I have a prepaid connection with Airtel since last 5 to 6 years. Recently Airtel deducted close to Rs 1100 from my prepaid a/c balance on pretext that I have downloaded games. Here I am presenting sequence of events followed by my experience with their contact center executives (bottom to Top).
1. Around 15'th of August till about 30'th August, I received several SMS'es saying Thank you for using AirtelLive. I realized a little later that close to Rs 1100 has been deducted from my A/C balance.
2. Similar thing happened today morning (14'th Sept). Again I received same SMS and suddenly Rs 20 were deducted once again (I am sure more would have been deducted, but for the fact that I have deliberately kept low balance of only Rs 27 in the account.
Experience with Contact center:
I thought of raising this issue with contact center, hoping they would provide me a resolution and get me my money back, instead this is what happened:
1. I talked to several executives on several days. Each begin with a complete retold of entire story to a new executive, who then pretend to talk to some of his peer level folks or his next level supervisor and then inform me, that I have downloaded games and hence this money was deducted. Every time I have to tell them, that I did not and if this is what their systems tells, then it is their problem and not mine. Why should I pay for something that I have neither requested nor consumed. All I get is an SMS telling me " Thanks for using Airtel Live" and I know, Airtel has deducted money once again.
2. Since I was heading nowhere so I decided to escalate the issue in their Contact center with the hope, that I will get my money back... again to my surprise nothing happened. This time I noted down their Names so that I can refer them for clarity.
2.1 Spoke to an Executive by Name Ruchi and same happened after listening to my situation she said, I have downloaded the games and hence this money was deducted. Even A logical thing like, why would some one download games multiple times (and as it happened today... just for Rs 20). I asked her that I would like to talk to her supervisor for this.
2.2 Spoke to Monika (Floor Supervisor) and Its again a repeat story... To the extent I was made to feel humiliated by telling that you don't even know you have downloaded games and hence you need to pay. Again I asked her, if she doesn't appreciate the fact that that I am repeatedly saying this is automatic deduction and not what I am requesting, further as a double whammy, there is actually no game downloaded, (I would have consoled my self in a worst case scenario that at least I have something in return for the money lost) then I would like to talk to her next level person.
2.3 I was directed to One Mr. Shamsi, who told me that he is the sr. most person that contact center and no one is sr. to him. This gentleman listened to me, but as was the case earlier told me that nothing can be done. Since he was the sr. most person so Now I can not even talk to any one beyond. When I asked him what to do now, he gave me following three options. a) Visit their Okhla office, b) send them a Fax, C) write an email to 121@ airtel.in. When I asked him, who should be addressed for email or Fax, He said there is no need and you should send it just like that... to an anonymous supervisor!!
Now that I have spoken to so may people so many time, I have neither the time nor the ebergy left for making yet another attempt. All I am sure of is that this would be the beginning of my moving away from Airtel (starting with my cell connection... since only Rs 7 is left as of today, and I am pretty sure another "thanks for using airtell live" will take care of that as well. After that I will use it only for receiving incoming free calls till the year end and switch over to another service provider... Next in line will be my Landline and broadband connection and another postpaid connection.
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