Friday, September 11, 2009

Airtel prepaid mobile service fraud

This one is a rant about pathetic service that I am getting from my mobile service provider.

For last several months, i.e. June to be precise, Airtel is sending unsolicited SMS disguised as a VAS (value added service) to my mobile and debiting my account Rs 3/- for each such SMS. The SMS comes from 290603 with such enchanting subjects like Tip Of the Day and Love Tip of The Day.

By now they have emptied all my prepaid balance and it has turned negative Rs (-) 30/- . I am denied to make any outside call or send sms due to this!! As per the law of the land no service provider can charge for VAS unless customer has explicitly subscribed it.

Apparently, I am not the first or last victim. There are many like me here, here and here. Just google airtel 290603 sms, there are hundreds of other hapless customers getting robbed like this. This is clearly helping them to swell the revenue at the cost of customers' hard earned money.

Their customer service helpline (121) is always busy. If you are fortunate enough to go beyond the call queue, you will find no menu to reach their phone officers to complain about this while countless emails to 121@airtel are auto acknowledged back with a standard reply- we are looking into this.

While I am taking this matter to the appropriate authorities, wanted this post to alert the users (and prospective customers) of Airtel's service about their fraudulent ways of fleecing money.
Check your (dwindling) prepaid balance- is it vanishing mysteriously?