Blocking a customer’s call, SMS facilities costs Airtel Rs 10500 penalty

While majority of people in the present digital age rely upon internet services for most tasks, a telecom company disconnected a Panchkula resident’s internet and mobile services without prior notice, inviting rap from District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

Holding Bharti Airtel Limited “deficient while rendering services” the consumer commission held, “Pertinently, in the present digital era, the internet services and mobile number connectivity are essential for a person so as to enable him to carry out the various work related to his personal, domestic and business activity; as such, the withdrawal of facility of outgoing calls, SMS facility and internet services by Bharti Airtel Limited without any notice, etc., to the complainant before withdrawing the said facility was neither proper nor justified.”

The commission directed the telecom company to pay ₹5,000 on account of mental agony and harassment, along with ₹5,500 as litigation charges to the complainant, Vijay Anand of Sector 4, Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula.

Services halted before last date of bill payment: Complaint
In October 2020, Anand knocked the commission’s doors saying that he had been availing the services of Bharti Airtel Limited for the last 12 years and was using two postpaid numbers, paying usage charges monthly. He said the telecom company restricted services by withdrawing outgoing calls, SMS and internet data on both numbers even before the last date of bill payment. This was done consecutively for three billing circles and no heed was paid to his requests to restore the services.

No lapses or deficiency, says telco
Denying any lapses or deficiency Bharti Airtel Limited, had submitted that the billing system was computerised, wherein services were restricted automatically. The company said the usage charges of the complainant had exceeded beyond the credit limit of ₹500.

No unilateral condition can be imposed: Commission
“We also agree with the contentions of the counsel for the complainant that no unilateral condition like credit limit can be imposed without the consent of the complainant; thus, the withdrawal of outgoing calls, SMS facility and internet data services qua the mobile numbers in question, solely on the basis of credit limit, was not valid and justified,” the orders read.

The orders said, “In the absence of any remarks or warning cautioning the complainant that in case of exceeding the credit limit, various facility would automatically stand withdrawn, Bharti Airtel Limited’s act, by no stretch of imagination, in withdrawing the facility of internet, etc., can be said to be valid and justified.” Hindustan Times