Sad News Airtel, Idea and Vodafone now requires you to recharge with a minimum pack to keep your sim alive

[telugurocks]

very soon the AVoID will loss more customers due to this minimum recharge option.

 

[TJ_DJ]

After reading you message I dialed *121*777# and got a message box in replay. "Press 1 to deactivate auto-debit"
On pressing 1, the replay came "You are not eligible for this pack"

I escalated to Appellate Authority (wrote to nodal, but appellate replied ). They said, when outgoing expires, you are given "3 days grace period". It is during this period that you may dial *121*777# to stop auto-debit. I have it in writing from them, so if they deduct, I will reply back asking them to refund. I have already mentioned it in my precious email that Auto-Debit should not happen. Moreover, in Airtel, this stopping auto-debit has to be done each time when you fall in the grace period. So next time again we have to dial *121*777#

Btw, Vodafone is very clean in this matter. Dialing *444*24*0# anytime deactivates the auto-debit "Forever".
Airtel is very pesky in this matter. No clear detail on how to deactivate auto-debit.

 

[Sumanth]

very soon the AVoID will loss more customers due to this minimum recharge option.

And they are waiting to lose these customers who are not interested in doing the minimum recharge

 

[TJ_DJ]

And they are waiting to lose these customers who are not interested in doing the minimum recharge

True. Their excessive over-selling and rock bottom cheap prices are now hitting them hard. There has been a lot said on the condition of the operators. They have learnt their lesson the hard way. However, promising "Lifetime validity" and now going back on their words, amounts to a great loss of credibility. I had paid Rs 999 way back in year 2005 when they launched Lifetime Validity. Got only Rs 25 talktime and validity till 2034 (license period). But now all of that is taken away. Who will give me back my Rs 999?

 

[Sumanth]

I think quite a few have done that Lifetime Recharge. I remember my Vodafone showing 2038 back then. Such a scam and they have taken advantage of the fact that no one will have proof and go to court

Edit: Found this on rediff - All about 'incoming free for life' plans

 

[Zmint]

I escalated to Appellate Authority (wrote to nodal, but appellate replied ). They said, when outgoing expires, you are given "3 days grace period". It is during this period that you may dial *121*777# to stop auto-debit. I have it in writing from them, so if they deduct, I will reply back asking them to refund. I have already mentioned it in my precious email that Auto-Debit should not happen. Moreover, in Airtel, this stopping auto-debit has to be done each time when you fall in the grace period. So next time again we have to dial *121*777#

Btw, Vodafone is very clean in this matter. Dialing *444*24*0# anytime deactivates the auto-debit "Forever".
Airtel is very pesky in this matter. No clear detail on how to deactivate auto-debit.

@TJ_DJ bro as mentioned in my earlier post, I successfully deactivated auto-debit during the grace period but after few days Airtel again deducted from my balance automatically to restore my outgoing.
Do you have any idea whom I should complain to ?

 

[TJ_DJ]

I think quite a few have done that Lifetime Recharge. I remember my Vodafone showing 2038 back then. Such a scam and they have taken advantage of the fact that no one will have proof and go to court

Edit: Found this on rediff - All about 'incoming free for life' plans

As mentioned in my earlier post, the telcos have conveniently found a loophole in TRAI's terms. Nowhere does "Lifetime Validity" mention that your number will have Outgoing and Incoming Calls active. I know it sounds vague but they have managed to find this loophole. So, essentially we still are under "Lifetime Validity". Earlier the TRAI rule was - Minimum Rs 200 recharge every 6 months to keep the number, now it has changed to Rs 20 deduction on continuous non-usage of 90 days. The terms are still valid and we are still having Lifetime validity governed by the new rule. Just that our Outgoing and Incoming facility is blocked.

@TJ_DJ bro as mentioned in my earlier post, I successfully deactivated auto-debit during the grace period but after few days Airtel again deducted from my balance automatically to restore my outgoing.
Do you have any idea whom I should complain to ?

@Zmint bro, write to airtel customer care, [email protected] and also mark your circle's Nodal Officer. Find your circle's Nodal Officer's email address at India's leading provider of Prepaid & Postpaid Mobile Services in India - Airtel.in

 

[Sarkar]

very soon the AVoID will loss more customers due to this minimum recharge option.

Keeping incoming only subscribers are pointless as call termination charge will become zero from 2020. So no revenue from incoming for telcos, that's why it's better free up network

 

[Esmail]

True. Their excessive over-selling and rock bottom cheap prices are now hitting them hard. There has been a lot said on the condition of the operators. They have learnt their lesson the hard way. However, promising "Lifetime validity" and now going back on their words, amounts to a great loss of credibility. I had paid Rs 999 way back in year 2005 when they launched Lifetime Validity. Got only Rs 25 talktime and validity till 2034 (license period). But now all of that is taken away. Who will give me back my Rs 999?

When you paid 999 in 2005 the operator had license validity only up to 2014 not 2034 so when it offered lifetime validity in 2005 it is only liable to offer free incoming up to 2014 which it did. In 2014 the operator renewed its license by buying fresh spectrum and this new license validity is up to 2034. Now it is up to the operator's discretion whether or not it wants to give you an extension with regards to the lifetime validity in the renewed license period (The commitment for which you paid 999 ended in 2014). The operator in 2014 saw incoming as an added stream of revenue through interconnect usage charge (IUC) which it got from the calling operators and hence saw no harm in allowing you free incoming up to the end of the renewed license period. Now the twist comes when this IUC drops from 28p/min to 14p/min to 6p/min and is set to be scrapped altogether from Jan 2020, now in this new scenario it makes no financial sense to continue offering free incoming calls till 2034 and the operator is not technically bound to it either, which is why it has the complete right to introduce minimum monthly recharge and cant be held in violation of any tariff commitment.

 

[TJ_DJ]

When you paid 999 in 2005 the operator had license validity only up to 2014 not 2034 so when it offered lifetime validity in 2005 it is only liable to offer free incoming up to 2014 which it did. In 2014 the operator renewed its license by buying fresh spectrum and this new license validity is up to 2034. Now it is up to the operator's discretion whether or not it wants to give you an extension with regards to the lifetime validity in the renewed license period (The commitment for which you paid 999 ended in 2014). The operator in 2014 saw incoming as an added stream of revenue through interconnect usage charge (IUC) which it got from the calling operators and hence saw no harm in allowing you free incoming up to the end of the renewed license period. Now the twist comes when this IUC drops from 28p/min to 14p/min to 6p/min and is set to be scrapped altogether from Jan 2020, now in this new scenario it makes no financial sense to continue offering free incoming calls till 2034 and the operator is not technically bound to it either, which is why it has the complete right to introduce minimum monthly recharge and cant be held in violation of any tariff commitment.

Agree. It was always bound by terms "till license period". Going by legal language, it is fine to expect to end at the expiry of first license period. But as a customer, I would expect it to be extended if the license too gets extended. Anyway, I agree to your point and it is quite valid.