[Resolved]  Vodafone — Incorrect Balance Deduction

Address:

Thane, Maharashtra

Hi, It gives me immense displeasure to be at the receiving end of this incorrect data usage issue from a Service Provider like Vodafone. The following are the series of events that have occured to me during the course of 2 days(07-Feb-2014 and 8-Feb-2014): 1. On 8th Feb 2014, i see that my balance has reduced to a shockingly Rs. 26 something when i had a balance of Rs. 230 something the previous night. Upon calling up the customer care, i am provided the statistics that i have been charged for data usage in slots of 2 sessions; the details of which are provided below: 7-Feb-14 Session Start Session End Data used Charges incurred 11:04:56 AM 9:57:01 PM 63.85MB Rs. 130.76 9:57:53 PM 12:49:17 AM 36.59MB Rs. 74.96 When i asked for balance refund, i was told that i wont be provided that because it is getting reflected on your systems that i have used data. The reason for dispute here is that while i had used internet from Wifi, i had been charged on data(Vodafone GPRS). I was informed that when the Wifi network is low, the Vodafone systems are designed in such a way that the connection is automatically routed through Vodafone GPRS, which is a false practise. If a customer is using internet through wifi, how can a Service Provider charge him for data by automatically routing his connection without his permission. The following are the people that i talked to for this issue on the Vodafone Customer Care: Kalyan Powar Jitendra Phalke(Supervisor) Next, i called again to register for a complain. This time i interacted with Ankit, followed by Javed(Supervisor). The interaction number for the same is[protected]. When i asked to register a complain regarding this issue and provide me a complain number, they didnt do so. Then i talked to the Senior Floor Supervisor(Swapna). The Senior Floor Supervisor was not registering my complaint initially telling me that it will be ultimately closed from the back-end when they will see that the customer is asking for refund and the system is showing that the customer used internet from Vodafone Live connection. On much insistence, the senior floor supervisor registered a complaint. The complain number is [protected]. 2. In the evening, i get a prompt on my phone which says Session date: 08.02.2014 Session cost: 20.66INR Consumed Volume: 10.082MB Current Balance: 4.05INR followed by another prompt Session date: 08.02.2014 Session cost: 4.04INR Consumed Volume: 1.963MB Current Balance: 0.01INR For this instance, i hadnt used internet through any medium whatsoever; neither through Wifi nor through data. For this case, i am informed by the Vodafone authorities that "Keeping up with today’s fast paced world, data is a default service provided to customers just like Voice & SMS and there may be some backend applications on my cell phone which might consume data even though i am not connected to internet anyhow." This is a serious statement by them because: A. If that is the case, there were many instances when i hadnt been using data services from the same handset with the same setting but i wasnt charged anytime like this before. B. How can a customer be charged because of a design flaw decision that is taken by Vodafone. So finally, in a matter of 24 hours, Vodafone has deducted around 230INR. On the first interaction i am told that it can happen that when i use Wifi, there is a chance that if the network is not good, the connection is taken through Vodafone Live and it gets charged as packet data. Is it a mistake on the part of the customer that a customer has to pay for a technical design flaw on the part of Vodafone. The customer uses the Wifi and u charge him for data??? It isnt the first time that i am using Wifi. Infact, for the latter session, i used the data in full connection environment. I was getting a proper network on Wifi with the network radar at its fullest. So how can it happen that i got a low network. In the second case, both my data as well as Wifi was off. On the second interaction, i am told that there may be some third party applications that maybe using the internet even though your data is off. My data packet has been off from Jan 12 2014. Why i havent been charged before for this and how can it happen that i am charged in the name of third party applications only today??? As a loyal customer of Vodafone, this has left me flabbergasted and disappointed that how can a company charge a customer for the data that he hasnt used. I have appealed to both, the Vodafone Nodal Officer and the Appellate Authority but havent been provided any resolution about it. I hope that i will be provided a resolution on this issue as early as possible.