Shortchanged in gigabytes: What do you do?

Vijay C Roy in Chandigarh

Chandigarh-based Manpreet Singh accepted a postpaid plan of a telecom player after persuasion by a marketing guy. The plan talked of unlimited data access. In a few days, Singh learnt the plan actually offered 5 GB data. Manpreet called the customer centre. The reply was shocking: there is no such offer. The centre insisted him to opt for another plan having higher fixed charges. Another telecom subscriber Veena Singla complains she does not get signal when she is inside her home. “The operator boasts of great infrastructure. I have complained a number of times. Now, I keep a couple of SIMs just in case. The service quality for both the SIMs is more or less the same”.

Another subscriber Gurleen Kaur complained that she opted for a 3G data plan under which the operator offered 3GB data. “I exhausted the 3GB data, according to them in 20 days, and they start pressuring for a booster pack, which cost me Rs 200 for 1 GB. I fail to understand why I have to buy a booster pack for 3G speed whenever I exhaust it. Why can’t they bill me for my 3G speed? Why do I need to buy a booster pack every time,” she asks. 

From miss-selling to poor network including call drops and low data speed, harried consumers are not getting the desired services despite paying for everything. Everyone knows how difficult it can be to get in touch with the right mobile customer representative. Be it a simple query about your recent bill or imposition of unnecessary charges on prepaid and postpaid connection, the experience of getting your questions answered can be mind numbing. Last year, erstwhile telecom minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad in a written reply in the Lok Sabha said that complaints against mobile service providers increased to 80,947 in 2015, up from 68,691 in 2014. The Department of Telecom (DoT) received 57,634 complaints in 2015 compared with 50,197 in the previous year. Also, complaints received by telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) touched 23,313 in 2015, as against 18,494 in 2014.

The complaints related to bills, connectivity, mobile portability and harassment by mobile service providers. Consumers protection activists say most subscribers don’t know about their rights and whom to approach if they have any problems. 

“Awareness is low among subscribers about their rights. Plus, it is a time consuming process. Unlike other services, it’s very difficult to get a refund or prepaid charges refunded,” says Randhir Verma, an activist who works for telecom consumer rights. Randhir says most of the consumer awareness workshop organized by TRAI is mere eyewash. He said although TRAI has laid out strict norms and regulations, the implementation on the ground is ineffective.  TRAI, has stipulated that each service provider should have a comprehensive complaint redress system with toll-free consumer care numbers to address issues faced by subscribers. 

For effective resolution of consumer complaints, TRAI has laid down standards of quality of service parameters relating to time-limit for fault repair, billing complaints, refund of security deposits and rent rebate for delayed fault repair. But most consumers are unaware. 

TRAI has also sought public opinion on setting up of an ombudsman in the sector.