Okay, so in my fight against pathetic services of Telecom service providers in India/Delhi/Noida, I think I’ve progressed to a new level. Today morning, I got a call from some advocate in Tees Hazari Courts informing me that Reliance has filed a case against me. So I should either settle it by paying the amount that Reliance is demanding (Rs 1011 odd) or face the court proceedings.
The background is as follows.
I subscribed to Reliance’s post paid high speed data card service (Account no 500000414339, HSD Number – 9310323412). However, the services were very pathetic and I would never get a signal. I complained many times but to no avail. Finally, I got so fed up that I requested for conversion of this number to a pre-paid number in January 2011. I have the copy of my acknowledgement slip that I’ve attached below. I was also made to pay bill for next month in advance.
However, they did not discontinue my services and I was made to pay bills for many more months.
I have made multiple other requests to their people to discontinue the services.
In spite of that, they continue to not only harass me but have also now threatened me with legal action. They followed it up with this phone from an advocate today morning.
So what should I do? Pay-up and get out of it or fight it out?
Update Aug 2, 2011
The issue has been resolved for now (hopefully). I received a call on Friday from Reliance Chairman’s office. The person apologized for all this. He also told me I was right and that I did not owe anything to the company. He further informed me that my services were already deactivated and usage was absolutely zero.
While I am happy and thankful, I do feel that if the chairman’s office has to intervene for such a small matter, there’s something wrong with the system. I already had proof (acknowledgement given by reliance for post paid to pre paid migration). I’d sent that proof via postal mail as well as by email to Reliance’s various teams including Nodal and Appellate Authorities. Instead of listening to me and resolving it themselves, they followed it up with a threat of legal case etc.
I also got some useful advice from the folks at Akosha (@myakosha) for which I’m grateful. In particular, what happens in such cases is as follows.
Service providers (such as telecom companies and credit card companies) sell off their “bad debts” to 3rd parties at a huge discounts. These third parties than try out different mechanisms to recover as much as they can. So they will call you and threaten you with police arrest, legal notice and what not. I’ve heard of people getting calls from police stations asking them to pay up or that they will be arrested. In the worst case scenario, you will get a Lok Adalat notice.
A Lok Adalat is an informal court and the idea is to usually settle cases based on mutual agreement. In such cases, you go to one of these lok adalats and both parties negotiate and agreement is reached. I have been told that if you are sure you have not done anything wrong, you can chose to ignore a Lok Adalat notice and nothing will happen. However, do remember that the other party does have a right to take the case to a higher court.
In any case, if you do get a call from such “Advocates” or “Lawyers”, remember they are usually collection agents. One of them calls from 011-64559262.
Apoorv, this is obviously pathetic and a result of the broken processes and system that these companies have – the customer service has neither clue nor control. While it’s obvious that the problems are passed on to the customer, I have not sat silently on the first instance of such lapses, hence probably avoided situations reaching to such levels – an advocate? C’mon guys!
I have always insisted to speak to someone senior/manager level – which that doesn’t guarantee anything, sometimes my refusal to talk to anyone at an intern or caller level sometimes does pay off. BTW, I don’t hang up until satisfies or keep pestering with the request for corrections when that happens. (Not fair on some authority-less employees, I know but they left no choice!)
I strongly support your quest for justice in this case. It’s not about that 1000 bucks, I’m sure you can easily shell it out to get out of this mess. Not sure if you’d end up doing that but it’s encouraging that someone’s really fighting on principles. With you, buddy!
Fight. Of course.
Reliance is the worst company I had experience with in terms of handling Customers and their genuine complaints. I never recommends Reliance Connections to any of my known ones.
Reliance as a company does not bothered about customer. So go and give them a fitting reply.
Dear Apoorv
if in todays busy world you have time to fight over for 1000 Rs , then go forward to the consuemr court etc.
better is to settle the acount than to fight, to curb the immediuate woes of notice hearing etc.
post you have done the settlement , file a complain with TRAI , and they will take reliance to task
mention clearly that they forced you to settle or else they were giving threats to you
thanks
Consumer court is your friend. Counter sue Reilance. And at then end of the case, ask for damages and lawyer fees.
Friends,
my advice is be always ready to settle if you are NOT WRONG,
if you have a grievance of say 5000, it would rather set down to 3000
and from that 3k paying to lawyer and and recovery agent leaves almost too short amount for them. and that is the reason many times matter is just dissolved into time…
stretch you fight every time they demand you with your own reason and chances do increase of getting the matter dissolved..
But i have my own principles, i have a strong belief that if you saved any money by any kind of cheating and in unethical way.. nature recovers almost double in it’s own way !!
i had several issues with idea where i fight with them on each and every point of the TRAI rules they have bypassed.. they left the matter. but still i paid the amount that i felt was at me really.
I have three reliance connections (CDMA/CSM) since several years but in the recent
months, they failed to provide the important services like forwarding of bills, not attending
customer complaint either on phone nor on mail, just replying sweet words and promising mails but no serious action atleast to satisfy the customer. But sending reminders for
payment and altering due dates for payment. Threating to disconect the line for non payment. No seriousnees of complaint of customer.
I have also data unlimitted, but connecting quickly without any speed nor opening. always
system error.. have forced to buy BSNL broadband serice which is very good working.
view have deciding to close all realtionship with reliance if they continue to fail serviec and collecting money without any use of serivces. Reliance Web World Centre are an Eyewash
and also threaten like “Gundas”.\
Reliance is the worst company I had experience with in terms of handling Customers and their genuine complaints. I never recommends Reliance Connections to any of my known ones.
wow…u have the time to pay attention to bloody losers like Reliance? they threaten almost everyone, they’re the biggest scamsters i know..
Thank you so much for this info sir.I received so many calls from some so called advocate female who told me that she received some case against me from the broadband company tikona for me not paying the bill.even after multiple calls to their customer care in Feb for disconnection they did not do so and continued the billing for the whole month and charged me.when I didn’t pay the bill which I was not supposed to they have apparently threatened me with legal actions
.that advocate made me speak to the so called manager of tikona and he in an unprofessional manner spoke to me and disconnected the call. Thanks for this info.was very helpful
i agree ,tikonaa is horrible internet service . i had very bad experience with them and eventually end up paying some 600 Rs .they kept calling you and when i ask about all these call they made ,lady said “jab tak aap payment nahi karougye phone aatey raheyngye “
Dear Subscriber,
Greetings from Tikona.
We have noted your post. In order to assist you further, we would require your contact or Tikona User ID details. We have assigned a reference number # TIKJU0112 to your case. Requesting you to mention the reference number in the subject line while sharing your details with us on tikonacare@tikona.in
Regards,
Tikona Care
Tata DoCoMo – I took a connection but there was poor network in my house. Inspite of complaining they never responded. So I called the call center and ask them to disconnect the connection. They took 15 days to disconnect and billed me for that.
I called them and told this not possible. I should not be penalized for their late disconnection and refused to pay. Now they sent me legal notice asking for payment. I think all telecom are using this bad tactic to make hapless consumers pay up for nothing of their fault..i think TRAI needs to be take this seriously and put a new system for billing related disputes.
They are never trying to solve csutomers problem and focused on collecting their bill…Bad state of affairs …
Relationship No. : 1275556726 Reliance CDMA Mobile No. 9324506828
Tariff Plan Name: RIM_24MAR_ZEROPlanNW
Subject: Complaint for “No Network” on Reliance CDMA Mobile at Residence Malad East Mumbai 400097 since last January 2015
Sir,
I Hitesh Doshi using Reliance CDMA Mobile No. 9324506828, draw your kind attention for complaint “Request for Solution on Poor Network” Sr.No. 228290752 Dt.24/12/2014, SR No.229095679 Dt.17/01/2015, SR No. 227389183 Dt.28/03/2015 and SR No.231913241 Dated.22/04/2015,which is still not get solves.
Now in More and more places I find Reliance CDMA No network- there is no network in Mahad MIDC, Raigad Dist.
While my visit to Nagothane Dist. Raigad On July 29, 2015 to
Maharashtra Seamless Limited, Pipe Nager, NH-17, BKG Road, Village-Sukeli, Nagothane, Dis Raigad-Maharashtra-402126-Found No network on Road and Inside Plant- You can cross check with my call History
And on my visit to Shankheshwar Gujarat on July 31, 2015 -Found No network on Road and Inside Shankheshwar address read as Shankheshwar Parshwanath Jain Temple, Dist.Patan, Gujarat Pin Code-384240, you can cross check with my call History
We herewith request you to give us correct status on “No Network” issue and try to resolve the said important issue by putting more efforts, working force.
Your immediate action in this regards will be appreciate
Regards
Hitesh Doshi
+919324506828
Agree reliance is the worst (not just telecom but other services too) .For reliance broadband, am suffering now. I cannot understand why our govt/agencies( like TRAI) not mandate the telecom operator to have a close connection page in their website.
We have the same situation with MTS. It s the worst service I have ever seen. Don’t ever go for MTS. We have asked them to discontinue but they did not they kept sending the bill for 3 months. MTS= Worst!
There should be some control on ths service provider, their agents sell sim card with fake details, when bill generated it shows the miscommunication of that agent. After that consumer suffers cz it’s matter of his/her credibility. Phn calles from police and advocated started, they ask them to settle when the case is going to court, very imp thing is they talking abt a notice which was never delivered to consumer , they will say that notice was send but u didn’t received , how it is possible ? If consumer is available in the address, they didn’t know abt the notice return reason also , its mental torture to those who suffered from miscommunication by the service a provider, all service provider are same ,
Presently I m facing problems with vodafone , from the last 3 years I m suffering , I have very pathetic network at my home , having best 3g plans , but nothing work out, if I not any imp call then I hv to rush down from the 4rth floor nd on road I can talk properly , at my home it’s not possible to call and understand what the caller is saying . I have filed complaint many times but customer care officer actually didn’t mentioned in my profile , they said complaint registered and I will get the massage soon, no massage received ever, they are just telling that complaint register, when once I promised by the nodel officer for the solution , but he also promised only , problem is still there , when ever I request portability they call nd start promising to solve my problem , but problem still there, actually there should be something to reach them a lesson , people are busy , lazy so they are taking benefit of them. Is there any system to get them treated like they deserve ?
Hi,I even face the same kind of problem from reliance.I have been using Reliance hispeed data dongle until they stop the service and forced us to change to 3g.Since I did not want to change I have paid all my last usage bills and left it.But without any connectivity they started sending me bills every month.I have made numerous complaints over phone. When I went directly to their pffice they ask me to pay the outstanding bill which I haven’t use and obviously cannot since they have discontinued the service.They have sent me a Look adalat notice now.Kindly advise on it
hi,
i was using connect broadband services at home but it is regularly remains sick, and when we complaint then they did not bother and sometimes it work and sometimes not. even they barred complaint no. 01725050505 and some other number which is chargable and makes most expenses to me but they never gave heed. and when we called these customer care number then they automatically fixed that “due to some technical reason internet is not working and sorted out shortly”. they never pay you for bad services but collect from you like hooligans by threatening that we will issue summons against you. if we told them for bad services and waiver for non using internet as the internet was not working on their own end and they just time passed with your call and play exchange exchange game to one to other customer care and caused so much expenses of telephone bill to you as these customer care nos. are chargable. when we requested them for waiver then they said that this not right time to call and you have to call after billing cycle of 10th of every month but when we requested after 10th of month then they started to passing time with me and always said that we have forwarded your request to senior and disconnected phone. now they have made Rs. 2027/- outstanding amount to me as on their own level and making threat calls regularly. what should I do?
one thing is more guys, they always insist me that pay Rs. 700-800/- to settle and when I agreed to eliminate this problem and to pay and said that please take money from me and close this connection but they put condition before me that you have to continue this connection. but i refused to do so now any lady is calling oftenly from 9316801294 and 9023357344 as connect company legal head representative and abusing and threatening me to pay otherwise she will issue summon from chamber no. 6 of Chandigarh court and said that pay Rs. 1000/- to settle. what should i do? but there is no guarantee as she is not sending mail regarding all this issue as I am requesting that after collecting thousand rupees you will close my connection.
sagar i have same problem now they want me to come on hearing on court
sagar i have same problem now they want me to come on hearing on court
Now i am facing the same issue, for the connection which i am not using for the last three months after paying the one time payment for deactivation. Now they are sending a sms as lok adalat.
I have been fighting out a similar fight against Vodafone. They have been making calls asking me to pay bill for some random number which I am not even aware of. I keep saying them that I am not sure who gave them my number and why should I pay for someone else’s bill? Calls after calls and then legal notice threat on my email which was moved into my spam folder obviously. They threaten me with criminal case and what not but I have decided not to be weak against such injustice no matter how much they pressurize me to pay someone else’s amount. When I asked them send me the complete bill details with the numbers that has been called from that number; they kept on procrastinating and giving me new complaint number all the time. Clearly a mischievous attempt by a stupid operator after Jio has dented these idiots big time. No matter whatever happens I am not going to go down to these thugs. I get abusive calls every day and give them back nicely.