Connect with us

Daily News

Airtel Fined Twice For Deficiency In Service

The consumer forum here penalised Bharti Airtel in two separate cases for deficiency in service and causing harassment. While in one case, it was fined Rs 35,000, in another case it was penalised Rs 17,000.

In the first case, the nodal officer of Bharti Airtel, IT Park, Chandigarh, as well as the Sector 9 outlet of the company have been directed to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for causing mental agony and harassment, along with Rs 7,000 as cost of litigation.

Panchkula resident Arjun Yadav had filed a complaint alleging that on being offered better plan by Airtel, he decided to port his number from Reliance to Airtel. He was assured that the same would be done within a week. However, the firm failed to port the number from April 8 to April 15, 2017 on account of which the complainant had to suffer as his number was in circulation with various departments, relatives and friends.

A legal notice was filed and Arjun later approached the forum. Airtel, in its reply, pleaded that the complainant has not included Reliance Telecommunications as a party. Under the TRAI guidelines, the approval of the earlier service provider is also taken before porting out the number. The forum observed that it was established beyond all reasonable doubts that the complaint is genuine as he has been made to run from pillar to post for no fault on his part.

In another case, an Income Tax practitioner claimed to have suffered huge losses on account of deficient service of the telecom firm. Vineet Krishan, a resident of Sector 9, Chandigarh, in his complaint stated that he had been using fixed landline and broadband connection of Airtel under the Rs 1,533 plan. On coming across an advertisement, he made a request in February 2017 to change the said plan to Rs 799 per month.

However, according to him, Airtel continued to charge him Rs 1,533 till October 27, 2017, which forced the complainant to stop the bill payment of two months. Thereafter, on receipt of an SMS to pay an amount of Rs 4,797, the complainant deposited Rs 4,800 on October 6, 2017 to avoid discontinuation of the services.

Next day, Vineet received another SMS to pay Rs 6,801.76 i.e. bill for the months of July-Aug, Aug-September, 2017. Again on October 18, 2017, he got an SMS to pay Rs 3,139. Similar SMSes were received by him on October 21, 25 and 28, 2017, and consequently, Airtel disconnected the services of the complainant as a result of which the Internet stopped working.

Defence counsel Ravi Inder Singh stated that the complainant being an IT practitioner had to file IT return of his clients by October 31, 2017 and on account of the deficient services, he had to suffer huge losses. Finally, on October 31, Airtel credited the amount of Rs 4,800 in the account of the complainant and the services were restored.

Airtel replied that the system is totally computerised and in case the amount is not credited to the account, then the SMS is generated automatically. It was also argued that the complainant was charged as per the usage and there was no question of charging extra amount. The consumer forum allowed the complaint and directed the firm to pay Rs 25,000 compensation, along with Rs 10,000 as cost of litigation.

The penalties

  • In the first case, the nodal officer of Bharti Airtel, IT Park, Chandigarh, as well as the Sector 9 outlet of the company have been directed to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation for causing mental agony and harassment, along with Rs 7,000 as cost of litigation.
  • In another case, the forum directed the firm to pay Rs 25,000 compensation, along with Rs 10,000 as cost of litigation.

   Tribune India

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Copyright © 2024 Communications Today

error: Content is protected !!