Massive Unauthorized VAS Activation Fraud at Bharti Airtel
Lately, there have been increasing number of complaints against Bharti Airtel for unauthorized activation of value added services [Unlimited SMS, Caller Tunes, etc]. Well, I normally don’t resort to writing about pennies, but having had first hand experience myself and two other instances in front of my eyes, I am intrigued to write and expose the fraudulent business practices at Bharti Airtel.
I don’t remember the date [read within the past 30 days] but, I received a SMS [despite subscribing to NDNC -Offense -1] from Bharti Airtel saying that ISD Tariffs have been revised and I could check the revised tariffs by sending a SMS. I did that and bingo, they activated Unlimited SMS 99 pack on my number [Offense -2]. I then had to call their Paid Call Center [yes All Calls to Bharti Airtel 121 are no more Free] and this guy tells me that I activated the service [Offense - 3, Your executives are LIARS], I asked him to go Audit your system, but he wouldn’t understand and upon shouting he took a complaint to deactivate – They generated 4 complaints and REF #s are - 31505446, 31492296, 31486937 and 31469369. Finally, the service was deactivated. [Ofcourse they'll, because they are guilty of attempting to rob me, but caught]
In another incident, it happened with my brother [some VAS was activated without consent] and him being from the US was totally pissed off the way customer care spoke and refused to credit the amount back [Oho! well I told him, not worth the pain as we had other priority task on hand]
The third instance was with a distant relative, a Man in his 70s with barely Rs 100 in his pocket traveling all the way from his village to visit my mom who is recovering from a surgery. I took his mobile and asked him why had he activated Caller Tune [there was a message in his Inbox] and he cursed them saying they keep ripping him off, but he wants to stay connected. Mr. Mittal and team shame on you guys for robbing an innocent Am Aadmi.
If the Average Fraudulent Activation amount Rs 30 / Subscriber and if they have done it on 10% of their subscribers [on a rotational basis, with a complex algorithm doing the fraudulent scheduling] at any given instance they will be making Rs 360 mn a month.
The act of Fraud at Bharti Airtel goes on – Read the comment at the end of article here by V Ravichnder, Read the List of Complaints against Airtel Prepaid, Airtel Network, Airtel etc] I would like to enlighten Ravichander that TRAI is a laid back with incompetent employees who do not feel the necessity to fix fraudulent business practices, even though they are empowered to. It is a state of pity that TRAI doesn’t even consider opinions and issues raised by subject experts.
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MASSIVE FRAUD AT RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS AS WELL!
1) Out of the blue, I start receiving SHAYARI on my phone. No SMS about activation, etc at all [Offense 1]. 5 days later, I receive an SMS, saying your SHAYARI pack is ON at charges of Rs. 30 per month [ARGH] – SMS XYZ to PQR to unsubscribe. I SMS SXY to PQR – response – this is not a valid number [BIG CHEATING]. Finally, I went to their shop and got it deactivated. I have no clue if my money was refunded.
2) My mom (doesnt speak good english), got a call – “Madam, you will receive some health related information on SMS in couple of days, please read”. Mom, thought some government public service or something, said yes. 3 days later, reliance activates some “health pack”, at 30 rs / month. [HOW SICK CAN RELIANCE GET? And now we know the morals of the Indian tycoons]. After an angray call to their customer center, they deactivated – money did not get refunded
. No enthu to crib to them. I just hope God likes justice. My mom and I shared same feelings after the incident – imagine, the poor bhajiwala or plumber, who takes a mobile connection with his savings, thinking its cheap enough for him to afford – and gets robbed at rate of 30 rs per month?
No wise comments about the SXY typo please
– I did SMS the correct thing to them .. honest 
Your post reminded me of my experience with airtel 3 years ago.
I’ve just posted it here: http://seriousonlooker.blogspot.com/2010/04/airtel-hello-tune-fraud-charged-rs-120.html
Selective Online stories of Customer woes against Airtel Reveals
How rigorous and consistent swindling of small amounts through “Sensuous lip- service marketing”, utter disregard to TRAI billing norms and ably backed up by COCKROACH APPROACH to customer service, day after day, month after month, since 1996 made the Airtel Empire today!)
While I was browsing online to air-and-share my experience with Airtel, stumbled upon (Typing Airtel+fraud or Airtel+cheat in Google) their consistent and systematic swindling of retail customers, most of whom have silently borne their brunt. For many, like the first listing below, it has been an awful and disgusting experience. The list of pages and the individual listings would require years to read! I made a sample study after going through 100’s of pages – Primarily understood the magnitude of this SCAM, done without batting an eye-lid, year after year.) Here are the voices of some of them…
My Experience With Airtel Broadband in Jaipur, India (This gentleman has, hit the nail-on-the- head, much before anyone, isn’t it?)
http://pegu.in/myvoice/internet-service-provider/my-experience-with-airtel-broadband-in-jaipur-india/comment-page-1/#comment-60
And some samples…
Airtel cheated me
http://www.rtiindia.org/forum/4935-airtel-cheated-me.html
Feel CHEATED by AIRTEL
http://www.techenclave.com/broadband-forum/feel-cheated-by-airtel-134215-2.html
Double Billing
http://www.consumercomplaints.in/complaints/double-billing-c26101.html
Airtel Complaints – ISD Activation
http://www.consumercomplaints.in/complaints/isd-activation-c29186.html
Airtel Prepaid Fraud
http://broadbandforum.in/airtel-broadband/58271-airtel-broadband-not-fair-but-fraud/
http://www.mka.in/index.php?/archives/63-Airtel-Prepaid-Fraud.html
Bharti Airtel ventures into Retail Fraud
http://viewsreviews.wordpress.com/2006/12/30/bharti-airtel-ventures-into-retail-fraud/
AIRTEL fraud– illegal deduction of money from balance
http://www.complaint.customermath.com/complaint/45842-AIRTEL_prepaid_.html
Airtel datacard fraud
http://www.consumercourt.in/internet-services/5798-airtel-datacard-fraud.html
Airtel FRAUD
http://www.lawguru.com/legal-questions/india-consumer-law/airtel-fraud-bought-prepaid-connection-112621146/a
Airtel cheats NRIs with lame tricks: Airtell CallHome
http://rashmiranjanpadhy.com/2009/05/05/airtel-cheats-nris-with-lame-tricks/
AIRTEL FRAUD – Moving to Consumer Court!
http://www.sriviews.com/2010/03/airtel-fraud-consumer-court-hyderabad-cheating-customers-postpaid-prepaid-worst-service-support-madhapur-office-retain-old-documents-address-verification-case-issue/
Some Assorted complaints
http://www.my3cents.com/productReview.cgi?company=Airtel
http://worldthrumyeyes.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/airtel-service-bad-bad-bad-really-bad/
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/airtel-c37.html
Innocent techie in jail, sues Airtel for Rs. 20 Crores!
http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Innocent_techie_in_jail_sues_Airtel_for_Rs_20_Crores-nid-61203/1/1/#success
Airtel Cheating Customer and Irrate Service
http://www.consumercourt.in/mobile-services/6698-airtel-cheating-customer-irrate-service.html
Airtel’s cheap cheating tricks
http://balajin.net/blog/archives/2008/04/27/airtels_cheap_cheating_tricks.html
How Airtel increases it revenues by cheating customers?
http://managementblog.customermath.com/index.php/2009/01/13/airtel-increases-revenues-cheating-customers/
… The listings go on and on, tens of thousands, from the Techies to the Entrepreneur to the common man- Again, these are only online forums. We can safely multiply this number by 1000 or 10,000 to include the offline customer woes, from Karnal to Kanyakumari, off-and-on the Consumer Courts/forums as well. The wise-men in GOI and TRAI and the millions of Indian’s dream are for last-mile connectivity at affordable cost – “Unlimited broadband connectivity to everyone” is H.E. Abdul Kalam’s dream! Awesome– However, if that happens, imagine the plight of our ‘good-natured rural folks’, who give us FOOD to survive, won’t have any clue to this ‘systematic swindling’ of gullible customers by Private operators like Airtel.
Coming to think of that, “Why we always make fun off, turn cynical, berate the value-driven Public Sector folks, when only some(Like in any society, any walk of life) could be “value-less”? And again, even that aggregation of all that amassment would ‘pale in comparison’ to this astronomical sum, auditors would arrive at investigating this billing scam. And, Airtel may not be alone!. That’s upto the wise men in TRAI and the Judiciary to find out and advise the NATION.
My request is, in this case, considering the facts, it is prudent that the Airtel’s Billing system be stripped and investigated. We all would request for a CBI probe or like the GOI appointed ‘eminent panel’ in the Satyam Saga, probe the same (Sir, we are aware that TRAI has given ‘clean chit’ to Airtel only on Accounting System and not on Billing System, which precedes any Accounting). Millions of Emails and Letters, voice calls and smses cannot be tampered! TRUTH ALONE TRIUMPHS!
In conclusion, value-less organizations like Airtel, are modern day Gajni Mohd’s(sic) (read plunderers of wealth), with all the sweetness in the mouth, “waiting like a shark to catch the prey”, with all the tact, money and sometimes even muscle power, with absolutely no values governing them, in order to be in the rat-race(sic) and stay numero Uno! Should we have to wait for the ‘Karma effect’ to happen to them?, they unable to bear their own humongous weight, ‘mind-and-heart’ not in sync, hence their ‘feet not on-the-ground’, and, they collapsing like a pack of cards, like we saw recently many Humpty Dumpty’s falling in Uncle Sam’s land! A seasoned Indian Journo would then proclaim it as “Airtel’s Self Inflicted Tsunami”! That’s not far off, isn’t it?. If, as per TRAI’s thoughtful plan, MNP is introduced on June 30th, then Airtel and its investors will for sure feel the first tremors on July Ist 2010!, going by the tone and tenor of the public sentiments expressed, offline and online.
Last but not the least, my earnest wish is to see expansion of BSNL,MTNL and maybe even creation of some more Public Sector Telecos to meet the demands of an Emerging Super-power like India. I would do my bit, as a son of a Govt. Sector Employee father and a Teacher Mother, who raised me with values. I shall continue to raise my voice, write and share, online and offline, in a civilized way, on this. It’s ironical that one of the demands of the ensuing BSNL EU April 20th strike is ‘For increase in BSNL GSM connections’ (I read they want more work!). With more resources their service levels can be improved for sure, they for one would always remain ‘Customer Centric’ like they are. They NEVER do PUSH marketing. Theirs is always PULL marketing. Hence millions like me NEVER had any billing issues with BSNL over decades! And are loyal BSNL customers. Their technical linemen are like our extended family, some even lunching in our apartment corridors, to beat the sun! Their systems- human OR software won’t process anything without a written consent. That’s the bottom-line.
Am sure ‘wise-and-clean’ men in TRAI and visionaries in GOI would take cognizance of this, in the larger interests of this MIGHTY nation!
Calling all CITIZENS OF INDIA WHO ARE CHEATED/DEFRAUDED BY AIRTEL
Dear Bretheren,
Kindly view 15th April Indian Express and The Hindu (Both Chennai edition)
http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/customer-files-complaint-against-airtel/165478.html and
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041559660300.htm
While we applaud Mr.Infant Dinesh for his bold initiative, my heart goes out to the rural folks AND other lesser mortals who otherwise won’t have any clue to the “gullible” marketing techniques of Private operators like Airtel. The sections in which the cases are registered by the Chennai Suburban Police shows the seriousness of the case, as I whistle-blowed couple of weeks ago, after hearing the language against Airtel, posted in various online forums by all of you.
Can we do together and make Airtel kneel-down and pay-up? Shall we have people volunteering from each state to file a police case and others following up with their complaints based on the Infant Dinesh model? Concentrate on VAS related frauds, they are huge, we found after a research. It’s against the LAW, charging without customer’ consent. Hence the police are taking it seriously and are looking at more evidence.
To start with Kindly email your complaint against Airtel to infantdinesh at gmail dot com infantdinesh@gmail.com or gatesandwindows at gmail dot com gatesandwindows@gmail.com with subject Airtel. Write in brief a) Your basic details-Account or phone no, b) Your complaint c)Response from Airtel d) Quantify the tangible losses e)
What are the intangible losses – Like losing connection, time waste, mental torture etc.,, if possible quantify that as well.
People in Chennai please contact Mr.Infant Dinesh @ 98413 14812(Folks, he’s an advocate as well) or myself @ 98410 47174 RIGHT NOW. With you, together, we’ll be meeting the Police Commissioner next week as per plan for the next steps.
Please pass on this message to your near and dear as well so as they can share their experiences as well.
Look forward to everyone’s support.
Good day!
Warm Rgds
V.Ravichander
Excess Data Charges without Supporting Documents during International Roaming
I am a customer with Airtel Karnataka for the past 3 years+ and have been regular and prompt payer of bills. My Mobile Number is 9972043211.
I traveled to Japan on 27th November 2009 and reached on 28th November 2009. I returned to India on 12th December 2009. THERE IS OVER RS.5375/- AND RS.9700/- CHARGED FOR DATA, WHEN I HAD NOT USED DATA TRANSFER / DATA CONNECTION.
Again, I traveled on 19th December 2009 late evening and reached Japan on 20th December 2009. I returned to India on 23rd December 2009. I received an SMS alert on 20th December tell me my outstanding as over 25000/- On 21st December 2009 afternoon I received another alert stating my outstanding as Rs.36000/- Within a span of 1 day without using data connection, I do not know how Rs.11000/- can be the increase.
I had disputed these data charges and till date without resolution, i keep getting calls from Airtel at all times and every time i need to explain the same story to their CSRs. Meanwhile, I kept Paying the Regular Plan, Call and SMS charges.
On 17th March 2010, my outgoing calls and SMs were barred even though I had paid all the phone charges except for the above disputed amount asking them to provide breakup of the sites that I am said to have visited. Till date they did not provide me the breakup, but had barred my Outgoing facility.
I hope at least now they will resolve, failing which need to highlight this kind of money making in press and take up legally.
NOW AIRTEL IS SENDING GOONDAS AND ROWDIES TO COLLECT MONEY WHO KEEP ABUSING AND THREATENING US INCLUDING MY AGED MOTHER WHEN I AM NOT AROUND. THESE GOONDAS ARE THREATENING TO KILL MY MOTHER AND BURY HER APART FROM KILLING MY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS.
BESIDES, AIRTEL HAS BEEN CALLLING AND HARASSING SOME OF THE PERSONS FOR PAYMENT OR INFORMATION, WHOSE NUMBERS APPEARED ON MY ITEMIZED CALL STATEMENT IN THE PAST.
THERE NODAL OFFICER DISHES OUT STANDARD ANSWERS.
INSTEAD OF BEING LAWFUL, AIRTEL IS RESORTING TO CHEAP AND SHAMELESS TACTICS OF SENDING MESSAGES TO ALL THE NUMBER, WHOM I MIGHT HAVE CALLED AT SOME TIME DURING THOSE 3 YEARS.
NOT CHOICE, BUT TO GO TO THE POLICE AND HIGHER UPS FOR THESE THREATS.
hey i was also cheated by the airtel compnay for rs.225.
once i got a free 2gb download limit from airtel and after sum days they deducted 175 from m y a/c and when i asked why they did they sai sir u have downloaded the games from airtel live but i have not even entered d airtel live service. after sum days i activated the net recharge of rs.89 again the same thing happened and they deducted my 50 rs.
i fighted a lot with t he customer care but they just kept on saying our system is telling u have downloaded.
i just have to say that “BHARTI AIRTEL IS A BIG COMPNAY BUT A BIG ROBBER BIGGER THAN A DON WHO ROBS, CHEAT PEOPLE LEGALLY AND WE AAM ADMI CANT FIGHT BEACUSE FIGHTING ALSO CAUSE A LOT MONEY”
Airtel is running a scam wherein they activate services on consumer’s prepaid account and start deducting the charges without the customer’s knowledge. This is usually a small amount which is not noticed by the customer. I noticed that a charge was being deducted from my Airtel account. When I called up Airtel consumer care, they informed me that I had activated the following services : Picture Post and Jokes. According to them, these services were activated on July 1st and I was being charged daily until today, i.e. October 1st. I informed them that in the first place, I had not activated the service and in the second place, I was not even receiving the jokes and movie info that I was supposed to receive with these services. If I had been receiving these messages I would have realised that I was being charged for them and I would have instantly called to deactivate these services. This is not the first time this has happened to me. About 6 months back I had the same experience but at that time I received the messages that I had supposedly subscribed to, hence I became aware of the deduction and deactivated the service immediately. When I spoke to the customer care executive today, he informed me that apart from deactivating these services, he could not do anything regarding the amount that I had been fraudulently charged in the last three months. Though the amount is not a large one, I feel cheated and upset that a large company like Bharti Airtel has to resort to such a scam to make money off its customers. I have found many similar complaints online from Airtel prepaid customers. I also have prepaid accounts with Vodafone and Reliance and have never faced such a problem with them. To avoid having to pay such unauthorised charges, the only option left to me is to stop using Airtel services. Airtel has definitely lost a customer and if they do not want to lose any more, they should stop cheating their customers in this manner.
Similar thing happened to me :
http://wisetechie.com/blog/2010/11/19/the-brazen-airtel-play-in-andhra-pradesh-no-respect-for-customers-trai-guidelines-and-do-not-disturb/
Almost each and every airtel customer is facing this and number portability has recently started in Haryana, so, at last I’m switching my operator.
airtel is the biggest scammer in mobile field…they deduct the amount themselves and blame us for that deduction…bloody scammer
same thing happened to me.They can beg instead of doing this.
yesterday i was charged 30rs/30days for AL on demand service which i never subscribed i called customer service and everytime i explain the problem they hung up on me and im vexed with that and stopped calling and today i was charged 10rs/10days for the same service.
I tried to call the customer service and i keeps on getting the same answer please dial *121#
Hi, I am using airtel service from last two month and my cell no. is 8800776632. On 10th of October I sent request for activating Internet on my SIM and i got message from 121 that please confirm by sending message ACTGPRS TO 121. I did that. and i got message that I will be charged rs198 for this. But on 14th October i got message that I am reaching my credit limit. So, i called customer care and asked him that about details. He said that I used Internet dat’s why it reached 1000. Then i told him that i activated 198 plan on my sim. He replied that this plan was activated only for 4 days and after that they activated 10 ps per kB plan on my sim. without sending any confirmation message to me nd without my premission. And on 19th of October, again I got mesage that I reached 3000rs so i should make immedate payment of rs 2000 otherwise they will disconnect my service. So, i called customer care again. and the guy Mr. Dinesh told me that this service is actived on my SIM from 14th October. Even i never sent any request on 14th. and if You activated this plan on my SIM then why don’t you send any message so i should aware of this. Now i am contacting many person from Airtel and everytime i got bad response. One person Mr. Anoop kumar he spoke very rudely. Please give me proper solution otherwise I will file complaint against you. As I am having proof that on 10th of October, I got message from you that the plan of 198 has been activated on my system. And if I have credit limit of rs 1200 then how I reached 3000. Why not you disconnect my service at 1200 and informed me regarding that.
guys i am working in airtel since last seven years.. my balance got deducting without my concern.. and didnt got refunded till now from last six months.. sometimes i will blame customers for their vas activations that you are user of your mobile without you got to know.. i am sick of this complaints..
AIRTEL IS A CHEATING FRAUD COMPANY. IT IS LIKE BEGGING CUSTOMERS FORCIBLY,I AM a Prepaid user,and with out my notice , i was subscribed to Airtel Radio , and my amount got deducting automatically,so i called the customer care after a long struggle with IVRS options,press 1,press2…press 0 etc,Eureka i got a link to cutomer care after pressing 9,thank god, when i asked them what is Airtel Radio, they said it is a radio for which you should pay and you subscribed to it. i said why the fcuk should i subscribe to paid radio when i can get a bunch of radio station s for free…I started to argue with them and told to take my complaint,and return my deducted amount.after a long struggle i received my amount balance back. this Scene has repaeated TWO TIMES, and the fcuk the CUSTOMER CARE is a PAID Service charging 50ps/3 minutes, then why dont they give a direct calling customer care number,i have to listen to all the options on voice respnse sytem,patiently waiting for the word PRESS 9 for customer care..oh GOD …Its really good to Cancel my number and Take some IDEA or DOCOMO.. The TRUTH is AIRTEL doesnt like 1ps/1sec,because it is Reducing its profit..AIRTEL IS CRYING with 1ps/1 sec plan and somehow wants to get its profit back,so They are using CHEAP TRICKS like AIRTEL RADIO,CALLER TUNE,50 ps for calling CUSTOMER CARE,RC 27 recharge for getting 1ps/1sec offer for 6 months etc, THis is only for Prepaid users ROBBERY,GOVT or TRAI should take serious action on this issue. 20 crores of Airtel users with only one rupee each day ,brings 29 crore rupees profit/day to AIRTEL.Easy way of White Collar crimes..