Hello Everyone.
I checked my last monthly bill (for the period from Aug 28 to Sep 27) and noticed that Vodafone charged me Rs. 99 under the item “Downloads”. I apparently downloaded “d2c_ndtv_valuepk_9” worth Rs. 99. When I spoke to Vodafone’s “helpline”, all I got was typical call-centre parrot-talk. I then wrote to Vodafone’s corporate email “help desk” (I’m on a corporate plan) and received a similar and casual response.
I have two basic objections here:
1) I’m positive I did not download anything from NDTV. Nobody else can use this phone. It is possible malicious apps could download stuff. However I have a well-secured phone and have not had any problems with malware in the past (touch wood). Let’s assume for a moment, this so-called value pack was actually downloaded. What is it? Where is it? What have I got for Rs. 99? There is nothing from NDTV installed on my phone. Vodafone customer service conveniently side-stepped this basic question.
2) We all use the internet. If we visit a website where content (or anything else for that matter) is chargeable, the site explicitly asks for payment (and I’m sure a reputed organization like NDTV will do so). It is between the user and the website. If certain services are chargeable, how is Vodafone permitting such charges to be levied without taking the user’s approval before the event. Shouldn’t Vodafone be responsible for having a system that prevents inadvertent or malicious “downloads”? Does a fixed line ISP ever apply such fraudulent charges on users? According to Vodafone customer service, any one click can result in such charges. By this logic, there’s no telling what one’s bill at the end of the month will look like. How ridiculous can Vodafone’s logic be?
I believe other users have suffered from such charges in the past as well. I’d like to hear from Vodafone about not only my case but also its intentions (if there are any) to prevent such billing practices in future. I can share my phone no. privately.
Regards,
Rahul
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