Harassment by Tata Indicom - Not shutting down my connection

asingh

asingh

Staff member
Super Mod
Tata Indicom is not shutting down my Tata Photon+ connection. I have two connections since 2009, and now wish to shut one down. I had initially raised a request on 17th December, 2013 for closure. I was called by their CC and suggested to move to a low data plan and three months of my billing (future) would be waived for this specific connection, and if I had zero usage, the connection would self terminate. Prior to this, I was probably called up 4-5 times (asking why I want to shut down services). I got my new bill, and was full charged as per existent plan, so no change was done. I was basically made a fool. Nevertheless, I paid the full bill.

I again called up Tata Indicom on the 25th of January and requested immediate closure of services. Since then I have gotten so many calls (maybe 5-6) regarding this connection. They keep asking "why I want to shut this connection"; "what is wrong with this connection". Each time I tell them "I have two connections and wish to not use one connection". I keep getting idiotic replies like "give it to a relative"; "move the plan to low data".

They are just not shutting this connection down. I have not used it since December, but am being billed for it.

In summary:

1. They are not shutting the connection.
2. They keep calling persistently and asking obnoxious questions.
3. They never commit correctly to what is happening. Sometimes they say: 2 days, then they say 7 days, but the connection is never closed out.
4. In between I called up the CC myself to ask the status, they said we could not shut it down since you did not pick up a call-back from them.
5. They call back from any arbitrary number (cell phone / land line). Am I to pick up every call..? At times calls can be missed.
6. There is no way to check the ticket log for what has transpired between the handler and the client.
7. I get full billed.
8. They keep calling and calling and asking the same questions.

Today again I got a call asking the same question "what is wrong with this connection". I lost my cool and shouted back: "tell them I have gone mentally retarded" or "the police has arrested me". Tata Indicom has driven me insane and I see this as pure harassment. They told me, it will take 7 days, and yesterday they told me 2 days. What should I do..?

Four years, using multiple connections, I have never missed a bill payment or been a difficult customer. And this is the treatment Tata Indicom dishes out to loyal consumer. It is pathetic and lame and impounding on ones peace of mind.

This whole procedure is extremely annoying and irritating. Can they not understand: I DO NOT WISH TO USE THEIR SERVICE FOR ONE TATA PHOTON DONGLE.

What should I do..?
 
Stop paying the bills.

Complain to some higher authorities..

You have a tata docomo outlet nearby? Search for one bear your location on their website..
 
prateekS said:
Stop paying the bills.

Complain to some higher authorities..

You have a tata docomo outlet nearby? Search for one bear your location on their website..
Click to expand...

Honestly, I never hoped it would come to arm twisting, which is stop paying bills. I really am not sure, if they even have a higher authority in their CC. Their website shows two addresses as a physical node. CP and Mathura Road. Which means, I have to take time out to go there. Is closing a connection, such an activity taking so much brevity. Why are they not shutting it.
 
Looking at your post since years man, I have never seen you this mad.

Try converting it to pre paid and stop recharging. Thats the last option I guess.
 
they'll file a case against you if you stop the bill payments. record your phone conversations and approach their zonal/nodal officer. you can find the details on your bill statement.
 
xtremevicky said:
Looking at your post since years man, I have never seen you this mad.

Try converting it to pre paid and stop recharging. Thats the last option I guess.
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But why convert it to pre-paid...? I do not want the overhead of a device with me. I just want to be hassle free. I do not want the number attached to me for any future doings. Why is it so difficult to disengage from this ISP. I am so annoyed.

gauravH said:
they'll file a case against you if you stop the bill payments. record your phone conversations and approach their zonal/nodal officer. you can find the details on your bill statement.
Click to expand...
I will have to figure out how to record the conversations. But this adds so much more to the harassment they are dishing out to me. I could not find any escalation matrix on the bill. Yes, I cannot stop paying bills, cause I am all ready using one more connection of theirs. As I mentioned in the OP. This shows the mettle of this ISP and how much they care for consumers. Why do I have to mention a reason for disconnection. Their retention policy is fraudulent and they are scamming us consumers.
 
Write a letter to the Managing Director of the Company (find out the address of the Registered office from their site), address it to The Managing Director. Send it through Registered Post with acknowledgement.
Write it clearly that you have requested to terminate the connection on such and such date and in spite of the same they are billing for you, which is against the law.
write that you want the connection to be terminated with immediate effect and ask them to repay the bill amount they have collected from you along with interest, as they didnt terminate the account even after your request (and that you have paid the bill without prejudice to your claims, in order to avoid harassment). Also ask him to pay 1 lak for harassment and mental agony within 24 hrs of receipt of your letter or else face the legal action, both civil and criminal.
Then see what happens
 
gmano said:
Write a letter to the Managing Director of the Company (find out the address of the Registered office from their site), address it to The Managing Director. Send it through Registered Post with acknowledgement.
Write it clearly that you have requested to terminate the connection on such and such date and in spite of the same they are billing for you, which is against the law.
write that you want the connection to be terminated with immediate effect and ask them to repay the bill amount they have collected from you along with interest, as they didnt terminate the account even after your request (and that you have paid the bill without prejudice to your claims, in order to avoid harassment). Also ask him to pay 1 lak for harassment and mental agony within 24 hrs of receipt of your letter or else face the legal action, both civil and criminal.
Then see what happens
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Mmm....ya. What shocks me: is the audacity of their system. They just do not let consumers give up services, and try to milk them long as possible so they are hit with the next billing cycle. I asked them: why are you not shutting the connection, they could not answer back. Seriously, what have we all become.
 
Each telecom company should have an Appellate authority. Search for the address of AA nodal office for your region. Send a written letter mentioning your client information and that you want to discontinue from a certain date (the next billing cycle). Send this letter through registered post with acknowledgement (speed post with similar option is also good). Keep a copy of the letter and the ack you get back. Stop using the connection and also paying the bills. They cannot do anything.

I am planning to stop services of Airtel in couple of months and preparing for all these :)

Edit:
Learnt this from my friend's experience. He had a reliance connection and he called up and asked them to disconnect it before leaving India. But they didnt do it. My friend's father sent a letter to them and stopped paying the bills. They got a notice from the court after nearly 2years. My friend's father produced the copy of the letter and the acknowledgement. The court asked Reliance to pay 3500 as compensation for legal fee and others. The a**s***** apologized in the court and accepted it but never payed that amount.
 
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random2 said:
Each telecom company should have an Appellate authority. Search for the address of AA nodal office for your region. Send a written letter mentioning your client information and that you want to discontinue from a certain date (the next billing cycle). Send this letter through registered post with acknowledgement (speed post with similar option is also good). Keep a copy of the letter and the ack you get back. Stop using the connection and also paying the bills. They cannot do anything.

I am planning to stop services of Airtel in couple of months and preparing for all these :)

Edit:
Learnt this from my friend's experience. He had a reliance connection and he called up and asked them to disconnect it before leaving India. But they didnt do it. My friend's father sent a letter to them and stopped paying the bills. They got a notice from the court after nearly 2years. My friend's father produced the copy of the letter and the acknowledgement. The court asked Reliance to pay 3500 as compensation for legal fee and others. The a**s***** apologized in the court and accepted it but never payed that amount.
Click to expand...


Gosh, all this just for a disconnection. This is so shocking. Why do they make it so problematic. This is hooliganism. And it takes so much of our time, trying to expedite a disconnection. This is a racket.
 
random2 said:
Each telecom company should have an Appellate authority. Search for the address of AA nodal office for your region. Send a written letter mentioning your client information and that you want to discontinue from a certain date (the next billing cycle). Send this letter through registered post with acknowledgement (speed post with similar option is also good). Keep a copy of the letter and the ack you get back. Stop using the connection and also paying the bills. They cannot do anything.

I am planning to stop services of Airtel in couple of months and preparing for all these :)

Edit:
Learnt this from my friend's experience. He had a reliance connection and he called up and asked them to disconnect it before leaving India. But they didnt do it. My friend's father sent a letter to them and stopped paying the bills. They got a notice from the court after nearly 2years. My friend's father produced the copy of the letter and the acknowledgement. The court asked Reliance to pay 3500 as compensation for legal fee and others. The a**s***** apologized in the court and accepted it but never payed that amount.
Click to expand...

I am not surprised. The Reliance is a **** company with a **** mentality, they will take from you but they won't give you anything back unless and until it benefits them. Just like its founder and his descendants.


@asingh,

Tell them that if the connection is not discontinued after so and so days, you will go to Consumer Court. And don't put down the phone unless you have reached to highest authority (usually floor or site manager) possible.

Even then the connection is not discontinued, lodge a complaint in consumer court.
 
Simply
Send an email and registered post letter to the dealer/franchise from which you took the connection and to their Nodal officer and AA . Keep a copy of it permanently safe . Call up CC and take down your complaint numbers for closing it . As @random2 said give a approx date 7 days after letter reaches them to close it or you will not pay anything and will not be held responsible . Write that in clear words and then enjoy .
First you will get a Legal notice from lawyer after 6 odd months . if interested in having fun dont answer to any notices and let it go to court . Go in court and show all documents and come back with compensation . If not interested in having fun then call up the lawyer using his number from notice and tell him what all you have . You will never receive any call or another notice and TATA even might not cut your connection . Enjoy free services for 2/3 months after which they might cut it but you dont have to pay anything .
I have done this with Airtel Postpaid . Give them enough time to receive your registered post letter mentioning cut off date after which you will not pay any bill .

Nothing happens by shouting on CC or talking to senior reps . Basically talking doesnt work in India except to Appellate Authority . Dont waste time on CC for except the compalint numbers to close it . 99% times threat of going to consumer court doesnt work as they know that only very less approx 0.5% got to consumer court .
 
All these suggestions make absolute sense. But I fail to understand why they do not close the connection. What protocol has been set by the business decision makers. It is such a simple procedure.
 
Mr.J said:
I am not surprised. The Reliance is a **** company with a **** mentality, they will take from you but they won't give you anything back unless and until it benefits them. Just like its founder and his descendants.


@asingh,

Tell them that if the connection is not discontinued after so and so days, you will go to Consumer Court. And don't put down the phone unless you have reached to highest authority (usually floor or site manager) possible.

Even then the connection is not discontinued, lodge a complaint in consumer court.
Click to expand...
I don't think consumer court will help you much as their jurisdiction is limited to 'deficiency in product/service after having taken money for it'.
BTW, I have faced similar treatment from Airtel (for DTH). They did not heed to my request of discontinuing the service. So I stopped recharging. Then they called my mobile almost every day and pester me with questions like why are you not recharging etc. etc. This continued for almost a year. After that the call frequency reduced. Even today, after more than two years I still get occasional calls. They must be having a huge budget for making these pesky calls!!!
 
asingh said:
All these suggestions make absolute sense. But I fail to understand why they do not close the connection. What protocol has been set by the business decision makers. It is such a simple procedure.
Click to expand...

I guess it usually comes under retention if they are calling you to know why you are disconnecting and what you would like to have to continue the connection. If they are not asking you these questions, then I don't know what the reason might be.

manoja2k said:
I don't think consumer court will help you much as their jurisdiction is limited to 'deficiency in product/service after having taken money for it'.
BTW, I have faced similar treatment from Airtel (for DTH). They did not heed to my request of discontinuing the service. So I stopped recharging. Then they called my mobile almost every day and pester me with questions like why are you not recharging etc. etc. This continued for almost a year. After that the call frequency reduced. Even today, after more than two years I still get occasional calls. They must be having a huge budget for making these pesky calls!!!
Click to expand...

I guess this case also comes under their jurisdiction as an unwanted service is provided and customer is charged for it even after he is demanding the disconnection in the service.
 
I have never been so fed-up in my life. Seriously.[DOUBLEPOST=1391587440][/DOUBLEPOST]Forgot to add:

One CC guy told me yesterday. They need to do home / address verification for service closure. I did not know what to reply back.
 
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^^^ THIS.

Do this asap. My mom used to work in a senior position and one dirty email to the Appellate can quite literally can solve your problem in a day.
 
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