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Hello everybody, I want to know the precise source where Government of India has issued directives to cellular operators for verifying the address and identity proof docs before activation of the handset. What action can be taken against the companies indulging in activation of handsets without verifying or even receiving these docs. Whether connections once activated can be de-activated on account of the above deficiency. I tried to search for previous posts on the subject for a few minutes but could not get a precise result. Hope someone here knows them and posts it here.

We have been already fooled in beleiving that we are paying only 150/- whereas they have charged a non-refundable Rs 500 activation charges (which works out to 42.50 per month additionally) and the deposit of 500 is forefeited if you walk out of the scheme before one year. They don't even allow you to switch plans unless you pay for the activation charges of the other scheme say plan-99. But one good thing I find about Airtel is that they have clearly mentioned all these facts and to top it all there billing is very nice. Now we can even browse the detailed billing (itemised) free of cost over the internet. It's time that the CP Act 1986 is amended so as to make a) a voluntary body of consumer activists vet the offers and make observations. it mandatory for the service provider to refer to the above observations in brief in the application itself and give the link or source of the full text of observations to the prospective and interested customer.

Though it is true that too much choice will be difficult forselecting the best option or plan, the major problem is the fineprint and asterisks in the contract. And ofcourse the lack of a system or mechanism to redress the grievances. I feel it will be adequate if there is no lock in period and there is no cost involved for the customer if he chooses to change the service. I will browse the TRAI site and see if I can send it before the deadline. However, I am sure that they will never respond or consider individual opinions as they don't have the time to reply whether the current plans and offers offered by various operators have been approved. But still I will make a try right now as I will be out of station till the month end will not have a chance to surf for long.

It may not happen in India becuase if reforms failed in some country(Brazil?), it does not mean that they should fail in every other country. It may be that the absolute number of Indians who can sustain the market for modern gadgets and services is much higher than in the developed countries or other developing countries though as a nation we may rank in the bottom rows of the table if per capita income is the criteria. It is amazing that in a span of just one decade we have got so many life style changing goods and services. Atleast part of India is shining. The credit goes to Dr Manmohan Singh and ofcourse the wise old man Sri PV Narasimha Rao. Companies like Reliance or Tata don't espouse the socialist cause of erstwhile DoT or other PSUs. There was another article i don't recall where I read it which states that perhaps only four operators will be left, and smaller operators will either die or amalgamate into the four or five large players. The current subscriber base of about 80 million should be sufficient to see all of them doing excellently well. The apprehension of the author may be misplaced.

And TRAI with all the authority vested in it cannot resolve.

This method seems to be the order of the day only in respect of the so called hitech banks and their credit card and personal loan Departments. As I have already posted, it is a matter of fact that Reliance is engaging local goondas with the patronage of political goondas as was reported by TV9 news channel and widely publicised by the vernacular media. It is a pathetic state of affairs for bonafide customers and other good companied excepting Reliance.

One more addition to theie feature rich handset stable. But 24000 appears to be prohibitively expensive

Thanks to both of you. And apologies forposting this topic.

Hello everybody. One of the major issues that the moderators of this forum should be facing could be that newbies like me in their enthusiasm to post their opinions will rush to post it without going through all the posts and topics before. It is both time consuming and probably avoidable to expect everyone to read all the topics and then start a new topic. Though I don't have the competence or knowledge about to link a search engine to a website, I know it is possible as can be seen on certain sites. Can it be considered to attach a search engine (preferably free with few ads) to this site for the convenience of all us.

With the disgust and revulsion I have for the RIM (for what I think I have more than adequate reasons) I forgot about one funny aspect with RIM. You know they have been sending several sms's exhorting me to pay the bills and take home a 'surprise gift', 'cool gift' etc. I don't know if any of you have recd such sms. They were offering one torch light (Eveready with MRP of 400 (?) on one such ocassion). They have been organising bill suljhao camps for settlement of disputes (Ofcourse no body is in a position to explain or admit what went wrong or why it went wrong) and the smart cust care gal (occassionally guy) gives a patient hearing to all that you want to say. They have a limitation of 10% and ofcourse there is nobody else higher to give a reply. I think this very offer of a gift for settling your due bills and giving discounts itself speaks volumes about the faulty and inaccurate billing system let alone other contractual obligations

I was trying to edit the message when I had to attend to a long call. The last stmt above should include the phrase at the promised/contracted rates

Hello niket, I am happy that I am understood more clearly. I agree with you in toto that I should pay whatever charges I have agreed to pay. I am aware that the handsets are simply marvellous and the features are pioneering genuinely. I am also aware that the tariff is the net result of several extraneous factors and the blame lies partly on the TRAI. My singular grouse is the same. You commit something in a legally enforceable doc and simply ignore it when not convenient. If they are so confident of their service and competetive tariffs, I fail to understand as to why they should have a lock in period. I think the most important reasons for many of the DAPO subscribers were the advantage of connectivity, mobility and low talktime cost. They are not available now. And still you are bound to get hooked on to them for three years. If the DAPO tariff is so attractive, why don't they leave you the option of going out without any loss. Now coming to the tariff structure, I recall that Bajaj used to sell its RTZ motorcycle at a loss of more than 2 thousand rupees a piece when its price was 13000/- The strategy was simple, absorb the losses to capture the market. Fortunately they never devised a way to recover the loss or more possibly they never had the opportunity to do something like it. Reliance also seems to have gone by the same strategy but being more successful than all other Indian companies, is not absorbing the losses. I did not go by the CC people or the sales agents. I have sent them a mail and recd a reply. And I sent the reply on the day following my getting the connection. They are enforcing part of the contract which is useful or profitable for them and ignoring other parts of the contract. At one point in time, I went and discussed this matter with a very reputed and respected advocate on the idea of filing a Public Interest Litigation. That is the degree to which I am frustrated at being pushed to the wall I am also happy that I have been got the advance member status.

That is great news. Probably we will be paying for credit reports as they are said to be doing in the US. I wish this will be succesful. So far so good. It will be much more pleasurable if there are similar consumer welfare organisations also to protect consumer interests.

The forum does not enable uploading the excel file. If someone is intersted, I can send to them by email. Or if the Admin permits, i will rename the file so that it can be uploaded. It can then be opened in excell.

I regret that some of you opine that my posts are not written with balance. I do not where you find me criticising the company without factual data. I bought the cable almost in the first or second week of the availability of the data cable. This had been my experience and I am not writing this today. I have corresponded witht the company already and they have not denied my contentions. I have just compared the tariff. nothing more. It is my personal experience that i mentioned. I have every reason and right to criticise constructively. The tarif or my disputed bill with the company is not the issue. The core issue is why should you attempt to mislead the public. I would request all of you to enlighten me on the following: a) Why did the company not mention that they have not even filed the tariff plans before TRAI when they were getting customers sign the doc. I don't know if u recall their call national pay local slogan, 15sec/10paisa pulse rate etc. Do you consider it ethical business to publicise something knowing fully well that they cannot be fulfilled. c) Did TRAI approve of the three year lock in scheme as of today. Its website never mentions it and the Reliance is silent despite repeatedly reminded. d) Which clause in the application authorises the company to force the subscriber to use their service for 400 minutes just to get back your own advance money. Am I not entitled to limit myself to 160 rupees worth time however less it may be. e) Why did they charge us for March 2003 against the tariff sent by their customer care. (Pl se the attachment) f) If the instrument goes into "dormancy" for no fault of mine, why should I pay an inflated bill. g) They have billed me and several others in Hyderabad for calls recd outside home location. Notwithstanding the fact that the instrument did not leave the heart of the SDCA, I fail to understand as to why they gave that chargeable service without my asking for it. I make one thing very clear, I am not criticising Reliance or canvassing for BSNL. I have no interest in either of the undertakings. And it is also not for the part of the bill which I dispute. Infact the company has reduced the bill by 10% and it covers a significant part of what I had been disputing. I also read about the post by reliance=chor post and the sarcastic replies thereto. There is no way I can support an individual who does not pay up a bill he owes (He has not disputed in the post atleast ). The point I am trying to make is that there is a method and order established by law. The proper course will be to file a civil suit before a competent court and recover the money due along with the interest and cost. Merely because one party to the unsettled bill feels that they have the might to recover and direct the collection agents to recover by unlawful means, are we not going back to the past jungle raj(with due respect to animals). In several cases posted on the forum bills have not been recd. If the company asks all of them to pay interest on the dues should we pay. Pl note that the terms and conditions which we have signed, states something to the effect that communication by email, sms etc are deemed to be communications. Can they now simply say that we have sent an sms to the mobile or that u could have cheked up from R-world etc and recover the interest due I have no intention of posting to a forum where a judgement is made without any basis. I offer to get out of this forum even if 2% of the existing members find my post unbalanced or otherwise deficient.