Beware of Mobile companies

Dear All

This message is to warn all mobile customers about the dubious means
the companies adopt to fleece money from the customers. The incident
quoted is regarding Reliancecommunicationsand I feel that they may not
be alone in adopting such tactics to steal our hard earned money.

I got a reliance mobile recharged in the first week of the month. A
few days later an SMS came that a caller tune has been downloaded for
which there would be charges. After a day got another message that an
English music has been downloaded for which another Rs 15 has been
charged. On the third day yet another message came that CRBT services
haven been subscribed for which the monthly subscription is Rs.30.( I
do not know what is CRBT). As I have not asked for any of these
downloads/services, I spoke to their customer service and asked for an
explanation. The person sitting there was evasive and gave the reply
that I might have accidently pressed some button to download these
things. When I shouted back at him that no person in senses can press
the download button, if such a one exists, three times in three
consecutive days accidently and that I would complaint to TRAI, he
disconnected the telephone saying something inaudible, probably some
abusive words. Then I took up the matter with the customer relations
through emails, and after exchange of mails two-three times, they were
"kind enough" to wave all the money recovered from me for these
unsolicited value added services and regretted the inconvenience
caused to me; but were not all apologetic fordeductingthe money
unauthorisedly and also gave no assurance that they would not resort
to such acts in future.

Since now nearly 90% of the population in our country including
illiterates and semi-literate persons, are mobile subscribers now, the
volume of money the mobile companies (presuming that other companies
too resort to such unfair practices) take from the poor customers
through such dubious means can be well imagined. I have sent a
specific complaint to TRAI in this regard and I do not know whether
they will take any action against the company. In the meantime I would
like to warn the public about such unfair means being adopted by
Reliance Communications to extract money from us.

Regards
Thomas Mathew