Crooks working at Airtel are trying to steal my number!
Hi,
My name is Menas Ahmed and i own a Airtel number 9000900906 for the past 5 years or more in Hyderabad, AP. This is a paid number and i paid a lot to the agent to get that number. Initially it was Post-Paid, but later i converted to pre-paid. Due to my work requirements, i had to travel abroad frequently for 2-3 month stints. And during these period i always use my number in international roaming to make & receive calls and SMS. All my banks are registered with the same mobile number and the number not working means i cant even log-in to my bank online.
Even though the mobile is life-time valid, airtel says that you need to recharge every month. I had some balance already. I did not recharge for 1 month or more and the phone was working all well till february end. In February last week, i noticed my phone was giving error "Sim Registration Failed". Suspecting it is a validity issue, i immediately recharged with 333INR twice and nothign happens. I send one of my friend to the airtel office Madhapur and they looked into the details and they recharged for 34INR saying that the account will get activated immediately. Nothing happens, so i call the customer care and they tell me that 34 is not the amount and i need to recharge with INR 27. I re-charged that amount and still nothing happens. After that i recharge with INR 50 again.
Since March 1st week i have customer care several times and then they say i need to re-submit the identity proof once again to re-activate. I sent all my valid identity details and my friend submits them in a airtel retail store at Kukatpally. After a week, nothing happens and when follow-up, they said that they lost our documents submitted and asked us to re-submit once again. I submitted the documents and even after a week, nothing still happens. Called customer care numerous time and all the time they ensured that the number was still in my name and i need not worry. They even said it was "active, but awaiting documents". All the time, they also said that my account has balance about INR 780 (approx) which is about the amount that i recharged.
So i attempted to submit the document at the main office in Begumpet. They did not accept the documents because i had a one letter spelling mistake on my name in my BSNL telephone bill submitted as address proof. They were very reluctant that they did not wanted to accept my documents. For the new connection, they would not mind whatever mistake was there in the forms!! all through the interaction there was something very fishy always. I then sent my Voters ID card to my friend so that he can submit my voters ID card as address proof and my passport as my identity. My friend tried to submit the document today at Airtel BEgumpet, But then now come up with the story that the number is allocated to someone else since March 4th. And only thing i can do is to call him and try to negotiate. How come a number working on my name 3rd week of February be allocated to someone else in March 1st week?
It all sensed very fishy because, since February i try calling my number to check and the airtel message was "this number is temporarily our of service". The message was the same everyday and even today. The message was still the same immediately after the airtel agents told that the number was given to someone else and my friend came out of the airtel. But after 10 minutes, when i try to test call the message started to say "the airtel number you are trying to reach is currently not reachable".
Enough is enough and its against my consumer rights. I am planning to go legal now and planning to file a case at consumer court. The pathetic service of customer care is irritating.
Will never ever again buy any airtel products again. I have sent instructions back home to disconnect airtel internet, landline and IP TV. Government services are much better and Airtel is not any more Airtel!!!
From,
A very frustrated Airtel Customer.
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