last call made, there was a lapse of three hours, hence the charges are justified. I followed this call with a written complaint to both Vodofone Care and the Nodal Officer. August 1st, 2013: I received a follow up call from Vodfone on August 1, the conversation was along the same lines: pay the bill, the calls were made before the complaint was filed. Post this conversation, I requested an itemized bill to analyse the charges on August 1st. I spoke to a customer representative within an hour. Followed it up with an email to the nodal officer, summary of the same as follows: All the calls are made between 16: 47 and 17:33, in less than one hour duration. The calls were all mostly made to this particular number: [protected] (no clue what country this number belongs to!). I have studied the call log and there are glaring errors in the same. Some Examples as follows: Call Time Following Call Time Actual Duration of Call (mins: secs) Duration Recorded by Vodafone (mins: secs) Vodfone Charges INR Actual Charges 16:47:08 16: 47:18 0:10 14:50 2100 140 16: 47:18 16:49:44 2:26 17:52 2520 420 It is logical to assume that for the bill to record these various call times separately, the call had to be cut and made again, otherwise how can it register the calls as separate?! If the first call was for a duration of 14: 50 as the bill suggest, the next call would theoretically have to be made at 17:01:58 not16: 47:18 as the bill suggests (after the passing of the duration of 14 mins: 50 secs) Similarly, if the following call was of the duration of 17 mins and 52 seconds, the third subsequent call would have to be made at 17:05:10 and not at 16:49:44 as the bill suggests. I am just giving two examples, the bill is full of these, there is obviously some glaring error in this. I stated these concerns to the nodal officer in an email written, August 1st, 2013. I have not received any satisfactory answers to my questions posted. August 2, 2013: August 2, I received another call from your customer care. I am giving you the summary of our conversation below: Claim one made by your executive: The charges are correct, because the person making the call may have taken other numbers on the call repeatedly. My Response: This is an unlikely possibility. Even if I buy this argument, the bill does not provide any information or numbers on the calls added. Please give me proof that is was a conference call. Numbers and logs proving this claim. Your customer care cannot provide the same. Claim 2: The person may have called the number given below, put themselves on hold and repeatedly added the same number again and again, on a conference?! My Response: I would like to point out the high improbability of this situation, bordering on absurd, again there is no proof to support this. Your call log clearly states the start time of each call, stating separate times of the start of each call. The standard procedure to register the call as separate, would be for one to cut the call and add another. Additional information, which I had requested from Vodafone, which your team has unable to provide is as follows: -The number appears incomplete, there is no country code before the number, Vodafone has changed this an international call, but they cannot inform me what country is this call made to, I would like this information. Finally my most compelling argument: Disputed calls were made between the following hours: 15:46:15-17:33:39 This is less than two hours (approximately) 107 minutes. How can I make calls of a duration of 193 mins and 40 seconds, if the available minutes in the time frame is only 107 minutes?! I have been charged double and triple, Vodafone has no numbers or logs to substantiate these charges. Other than the claim that this must be a conference, with no backing, no proof. This can essentially drag on forever, and I can take Vodafone to consumer court, and we all both be inconvenienced by this. I am willing to settle this at a reasonable rate (maximum I will pay for this is between INR 4,000-5000 in roaming charges), the itemized bill is in my favor as of this moment Vodfone cannot provide additional information. If they are not willing, I will have no option by to go to consumer court for this. Vodfone offered me a three thousand rupee discount, which is completely out of the question. I will not pay INR 27,000 in roaming charges. I have been continuously following up with the appellate authority with regards to my disputed Vodafone bill. My initial complaint was filed with your department on August 2nd, 2013, as I did not receive any closure from the regular customer care channel. On August 8th, I received an email from Mr. Amit Pal from the Mumbai appellate authority stating that my concern will be addressed in 20 working days. While the billing issue is being addressed by their department, I have been continuously getting calls from Vodafone customer care, from August 3rd to August 23rd , every day, sometimes twice a day, informing me that my payment is overdue. I have repeatedly told them each time, that my case is currently in the appealates charge, and to update this information in their system and cross check the same internally, each time I have been assured that this will be done; however no one has bothered to update the system, the persistent calls have continued, much to my great anguish and agony. Frustrated with the continuous badgering from your end, I send a second follow up email on August 14th, requesting you to please expedite this matter. I have not received any response to this. August 23 It’s been 11 working days since I have received a response from your office that my case will be adhered to. Vodafone still has 9 working days to get back to me, which I respect, however I expect a similar treatment from their end, where they internally uphold timelines. My outgoing service was stopped. Not only is this of a great inconvenience, but is also both demeaning as well as gravely insulting. August 24 Today a collections officer paid a visit to my home, this is both shocking and unacceptable that your organization would resort to such means in spite of me continuously writing to you as well as faithfully answering calls from your customer care letting them periodically know that I am engaged with you. The only definition for this is harassment and absolutely nothing else. It is both degrading and humiliating that in spite of my efforts to have a civil interaction with you, I am being periodically troubled by your organization, the latest addition to your many atrocities includes a visit to my home. I am left with little choice but to now get legal help in order to protect my interests.