Complaint Details

Status	:	Closed
Complaint No	:	0089105/2017
Category	:	Telecom
Date	:	22-06-2017
Subject Line	:	International Roaming - Misseling, Charges due to Network latch
Complainant	:	Romil Bhandari
Address	:	Investec, A 607, The Capital Building, BKC
Complainee	:	BHARTI AIRTEL LTD
Address	:

Complaint Details
My issue has been pending with Airtel since I registered my first complaint on 10th May 2017, and since then, had to speak to multiple channels - customer care executives, floor supervisors, managers, nodal officers, and appellate.

Airtel has shown ZERO coordination among these departments; and from few weeks, I get calls from Airtel billing / collection almost every day, while the issue is pending with appellate. Even appellate hasn't shown much interest in going into the depth of the issue, and solve it. Appellate dept., which according to Airtel is the highest point of any escalations.

ISSUE: On 11th Apr 217, I made a simple phone call to activate international roaming at the min. price, but was sold INR3999/- unlimited plant which I too considered as a good plan. While selling the plan, the executive didn't elaborate the nuances of telephone usage while in France Italy - they never cautioned about usage in Vatican City or Monaco, which I also agree are different countries - but within the mainland. They just bothered to sell the plan, and not elaborate the cautions that one needs to be aware of while traveling to Italy or France.

I passed through Moncao once, for a moment, I can consider data usage during that period as a valid charge. Once I passed through Monaco, and entered Franc again through Cap-d'Ail. Once i entered France, I ensured that my mobile switches to French network, which it did. Because of some technical error (if any), the network latched to Moncao network (as put by Airtel) while I was very much in France. This latching error can be easily witnessed through billing statement itself.

I was sold this plan, promising that there will be no bill shock, the plan is great; exactly opposite to that is the reality. Why can't Airtel invest into people to ensure that customer is sold the plan with thorough details, to ensure customer is beware/aware of do's and don'ts, and mechanisms to ensure bill protection (guess the plan was bill protection plan)? WHy can't Airtel invest into technology to ensure to ensure that latching on international carriers can be avoided, and even if that happens, the credit limit is not breached on the real time basis. This is more of Airtel issue than my own which Airtel needs to address.

The issue has been pending with Airtel Customer Care (Airtel Customer Trauma) and appellate since 10th May. Since that, there has been repeated harassment in the process through contact to addressing their different departments at different point of time. (Lack of internal coordination, lack of promptness, lack of their employee knowledge and ability to address/understand the issue).

As of now, I demand reversal of 2nd and 3rd charges of Moncao, which were levied due to network latch from France.

Note: Please refer to Page 5 of the Airtel Bill - line item 270 to line item 277. Bill Password is mtc1

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