[Resolved]  Airtel — getting billed for cancelled number

Address: Karnataka

Sir,
I am writing this letter with deep regret that inspite of being regular customer of Airtel, I never got a proper response from the customer care team or nodal officers or the appellate desk even.I don’t know if this mail wil be read or discarded…but I am giving a try ..at least Indian consumer forum may be concerned about its customers.

About 2 months back on[protected]. I lost my handset with Airtel SIM number [protected]. Immidietely I called up the customer care and requested for deactivation of the SIM.I had clearly told the executive that I would not be using the same number in future and asked him to cancel all related info immidietely.

I got a confirmation after 48 hours that same has been done. After this, I got a bill for period dated[protected] to[protected].So I paid the outstanding amount and verified with the customer care that this was my last bill for this number.

But soon after, I got another bill for the period of[protected] to[protected] .I immidietely called up the customer care, and asked why I got the bill if the number was cancelled on 1-8-2012?? I got no response. So I sent a mail to [protected]@airtel.in....but no response….I called the nodal officer desk number ….no response….ditto with appellate desk…the IVR said complaint cant be taken since number was already cancelled.

So I registered a new complaint on[protected] that inspite of number being cancelled 2 months ago, I m getting a bill with outstanding amount.But till now I dint get a favourable response….instead, I got an SMS threating me that if I don’t pay the amount , I will be sued in court.

Moreover the nodal officer desk is saying they dint get any complaint for cancellation of SIM before. If you check the records , the number was deactivated right from 1-8-2012.So how can they charge me the rent for the period [protected] to[protected] i.e., 2 months after the cancellation of SIM?

The only reason was that the cancellation procedure took 30 days after the request was taken….now that is the fault of the technical/provisioning team….not the customer right?
The customer’s duty is to inform about lost SIM and request to cancel the number.Thereafter the customer care team has to keep records and see to it that customer is satisfied with the resolution.Instead nodal officers are even denying that they got a request for deactivation…then how come the number is not is service from 1-8-2012??

And even the manager of the customer care team are speaking so rudely with a lady customer…that I should be suing Airtel and not the other way round….!!!!

In case this mail is reaching some responsible person, who has some concern about the customer, then please look into the matter and help a grieved customer.Kindly don’t charge rent for SIM , even after the customer lost it 2 months ago…please don’t cheat customers …!

In today’s tough market , the only USP for a telecom company is the customer satisfaction and good will it gathers….

I have completely lost faith in Airtel customer service …and hoping that at least the top management can resolve the issue and wont force the customers to approach consumer court for every grievance…..!!