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DISGUSTED CUSTOMER OF BPL MOBILE
5th Nov 1998 TMS @hotmail.com
HI FRIENDS, I AM A SUBSCRIBER WITH BPL MOBILE FOR NEARLY ONE & HALF YEAR. I HAD SUBSCRIBED FOR THEIR SERVICE COMPARED TO MAX TOUCH FOR THE ONLY TWO REASONS 1. THEIR ONE SECOND BILLING 2. FREE 800 TOLL FREE NO. OR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AT THAT TIME THEY WERE EMPHASISING ON THESE TWO U.S.P. AND FEATURES. NOW IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS THEY HAVE FIRST INFORCED THE 10 SECOND BILLING TO ALL THOSE CUSTOMERS ON TARIFF RATES OTHER THEN THE MONTHLY COMMITMENT RATES AND NOW THEY HAVE INFORCED THAT ALL CALLS TO THE TOLL FREE NUMBER 800 WILL BE CHARGED AT A FLAT RATE OF RS. 5/- PER CALL. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS THAT CAN THEY DO SUCH A THING. THAT TOO WITHOUT PROPER PRIOR INDIVIDUAL INTIMATION OF THE CHANGE. WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS THAT THEY HAVE ADDED A SMALL REMARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTHLY BILL INFORMING OF THE CHANGE. ARE THEY ANY MORE UN-SATISFIED SUBSCRIBERS OF BPL MOBILE LIKE ME OUT HERE IN THIS LIST, AND WHAT ACTION DO U THINK SHOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST THEM. ALL SUGGESTIONS WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED. THANKS IN ADVANCE RAJESH C.
5th Nov 1998
MR. MANISH SHAH @bom3.vsnl.net.in
Dear Rajesh, Thank you for your query. I am strongly against BPL's Policy of increase in charges after giving very interesting Plans just to increase their customers. This is a kind of blackmailing with the old customers and if we would not take action against it, they can make the same kind of changes in the future. I think they should Keep the options for customers that if they do not want to continue the services, the activation charges will be refunded. If they refunds the charges, the matter does not solve as we again have to inform our customers the new mobile number all the time. Manish Shah
5th Nov 1998
Ishita Sukhadwala @bom5.vsnl.net.in
Hi everyone, This is with reference to Rajesh's email regarding change in service provided by BPL mobile. Recently, I too was surprised to find out accidentaly about the 10 second-billing. I say accidentally because I just happened to call up their customer- assist number and this was casually mentioned by one of their assistants. When I asked her why I was not informed of this change in policy, she was at a loss; in other words she had no explanation. Therefore, it's not surprising that I haven't heard of the Rs. 5 charge for the toll free number!! I personally feel that like most other new products and services introduced in India, initially to get customers, companies spare no expense in wooing them. However, once they achieve their target, they tend to become complacent which is reflected in the service provided. In other words, the level of service is not consistent, let alone improved. Where the market is dominated by only a couple of major players like in the case of the cell phone industry, their attitude is probably "ok, if the customer doesn't like our service, what choice does he or she have except maybe go to competition which is anyway not offering anything very different from us". It's disappointing to see these so-called professional companies use their customers as means to achieve their (the company's) end. Maybe they need to do their homework again to learn the concept of customer satisfaction and consumer rights. Ishita
8th Nov 1998
CUSTOMER CARE CENTRE @bom2.vsnl.net.in
Dear Rajesh, Thanks for the undermentioned note on BPL MOBILE and their very mobile or rather shaking commitments to customers. There are very many others like you who are silently suffering their arbitrary and also their very highhanded ways of doing business. There are several instances with several of my friends (incl myself) who have suffered. For example, customers of BPL MOBILE will recall that they have launched a high profile campaign for the sale of SIEMENS S3+ handsets in 1996. At the time, BPL MOBILE promised buyers that after 2 yrs there is an offer of an upgraded handset of SIEMENS for the buyers of S3+ with no additional cost. When the time came for the free exchange BPL MOBILE silently backed out saying that the SIEMENS has discontinued the model and the offer only pertains to the exchange of the upgraded version of the S3+ and does not refer to any other model. This, according to me is crazy and outright cheating. BPL MOBILE has instead pushed the customers on to SIEMENS for follow up on the non existent offer. Nothing came out of the exercise. All or any offers or rate plans should have a time frame validity and also the contract between BPL MOBILE and the individual subscriber cannot be unilaterally and arbitrarily be abridged or altered without the consent and if not atleast without the knowledge of the subscriber. There are several such instances and as such I recommend BPL MOBILE USER'S FORUM from among the members of iinn list. IINN can and should help members to use the forum for consumer protection and consumer rights exchange. Members with experience and share similar views should get intouch with Rajesh C and this is to request Rajesh to take the initiative to progress on the subject. Sincerely R.R Kumar
