Complaint Details

Status	:	Closed
Complaint No	:	0004147/2013
Category	:	Telecom
Date	:	10-04-2013
Subject Line	:	Discrepancies in e-bills, blocking phone and not responding
Complainant	:	Dr. C Mehta
Address	:	Dept of Earth Sciences, IIT, Bombay, Powai,
Complainee	:	Idea Cellular Ltd
Address	:	Idea Cellular Ltd, A 68, Sector 64,

Complaint Details
Subject: Complaint against IDEA Cellular for: (1) incorrect billings for two successive months (2) blocking my service when I refused to pay in full amount a wrong claim by IDEA customer service after duly explaining the mistakes in their e-bills and (3) acknowledging my complaints filed through their customer service email, but not replying to my complaint, and instead sending another e-bill with incorrect data without resolving the wrong e-billing issue.

Plan: Super 199 PSB(1252)

Ref: My IDEA cellular number (Area UP-West): 98 375 33354

Respected Madam/Sir,

1. I am a subscriber to Idea Cellular post-paid mobile services with regional center of UP_West since 2005. Since July 2013 I have moved from Dehradun to Mumbai where I am currently working as a Visiting Professor at IIT, Bombay.
Here is a detailed account of my problem with IDEA:
Total Amount Due as per my last two e-bills are as follows
2nd March 2013: Rs: -217.08 ( i. e to my credit)
2nd April 2013: Rs. 444.64
The break up given in the last e-bill dated 2nd April is:

(a) Previous Bill amount: Rs 256.66
(b) Payments: Rs 100.00
(c) Adjustment: Rs 000.00
(d) Current Charges: Rs 287.98 (which includes Rs 50 for late payment penalty).
According to me, as per the e-bill of 2nd March 2013, the break up for the bill dated 2 April should be:
(a) Previous Bill amount: Rs -217.08
(b) Payments: Rs 100.00
(c) Adjustment: Rs 000.00
(d) Current Charges: Rs 287.98 – 50 (wrong penalty) = 237.98
and Total Amount Due should be Rs -71.10 ( i.e to my credit)

2. In the first week of March, I received an SMS from IDEA asking me to pay Rs 256.66 by 16th March. I wrote to the customer care referring to that SMS, attached my e-bill of 2nd March and clarified that, actually, the outstanding is in the negative (credit to me) and that I should not be asked to pay any amount by 16th March. I received an acknowledgment from the customer care, but no clarification to this date regarding the discrepancy between the e-bill of 2nd March and SMS.
3. On 14th March, I received call from IDEA reminding me to pay up the amount of Rs 256.66. I explained to the caller that my e-bill is actually negative, i. e credit to me (because of overpayments in the previous month) and that there should not be any payment required at this stage. However, purely as a gesture of goodwill, I still paid Rs 100 online towards my account. I also wrote a detailed letter to the customer care on 15th March attaching once again the e-bills dated 2nd Feb (when IDEA had made an identical mistake and later apologized) and e-bill dated 2nd March and requested them to clarify the discrepancy between the e-bill dated 2nd March showing Total Outstanding as Rs –217.08 and the call from IDEA asking me to pay Rs 256.66.
To this date, there has not been any clarification. INSTEAD, IDEA has blocked my phone service since 16th March 2013 and sent a bill dated 2 April for Rs. 444.64 which does not reflect my credit of Rs 217.08 as per e-bill of 2nd March and which includes Rs 50 towards late payment penalty.
4. On 5thApril, I once again wrote to customer service attaching once again the e-bills dated 2nd March and 2nd April and requested them to rectify their mistake. I received a computer generated acknowledgment of my mail. However, there has not been any e-mail reply nor have they called up on my Mumbai mobile number (9819960943) of another service provider which I have provided to IDEA in all my correspondence with them since my IDEA phone has been disconnected by them.
I have now lost faith in IDEA’s customer/billing service and hence I am writing to you requesting your kind intervention for settling my grievances with IDEA.
My demands are:
1 Re-instate my service which has been suspended since 16th March 2013
2. Correct the e-bill dated 2nd April 2013 for the month of March taking cognizance of the e-bill of 2nd March which shows credit of Rs 217.08, removing penalty of Rs 50 and allowing free- phone service for the period since 16th March when they suspended the service unilaterally and illegally.
I would sincerely appreciate your help,
With best regards,
Prof C. H. Mehta
Dept of Earth Sciences,
IIT, Bombay, Powai,
Mumbai, 400076
Working Phone: 98 19960943. Non-working phone(IDEA):98 37533354
Attachments: e-bills dated 2nd March and 3rd April 2013

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