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Sandeep K (Network Engineer)     13 August 2013

Billing issue with airtel postpaid

Dear All,

 

I took a connection of Airtel postpaid on Feb 2013 and the plan was 899 unlimited (10000 Local + Std, 1000 SMS and 4 Gb internet free). on the first month i got a bill around INR 600+ and i paid the bill on date, second month i got a bill of INR 1000 and that also paid properly. But in third month the bill was 1500 ( I was on roaming and was ready to pay the bill) but on the same month i start to use the internet and my usage was around 500 Mb but they start to charging it. after 4 days my internet got disconnected. while asking about it airtel was saying that my credit limit is 2500 Rs and on a Sunday they give a call and instruct that today my outgoing will be disconnected.
But my billing date was 5 th of the next month.

Now Airtel peoples are saying that i have to make payment of 4500, even I was ready to pay the actual bill Rs 2500. Now they are saying that they are going to take legal action against me.

 

Please give me suggestion what i can do if the company is taking leagal action against me / if i am getting a leagal notice from any advocate did i need give a reply to the notice

 

 

Sandeep k

9892173584



Learning

 8 Replies

Adv k . mahesh (advocate)     13 August 2013

first go to airtel official office and verify why the bill is exceed more then 2500/- of amount and particulars take the details from them and verify if the difference is terhe then take on there letter head and immedietely give a reply letter on the difference and meet the manager and sort out the issue

normally to harass the customer they will do such tactics of going through legal process but no one will go but the payment is late then they will forward the file to recovery section and then to legal department of there in house departments


(Guest)
Originally posted by : Sandeep K

Dear All,

 

I took a connection of Airtel postpaid on Feb 2013 and the plan was 899 unlimited (10000 Local + Std, 1000 SMS and 4 Gb internet free). on the first month i got a bill around INR 600+ and i paid the bill on date, second month i got a bill of INR 1000 and that also paid properly. But in third month the bill was 1500 ( I was on roaming and was ready to pay the bill) but on the same month i start to use the internet and my usage was around 500 Mb but they start to charging it. after 4 days my internet got disconnected. while asking about it airtel was saying that my credit limit is 2500 Rs and on a Sunday they give a call and instruct that today my outgoing will be disconnected.
But my billing date was 5 th of the next month.

Now Airtel peoples are saying that i have to make payment of 4500, even I was ready to pay the actual bill Rs 2500. Now they are saying that they are going to take legal action against me.

 

Please give me suggestion what i can do if the company is taking leagal action against me / if i am getting a leagal notice from any advocate did i need give a reply to the notice

 

 

Sandeep k

9892173584


You would have asked for disconnection, hence they are telling like that.  All such unlimited plan actual bill wont reflect in your monthly bill, such billing is done on prorata basis.  Suppose if you have used more data, or made calls extra, such will be adjusted to next month bill where you cannot make such n such extra calls, number of calls will be cut, data will be cut etc.  Bundled usage different, direct usage different.  Only if you ask for disconnecting they do this drama, pay that much pay this much.

 

You do one thing, you tell you will continue with the plan for one more month, they will charge you only 899.

1 Like

Sandeep K (Network Engineer)     13 August 2013

Thanks mahesh.....

Tried all these but still am getting calls from the comapny....

my doubt is if this issue reaching  to the court can i prove this all things infront of the court , as i already have the first mail from airtel stating all these things...

 

 

Thanks again

Rama chary Rachakonda (Secunderabad/Highcourt practice watsapp no.9989324294 )     13 August 2013

First you have to go through the bill patiently. They charge the calls from so and so date to so and so. And accounting statement date is vary. You have to check no. of calls mentioned in the back side of the bill. Accordingly the bill amount calculates. 

Kumar Doab (FIN)     13 August 2013

>As per prevailing practices:

-Customer can pay extra say Rs.35/ for itemized bill.

-Customer can register at web site for ‘My Account’ and download itemized bills of last 12 months, free of any charge……………..98

-Customer can lodge complaint by email, by phone, by letter, fax with customer care, Nodal Officer, then Appellate Authority…………. 

To get a response in writing.

{ Although as per attached notification by TRAI the bill is to be supplied FREE the telecom companies are exploiting lacunae as it is not mentioned by TRAI ‘FREE Itemized BiIl’ and are charging the customer. If someone can provide detailed response on it we shall be thankful.}

> Pick up the printed version of the plan sold to you and details of charges under this plan, in home circle and while in roaming.

Or download from web site or demand in writing.

As per guidelines the company has to mention the details of the plan offered and charges in a form/format and customer has to sign it.

Demand copy of all forms signed by you while applying for connection e.g. SEF, Bill Plan………………….etc. You may be surprised that company may decline or adopt tactics to supply the copy.

>Did you provide copy of Pan Card also?

Customer should not provide copy of Pan Card and obtain copy under seal and signature of all form signed by him, and must obtain printed version of the scheme offered to customer.

>Have you deposited any security, if yes has the company provided any receipt and is it showing the amount of security in bill?

It is noted that almost all telecom companies are collecting security without issuing any acknowledgment and many of them e.g. Vodafone does not show it in Bill also.

> Has the company issued any complaint number/Transaction id to you?

Customer must obtain it.

You shall be surprised to find that at 198 although call is recorded the CCE , may not write the words as in your complaint. He/she may modify and write in a manner as explained by company to him/her in order to keep the complaints at low level.

Try by asking them to read the complaint verbatim in English as written by them………………..

> Each company assigns a credit limit. If exceeded it may ask for interim payment.

 

Approach the nearest Airtel Office (RO) with crowd of acquaintances, well wishers, understand the bill and if it is correct make the payment for actual usage, obtain waiver if any under seal and signature of BM, obtain latest bill to date and make full ands final payment under proper receipt, obtain NDC and NOC and close the case. 

Avoid these companies and their gimmicks as much as possible.

You may find the attachments useful;

*Telecom Regulatory Authority of India: Consumers’ Handbook on Telecommunications

*Free bill copy advice by TRAI

 

*Consumer Protection Guidelines 


Attached File : 93224322 trai consumer protection guidelines.doc, 93224322 free bill copy.pdf, 93224322 consumer handbook mobile phone trai-handbook12.pdf downloaded: 470 times
1 Like

Democratic Indian (n/a)     14 August 2013

Originally posted by : Kumar Doab
>Did you provide copy of Pan Card also?

Customer should not provide copy of Pan Card and obtain copy under seal and signature of all form signed by him, and must obtain printed version of the scheme offered to customer.


Sir if you could tell the reason for not providing copy of PAN Card. Asking just for knowledge.

Kumar Doab (FIN)     15 August 2013

 

M/s CIBIL has been trying to expand its ambit by including the Telecom Companies as its members.

BSNL obtain self attested copy of Pan Card from customers applying for ISD.

Private telecom companies are asking for self attested copy of Pan Card even if the customer has not asked for ISD. At times even customer has not asked for ISD it is activated by default. Sensible customers do not provide it. TRAI has issued guidelines to obtain explicit consent of the customer for all services.

Notice the missed calls from abroad and heavy chrges when the customer calls back on missed call number.

 

Imagine a situation where customer is overcharged and does not pay, and get reported as a defaulter. Then as in case of banks the customer has to go thru the ordeal of getting the NOC from these companies also, filing dispute form (paid ), obtaining CIBIL report(paid) lurching in court cases (paid)…………………………

https://www.livemint.com/Industry/DqtILwzu2TGcsWvs9mnxcN/Cibil-in-talks-with-RBI-on-utility-payment-history-use.html

Cibil is also helping telecom companies like Vodafone India Ltd and Reliance Communications Ltd to analyse data to help these companies target offers to customers based on their credit worthiness.

However, TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) regulations forbid companies from sharing their customer phone numbers and hence Cibil has had to use customer names and an identity like a PAN card number or address to give these companies a summary of their customers’ credit history.

 M/s Vodafone has tied up with CIBIL and Transunion Software (taken over by Vertex)-Mumbai.

Cutomers won't even notice when they get calls from numbers (which are not acessible when called back ) starting as STD code of some other city and appearing as landline number..........................and the feedbcak getting noted and recorded with M/s Vodafone thru this Transunion Software (taken over by Vertex)-Mumbai.............................

Try by asking the calling person (on behalf of Vodafone or any other company) to speak the phone number from which he/she has called, and invariable the reply would be the number is appearing on your phone screen...................................................(which are not acessible when called back ).

No telecom compnay would tell the ownership detail of the number.

All recovery calls thus can not be traced without the help of police and courts.

 

Imagine a situation where the citizens of republic of india are being branded offenders/defaulters by coprorates which are mired in huge evasions of tax....................................to the tune of thousands ofd crores...................................and still allowed to do busines in our republic...............................and the customer that refuse to pay overcharged amounts............................gets branded as defaulter.....................................

On the top of that consumer courts are declining to attend the cases of telelcom companies and are asking to file against telegraph act...................................

 

https://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-01-30/news/31005606_1_arun-thukral-cibil-credit-information-bureau

 

 

Cibil to include mobile bill payment history to check credit worthiness


Attached File : 520785820 cibil to include telecom companies.doc downloaded: 170 times
1 Like

Democratic Indian (n/a)     16 August 2013

Thank you for providing detailed answer. People are generally ignorant of their right to privacy, misuse of PAN Card copy or other identity documents and themselves create a trap.


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