[Resolved]  Vodafone — Wrong billing, Canceled SIM card money not refunded

Address:

Mumbai Suburban, Maharashtra

Here are some emails I sent to Vodafone regarding my problems. Till date no positive action has been taken despite my numerous complaints.

I have recently retired as General Manager , State Bank of India, Zonal Inspection Office, Kolkata . I am using a vodafone mobile connection obtained under SBI corporate plan from Kolkata circle : [protected]( Blackberry) . The no. is due to be cancelled effective 30 Sep 2012 . As I have settled in Mumbai , I decided to take a vodafone mobile SIM from mumbai circle. When I called your toll free 198 , they put me on to your direct sales team. Your representative Javed Khan gave me a Blackberry post-paid plan for monthly rental of Rs 399/- : 800 mts local call+ 100 mts STD+ 100 mts sms+ 1 GB internet . He sent an agent on 27 sep to collect application , PP, ID and address proof and Rs 300/- vide receipt 4938 dt 27 Sep 2012 . The agent gave a pamphlet that however did not confirm the plan details and a SIM ( bearing no.[protected] HLR 6) which Javed Khan confirmed will be activated by Friday night ; he also confirmed the SIM mob no. as [protected] as written on the SIM envelope available with me.

Today in the morning when I tried to contact Javed Khan to confirm activation of the no. that I have sms-ed all my contacts as my new no. effective 1 Oct, some other representative took the call . He took down my new no. and said it has already been activated in somebody else's name and that my SIM would be activated for another no. [protected]. I was terribly upset and wanted to speak to the floor manager to attend to my complaint urgently ; but the line was abruptly cut off. I again contacted 198 and explained in detail the difficulty to a floor manager. She said the other no SKS said would given me was a prepaid no and asked me to contact the nearest Vodafone stores to redress the complaint .

In sheer frustration I approached your Chembur stores today . Mr Zabar , the store manager was quite helpful. He took a fresh application from me and offered to give me a new no. that would be activated within 6 hrs. But he said he wasn't authorised to give me the plan that your DST gave ; nor could he help me with the application form I had given to SKS's agent with Rs 300/. Instead he offered the new no . [protected] free of charge under a plan for Rs 350/- : 200 mts local calls+ 100 mts STD calls+ 500 local sms+ 250 national sms. He took a scan copy of the receipt for Rs 300/- that SKS gave me and promised that within a couple of days the amount would be refunded with apologies.

The whole experience has left me totally upset. If it
were not for the fact that I had already informed all my contacts about the new vodafone no. I would be available on and my fruitful visit to your chembur store , I had a good mind to shift over to some other mobile server. I wonder why your co. is allowing such insolent , incompetent and inconsiderate franchisees to operate and loot innocent public like me causing untold inconvenience. The least that could have been done in my case is pull up the representative who made the sale and offer me the same plan he collected money from me for. What is worse, when I wanted to complain to some senior official , nobody in your toll free call center or store was forthcoming ; even a senior person like me is not being attended to properly at your toll free no. I think this should be a wake up call for you .

If I do not get immediate response I propose to escalate this complaint as it is to State bank of India with whom you have a Corporate arrangement all over the country ; let them know what a shabby treatment is being meted out to your customers.

email 2:

Dear Mr Zabar ,


I am resending my complaint as sent on 29 sep to vodafone. So far nobody has contacted or even acknowledged my complaint.You had however said that within 3 days the co rep will call on me and refund the amount collected by SKS , the direct sales agency and collect the sim card. I would like to escalate the complaint. Pl help me .


regards.

S Sridharan

email 3:

I have not received even an acknowledgement of my complaint. Mr Zabar told me on 28 Sep that within 3 days , Vodafone will arrange to refund the application fee collected by the Direct Sales Agency and collect the defunct sim card. Pl expedite.

email 4:

Ms. Vaz

I am sending this email along with trail in utter frustration. You would see from the email trail the difficulty I had to face on account of your direct sales force- Systematic Knowledge Services p Ltd. Now my complaint again is not acknowledged ; no docket no. given; not attended to ; and finally I have neither received refund of the amount paid to the SKS representative . It's not possible to complain to anyone in your co because nobody gives mob no.s of senior officers. As a recently retired GM of SBI, I must relate my bad experience to SBI( you have a corporate plan with SBI all over the country) so they will know the quality of service your co offers and the response to our complaints.

email 5:

A week ago, some one rang me up to say that the refund cheque would reach me within 48 hrs and that I could destroy the sim card your associate co., the direct sales unit SKS had foisted on me. When I asked if an explanation would be given for the mess and unnecessary , avoidable and misleading sale deal the SKS made with she replied that nothing of the sort could be furnished. Again, when I asked if the plan promised by the SKS representative for which he had collected the amount now being refunded I presume , could be extended to me under the new number , again she replied in the negative. In sum, the response to my complaint so far has been:

1. No refund even after 15 days
2. No compensation or apology or explanation for misselling by associates
3. No interest in fulfilling promised offers.
4. No proper grievance redressal at senior level
5. No transparency in offers

I am totally dissatisfied with your service and complaint addressing mechanism. If the parent co won't take responsibilty for the activities of the associates/ direct sales teams , how can the customers be protected?

Anyone reading this, please do not go in for a Vodafone connection EVER. They will cause you immense dissatisfaction at opportune moments. It is not worth it. Their "Happy to help" motto is just namesake, fraud. They are definitely not "Happy to help".

Name: S.Sridharan
Email: [protected]@gmail.com