I write this complain in extreme dissatisfaction with the services of Airtel, where Airtel is trying to extract money from me in the name of outstanding dues for a number that was cancelled more than a month ago.
I had a post-paid mobile number 8754496076 which I did not use anymore. I raised a request for cancellation of the number on 26-Aug-2014. The complaint ID is 57773514. I was informed by the Airtel customer care executive that I would receive a call within two days and from that point on my billing would be stopped. The connection would be terminated in 10 days. Then I raised a question, why does it take 10 days to cancel a connection when it takes only 1-2 days to give a new connection? He had no answer and said it is the process, and I had to accept it.
I did not receive a call until a week. I called customer care 121 again and enquired. I told I would escalate to Airtel management if they delayed it further. Soon after that, on Sep 5th I received a call from an Airtel representative. More than servicing my request, he was trying his best to make me retain my connection, which irritated me to the core. Finally he said he is processing my request and mentioned that there is an outstanding due of Rs.1798 which I need to pay after which there would be no further payments.
On Sep 12, I received an email from [email protected] stating that the outstanding dues of Rs.1798 will have to be paid at the earliest. I made the payment on the same day after which I sent an email to him confirming the same. I did not even receive an email from him acknowledging the payment; such is the customer service Airtel has.
Then on Sep 29, I receive an email stating that I need to pay yet another due amount of Rs.608. When I call up customer care on Oct 12, they inform me that this is for the period of 10 days after I had raised the cancellation request, and before they took it up. This is cheating by Airtel, where they purposely extend the processing time for cancellation to 10 days saying it is the process, but have no valid reason for it. I asked the customer care executive for the itemized statement. She gave me a few item values which did not even amount to Rs.200. She then put me on hold, saying she would be back. I held the phone for 15 minutes but she did not return. this was at 2.30 pm. Then I called up again and posed the same request to the guy who attended to my call. This was at 2.45 pm. He too put me on hold and never returned. Why is Airtel not giving me any details of how this Rs.608 bill is calculated? And I cannot even check the itemized bill because they are asking me to enter the one-time password that is sent to my cancelled number which I cannot access.
Further to my above complaint, on Oct 13 I received a call from the Airtel team by a person named Ugrasen (phone number: 8800098344). I once again explained all the past history to him. Then he called me again on Oct 14 informing me that instead of waiving the Rs.608 bill for the mobile number 8754496076, he would give me a waiver of this amount from my other Airtel mobile number 9840988076. I did not receive a waiver because Airtel is not doing me a favor and I would only end up running pillar to post trying to followup on a waiver given for a number when it is due for another number. And what if I did not have another Airtel mobile number? How would Airtel give me a waiver then? When I refused to accept the waiver and said I wanted the rectification to be done for this number 8754496076 in question, Ugrasen accuses of me being adamant. So if a customer finds out that their billing is incorrect and raises questions, the mobile service provider’s customer service representative tells the customer that he is adamant. How can Airtel call this customer service? I told Ugrasen that if this is how I will be treated then I will cancel my other existing mobile number also, for which he told me that I can go ahead and do what I wanted, as he has confirmed his stand.
Now I have written multiple emails to Airtel asking them to provide me with details of how the outstanding due of Rs.608 was calculated. I have also asked Airtel to tell me why they need 10 days to cancel a number when they give a new connection in a matter of few hours. So far I have not received any response from Airtel and it does look as if Airtel is completely ignoring me by not addressing my questions or concern at all. Left with no other choice, I am raising a complaint in the consumer forum against Airtel.
I request you to kindly address my issue.
Thank you.
With warm regards,
Jai Ganesh Vaidyanathan (Mobile: 9840988076)
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