Pathetic Airtel exp. dialling chargeable nos.

ashish

ashish

Forerunner
My family is an airtel postpaid customer since a long time.
Off-late we are facing issues dialling any chargeable toll-free no. 1860xxx

Whenever we dial it we get a robotic message that "This is chargeable call please visit www.airtel.in" and blah blah!
And there is no way to bypass this message and further connect to the call as this will go for as long as until you cut the call.

What's the use of been a postpaid user when you are restricted dialling certain nos.?

I would like to hear from Postpaid users of Jio, VI, BSNL if they are facing such needless challenges dialling 1800xx chargeable nos.
 
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At the outset, I am sorry for what you are facing.

I would like to point out that you have used an oxymoron in your sentence - "chargeable toll-free".

Now, let me clarify something else - 1800 numbers are toll-free. 1860 numbers aren't.

Before 2020, all numbers including 1860 used to be free. Now, only regular numbers (landlines and other mobile phones) and toll-free numbers are free.

Now, 1860 numbers get a woman in a sing song voice saying - This is a premium service and you do not have enough balance (For prepaid customers). If you do have enough balance, you will be charged astronomical rates (compared to the post Jio era).

I will now show myself out as I have quoted my experience on a prepaid number instead of your request of a post paid one.
 
badwhitevision said:
At the outset, I am sorry for what you are facing.

I would like to point out that you have used an oxymoron in your sentence - "chargeable toll-free".

Now, let me clarify something else - 1800 numbers are toll-free. 1860 numbers aren't.

Before 2020, all numbers including 1860 used to be free. Now, only regular numbers (landlines and other mobile phones) and toll-free numbers are free.

Now, 1860 numbers get a woman in a sing song voice saying - This is a premium service and you do not have enough balance (For prepaid customers). If you do have enough balance, you will be charged astronomical rates (compared to the post Jio era).

I will now show myself out as I have quoted my experience on a prepaid number instead of your request of a post paid one.
Click to expand...
Corrected to 1860. Its pretty straightforward for a prepaid user that if one doesn't have any balance then the message justifies but why should it even apply to a postpaid person?
Airtel has no answer for it and when I inquired with one friend he said he had to keep whitelisting specific 1860 numbers only to call them. As if we are airtels slaves and sluts!
He quit airtel and went Vi way where he can call globally without any such bullshit barriers.
 
Even I have similar issues with my airtel postpaid and I dial such nos. from a prepaid no. Airtel sucks but I'm stuck with family plan so no time to mnp etc. But might soon consider moving to a better operator though airtel is no doubt serving me great all these years except for call blocking to all these 1860 no.
 
ashish said:
My family is an airtel postpaid customer since a long time.
Off-late we are facing issues dialling any chargeable toll-free no. 1860xxx

Whenever we dial it we get a robotic message that "This is chargeable call please visit www.airtel.in" and blah blah!
And there is no way to bypass this message and further connect to the call as this will go for as long as until you cut the call.

What's the use of been a postpaid user when you are restricted dialling certain nos.?

I would like to hear from Postpaid users of Jio, VI, BSNL if they are facing such needless challenges dialling 1800xx chargeable nos.
Click to expand...
It is a bit odd because when I was on a family postpaid plan paid by the company, I used to make 1860 calls when needed without issues. Might be a recent issue then.

However, out of principle, I now never call these numbers. Usual workaround is to use the number that they list for NRIs for example or to drop an email even if it takes time.

It is unfortunate that we don't have a law mandating businesses to have an alternate non-paid number. Really cheap way of earning for customer service.
 
I think Jio (prepaid atleast) does not charge for calling a 1860 number, If you have an existing connection you can try using it.
 
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