Location/place: Chennai
Name of company/service: Times of India
This is about The Times of India, Chennai region. Times of India collects one year subscription in advance at a lesser rate in order to catch the market share. They advertise in a big way and they proudly say that they are the number one paper in Tamilnadu circle. This is the outside picture, but the reality is very different, I have subscribed to the Times of India, Chennai edition for one year (Subscription No. 29168632). Have duly handed over the subscription receipt copy to the local vendor (Amman News Mart) who delivers the news paper which is valid till 31st August 2012. He was delivering the newspaper till middle of June ‘ 2012 ( even till June the newspaper was not delivered for several days in between). When we contacted the local vendor who was delivering till middle of June ‘2012, he replied us very rudely and he abruptly disconnected the call saying that my subscription is expiring on 30th June ‘ 2012 and he cannot supply the news paper anymore and he said we can complain to anyone and he is least bothered about that. The local vendor speaks a like a rowdy. The Amman news mart guy says that “don’t call me, you go and ask to Times of India, you have paid to him and not to me”.
We took up the matter with Mr.Amudan, Manager, Times of India ( 9940084637) and he had instructed Amman news mart to deliver the paper regularly and had confirmed that the subscription is indeed valid till August 2012. The agent had also agreed on the same, while on the con call. Surprisingly, the paper was again not delivered till today morning. We had sent a message to Mr. Amudan in this regard we could not contact any one in times of India.
Have registered a written complaint through email on 11th July ‘ 12 to the email id [email protected] but the result is same, no action is taken. The beauty is we have received a renewal letter from Times of India asking us to renew it for a further period of one year commencing from 01st September ‘ 2012. The renewal letter clearly acknowledges that my subscription is valid till 31st August 2012. They have given a number 044-24317979 for the subscriber to call if the payment is ready. I even tried that number, most of the times no one picks up, very rarely some one picks up and say it is a canteen and they disconnect the line immediately. This is how Times of India functions.
Times of India speaks, writes, points out mistake of others, but they are least bothered about the subscriber, since they have collected the money in advance and they have achieved the market share they required. Times of India have no rights to comment on our Politicians or bureaucrats, saying that they are not doing their duty. It is the duty of times of India to make sure my paper is delivered throughout the subscription period, since they have collected the money.
If they can’t sort out a simple issue how can Times of India pin point mistakes of others, their attitude towards mistakes will be the same. Mine is not the unique problem, if you google it you can see lot of similar problems. Don’t go for fresh subscription of Times of India newspaper or don’t renew it if you have already subscribed.
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