My Experience with Indian Cellular Service Providers.

Consumer is the king, India is exception, where customer is treated as a slave. My experience started with Hutch, then BSNL, Airtel, Idea and again Airtel.

Hutch:

I used Hutch for two years, I am not a phone bird, the used to spend very less time on phones, but during some departmental activities I used my friend’s phone with Hutch Post Paid connection. During busy days my phone bill used to cross 1500, and my friend’s budget was Rs. 250 a month, so we shifted to Plan 799. Plan details are, 700 minutes free talk time, 400 free SMS, and then onwards local mobile call priced at 1 rupee, land line call at Rs. 2.45 and SMS at 25 paisa. First year it was fine, later we switched back to PLAN 250 since our event passed. Next year we again switched to PLAN 799( or 700), this time no free SMS, I used one or two SMS a month, so we again opted that plan with out any hesitation. We paid triple bill to last year, unable to find time to analyze the bill, more over the bill ships to another city. After 2 huge bills, this time we stopped payment and analyzed the bill. We are shocked to see plan change, every local mobile call charged at 2.75 per minute. We approached Hutch customer care they told that, as that plan no longer exists they automatically changed to PLAN 99, which comes with no free talk time and every call priced@2.75. But we demanded compensation since they need to approach us first regarding plan change and must take our decision. No, the response, we left Hutch and payment too.

BSNL

Later we switched to Airtel Prepaid, and I took another connection. But BSNL came with good offer and I switched to it. The plan was gorgeous, price is relatively cheap. But network is worst, you will see miracles.

1. If you call some body, you can hear, ring tone, some one’s tone, if you are luck you will be connected to 2-3 jump calls simultaneously.

2. Even some one else called you, you will be billed for that too. (Incoming call will be billed)

3. If you are too lucky you will pay bills to 2-3 calls even though you are attending incoming call.

4. Network is too worst, even you are under cell tower you can’t make or receive calls.

5. Even though you switched off phone you will be charged.

6. You need to stand in long queues to pay phone bills.

After all miracles, I decided to change service, but I went to Karnataka, as mine is postpaid and I need to spend 15 days at B’lore I decided not to activate roaming, later I am shocked to see my bill, my bills shows I made calls cost Rs. 1500 during my stay at B’lore. But my sim is in my bag and I used Hutch connection at B’lore. So, again I decided not to pay the bill. since at BSNL no one bother to answer you.

Later, I again used my previous Airtel Prepaid, I stayed at Kalyan Nagar, Hyderabad, the Airtel tower was ( now also) very problematic and despite of complaints no one bother to repair the tower. So, I decided to change, now Idea Pre Paid.

Idea:

My journey with Idea was pleasant for one year. Later I shifted to a village with no Internet connection. Then I activated GPRS to browse Internet. They charged 5 rupees a day and unlimited band width usage. It went fine for few days, later I saw a sudden 475 rupees decrease in my balance. I called customer care, they told me that downloaded some wall papers and I was charged for that. But I just checked mails at Gmail. I tried to explain that to 3 customer care representatives but they terminated my call. Then I approached their Customer Shoppe at Guntur, they told me that, they are receiving numerous complaints about PrePaid GPRS and suggested me to take Post Paid connection. I filled up the form and took new sim with same number ( Conversion from PrePaid to postpaid) and they promised me that my new sim will be activated in 24hrs. Even after 3 days new sim showed no sign of activation, then I approached them they told me that there are facing some technical problems and instead of conversion they gave me a new number, and again promised me that I will get that activation in 24hrs. After 48hrs I called them and they reluctant to handle my problem. They said “Your connection will be activated, but it make take one day or one week or one month, but that will be activated”.

It took another 5 days for activation, and I moved to city so, I decided not to activate GPRS, later I received bill for 3800 rupees, and talk time I used was 382 rupees, rental was 500 rupees. When I inquired about bill, customer care representative told me that, they accidentally charged me with previous owner’s bill. They suggested me to pay the bill first and get the change done at Adalat. But who will return service tax and Education cess (32% nearly). So, again no payments from my side. They even not bothered to visit me for bill payment.

Again I took Airtel Post Paid. Since I moved to new place and here tower works fine.

This time, every thing was happy, and customer care showed much more interest, bill payment options are wide. But Technical service was worst. I am unable to register for online bills and I am unable to pay online. I asked customer care to solve my problem, after some hundreds of calls to customer care and numerous calls from customer care, my problem still the same. Account associated with previous user was still active with lot bugs. Fed up, I canceled the connection and took another Airtel Post Paid connection. Lets see what happens.

PS: 1. Tower problem at Kalyan Nagar Airtel, still not resolved.

2. Hutch is now Vodafone.

3. Vodafone(or Hutch) network was the worst, 100 times worst than BSNL.

4. Still Vodafone decides plan issues unanimously. No customer opinion is sought.

5. Winning lotto is far easier than to get Hutch Customer Care connection.