Discussion Airtel Prepaid Rs.45 Pack

[Sivabhaskar]

Did the Rs.45 auto deduction (Airtel Prepaid, for 28 days validity extension) happen to any of you recently?

I have 2 backup numbers, which I mostly use only for Incoming SMS and calls. I have only been extending their validity every 28 days. No unlimited packs.

For the past 3 or 4 months, I was using the Rs.100 topup for this (which also extended the validity by 28 days). Now they have stopped giving validity for the 100 pack (ever since they removed 49 pack and made 79 the minimum 28 day pack).

Now, the Outgoing validity for both my numbers ended on Aug 6. So I thought, that after my Incoming validity date, I had no other choice other than the 79 pack.

Here is what happened after that:

1) I had Rs.118.36 main balance in the 1st backup number and Rs.155.72 main balance in the 2nd backup number.

2) For both numbers,
Outgoing Validity: Aug 6
Incoming Validity: Aug 13

3) Starting Aug 7, I started receiving messages from Airtel on the 1st number, asking me to recharge with Unlimited Pack, blah blah blah. There was no communication regarding the Rs.45 auto deduction like they usually do. So, naturally I assumed that since the 45 pack was not available on the app or website, they had completely removed it, including the auto deduction from main balance.

4) However to my amusement, on Aug 8, I received a message on the 2nd number, which said Rs.45 will be auto deducted on Aug 14 (after the 7 day grace validity from Aug 6). But, since auto deduction usually happens on the 3rd day of grace validity, this communication only left me confused.

5) No money was deducted till Aug 13.

6) When I checked on Aug 14, again, to my amusement, I had been given 3 more days of "Outgoing" validity, along with "3GB data". I was even able to make calls!

7) So now, for the second number,
New Outgoing Validity: Aug 16
New Incoming Validity: Aug 23

8) Also on Aug 14, I received a message from Airtel again, that said I had been given 3 days grace validity, and if not recharged, Rs.45 will be auto deducted on Aug 17 (this time, on the 3rd day of grace validity itself, like it happens usually).

9) And finally, Rs.45 got deducted from my main balance on Aug 17 (today).

10) Validity got extended by 28 days.
Outgoing Calls are working.
Ougoing SMS is working (Rs.1/SMS)

11) All of this happened only to the 2nd number. Even though I had main balance above 45, auto deduction did not happen for the 1st number. I had to recharge with Rs.79 for this number.

May be now auto deduction happens only if the main balance is above 150!? What is happening?

I have now increased the main balance of the 1st number to above Rs.150. Let us see what happens after the current Rs.79 pack ends.

 

[Esmail]

Airtel probably does not have the same set of rules for all subscribers (doesn't measure everyone with the same yardstick), in all likelihood they segregate users based on the average revenue they generate and based on that they decide whether or not to give any special consideration to retain them. If the revenue generated is too low, Airtel prefers shedding the users at the base of the pyramid to avoid dilution of its ARPU. This is visible from the fact that it has the highest VLR percentage and highest ARPU in the industry. Jio is the opposite, they hold on to most users so as to be able to boast the highest subscriber market share even though they have over 80 million inactive users and the lowest VLR among the 3 active private operators, even though it takes a toll on their ARPU figures.