Airtel
Marketing Gimmicks by Airtel

I had taken this Airtel post paid connection around 5 years back. Later, due to some attractive tariff plans and good network coverage from competitor, I switched over to "Orange" (now so called Vodafone).

As this was my first mobile connection, I thought, I would retain this number. Hence, I got this connection converted to pre paid.

Later life time free plan was introduced and I got a refill of 999 and converted this to a Life Time Incoming Free Card.

I still use this as a secondary SIM number.

Airtel has one of the worst network in Mumbai. 50% of the time the Airtel number is not reachable. Vodafone would be rated as far ahead as compared to Airtel in terms of network coverage.

Lets come to the point:

I usually get these marketing calls from Airtel (IVR) for various add-on services. I usually receive these calls and disconnect it immediately, once I get to know if its a marketing call. There are atleast 3 such calls made in a day.

I was earlier not aware of DNC service with Airtel (Now, I have registered on website). Also, I never thought it was that important.

Yesterday, when I was an important meeting at my office, I got one such marketing call (IVR). I excused from the meeting and received the call, as I was expecting an urgent call. I got pissed off, when I realized that it is a marketing call. While disconnecting the call in haste, I might have pressed numeric keys, instead of call release button.

I never realized at that point of time that a service has been activated on this number. Within minutes, I get a message that "Congratulations on subscribing to the On Demand Service. Your 30 Rs. has been deducted". I immediately de-activated the service by calling up on the number that was provided in that message.

Now, when I called up the customer care and narrated this whole incident, I am informed that Rs.30 are non-refundable and I had opted for this service. As per my understanding the customer should be charged if he has used the service. In my case, it was de-activated within couple of minutes. Why am I being held accountable for this.

How does AIRTEL want to increase profits:

1) When customer pays willingly for services utilized

OR

2) When customer mistakenly falls target for cheap marketing practices/gimmicks.

Company: Airtel
Country: India

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