| Address: | Mumbai City, Maharashtra, 400080 |
I am a user of the mobile number since a very long time using the prepaid system since the beginning as i find it very convenient because i keep moving from one place to another and paying bills every month is inconvenient to me.
I was gifted with a new smart phone and since my old sim card would not fit into the new phone, i went to vodafone service centre on 25.7.2017 to change the size of the sim card for my new phone keeping the same mobile number.
The lady at the counter said i will have to take a new number or convert my prepaid into post paid. I was very surprised. I have this mobile number [protected] for more than ten years. Changing this number would be very inconvenient. She told me that i could convert back to prepaid after three months and hence, left with no other option i was forced to convert my prepaid to post paid.
My new sim card with the same number was activated on 27th july 2017. I had a balance of approximately rs.5000/- plus in as my prepaid account which was transferred to my post paid account.
Since i was not comfortable with the postpaid system, i went after four months as told to me by the service centre to change back to prepaid. I changed again from postpaid to prepaid on 25.11.2017. At the time of change to prepaid i had an excess balance of about rs.4616/- in my account which i requested them to transfer to my prepaid account which they refused. I was assured that i would get a refund of the excess amount in my account by cheque within one month.
One month went and i did not receive the cheque. So i went again on 16.1.2018 to vodafone service centre and they told me they will definitely send it within one month again. I waited for another one month to get my cheque. It did not come. I went to vodaphone service again on 15.3.2018 and met the supervisor and she informed me that inadvertently the cheque was not sent and that in 24 hours, irshad with whom i was sitting would phone me and let me know when i will get the cheque.in any case she re-assured me that i will get it within 15 days. I left my daughter’s address with irshad for sending the cheque to me, as i am now staying with my daughter, who has delivered a baby.
I neither heard from irshad nor did i receive the cheque as promised. I was frustrated and went again to vodafone service centre, mulund on 6th april 2018 with the intention of waiting till i get the cheque. Irshad then informs me that i will not get the money and he can do nothing about it. This was the height of my patience and frustration.
I am a senior citizen aged 72 years. I used my phone for keeping in touch with my family and also for emergency. You will see that from your records that i hardly use my mobile number. I kept a huge balance in my account so that in case of any emergency there is no short of balance and i can use my phone as and when required.
For the last 5 months i have been personally following up with vodafone service centre.in good faith i have waited for you to refund my money patiently. Had i been told in the very beginning that there would be a problem to refund the excess money i would have continued to use the postpaid till my money was exhausted.
Unable to get a positive response from your service centre, i lodged a complaint by email on appellate. [protected]@vodafone.com. I received the same response to all my emails but from different people. Every time a different person replies and as a result i have to explain the entire matter to different people. But not once did anyone even try to understand my problem, all i got from them was the same reply that the money cannot be refunded
I reproduce the last reply received for your reference “security deposit / excess payment would stand refunded only if vodafone mobile number remains active for one year or in an event of permanent withdrawal of your service. I wish to inform you that you have deactivated the postpaid account within 1 year from the date of migration from prepaid to postpaid. Hence, i regret to inform you that the deposit amount / excess payment will not be refunded.
As you are aware that our stand has been communicated and clarified to you on more than one occasion, we will therefore respectfully request you that we will reply to any other issue if you raise except the one above.”
From the above it is clear that my complaint has been closed but i am not satisfied with your replies.in my emails sent to the above address i had asked certain questions for which i have not yet received any answers.
Why wasn't i given a new sim card. I had a small/mini sim card i wanted a bigger/macro one which would fit into my new mobile. Was it necessary for me to change from prepaid to postpaid.
I was told by vodafone representative that i could change back to prepaid after three months. Since i am not comfortable with postpaid scheme and prefer using a prepaid scheme as guided my your representative i migrated back to prepaid.
When you could transfer excess money from my prepaid account to my post paid account, why is it that you cannot transfer money from postpaid account to prepaid account.
If it was company policy, if migration happens within one year then excess money will not be refunded, why was i always promised a cheque. Evidently company representative are misleading customers and do not know companies policies. Why was i made to come to vodafone store repeatedly for the last five months?
It was the duty of vodafone staff to inform me that money would not be refunded. If i knew that i wouldn't be getting my money back, i would have continued with the post paid till the entire money was utilized.
It has been repeatedly said that i have deactivated my account within one year. However, as i understand it, since my number remains the same i have only changed a plan (Prepaid to postpaid and then post paid to prepaid). I have never deactivated my account.
The amount that i have requested you to refund is the excess money deposited with vodaafone. The amount of rs.4616/- plus may be a small amount for a huge company but its my hard earned money and its a huge sum for a senior citizen who does not have any source of income. I have already spent a lot of money travelling to your service centre to followup this matter. But not once was i called or informed from your service centre about any issue regarding my refund. After making me run for five months, i was informed that i would not be getting my money back. Is this the way you treat your customers?
Since i am now helpless and do not know how to take this further, i am writing to you to request you to kindly look into this matter urgently and refund me my money at the earliest.
Was this information helpful?
Post your Comment