I sent a Voice SMS, from my prepaid Airtel number, today to a friend who is using a Hutch number. He received a message from me (sent by Airtel) saying I sent a Voice SMS. My friend happily dailed the number provided in the message (). But instead of hearing my voice SMS, he was connected to a person (apparently residing in Coorg - Karnataka). To make matters worse, that person was shockingly rude and used all profanity in the dictionary of an uncivilized person. Even after my friend apologized (even though it was not his fault), that person persisted with swearing.

Today my friend called me and told me what happened. I called up Airtel customer care (121) and was shocked to hear that the Airtel customer care will not accept that it was a screw up on their part. The so called "Customer Care" agent even hanged up on me even before I finished my explanation and refused to take it as a complaint.

What the f*ck??? If Airtel cannot manage this simple procedure of forwarding Voice SMS to right numbers, how can they even think of starting this bullshit service? Why are they called "Customer Care" when they cannot even hear the complaints of their customers and dare to hang up on them. A civilized company will have the heart enough to take the complaint and make sure that such wrong numbers are not given (causing mental torture) in future.

I have requested the airtel to change my rate plan to a new plan well in advance(10 days prior to the next billing cycle). They have not effected the change and and wrote me back to remind them 2 days before the new billing cycle. I have not the same due to my office work load. For which reason they have not effected the change and charged me with high tariff. When i contacted them they simply replied that " since you have not intimated 2 days we have not effected". I was wondering why should i be informing the company every now and then to get my work done. When i raised the same point with them they have simply denied all this.

Inspite of SC's order, Airtel is openly flouting with user norms. There is no "Stop calling me" option on it's website.

People beware!

World is talking of customer delight & here is a 1 billion plus company Airtel which is finding ways to harass poor customer.

I purchased an Airtel post paid connection through my Company Saraswati Indl Syndicate Ltd. , Sector - 24, Noida which got activated on 6.08.2007 pending verification of billing address by Airtel. teh sequence of events since then are as under which will make some reading & a lesson for others:

1) The connection got actitvated on 6th Aug.
2) Out going barred on 10th to 13th August due to non verification.
3) On making a call on 10th, Customer care promises activation till 13th pending verification.
4) The activation never happened.
5) A call to customer care on 13th by my Co., activated outgoing calls, again pending verification by Airtel only to be stopped again on 15th Aug...reason the same... verification has not been done.
6) Re activation after speaking to customer care only to be de activated again on 17th & again on 18th August.
7) Reason given by Airtel is that their rep was not allowed entry in the office when he came for verification... a statement hard to believe for a company in which 300 connections are working & the representative also carries alternate nos with him for verification purposes.

8) The outgoing is still barred as I write this mail.

9) The tale of woes does not stop here - Despite taking connection thro my Company where 300 connections are working, I have been given a credit limit of Rs 300/- a big generosity by the Company. This limit is being extended to a subscriber who has subscribed for ISD & International roaming... isn't it great reading... One reasonable duration international call will eat up the limit & then... by now you would have guessed... yes your out going gets barred again.

10) The ultimate wisdom comes now. When I ask the remedy so that my out going does not get barred due to paltry credit limit... the reply... can u guess..." customer can pay advance". Isn't it hilarious paying in advance for a post paid connection. Somebody ask them - What are then Pre paid connection there for ?

Ultimately I erased that I have come to a final conclusion - never to buy an Airtel connection. Because it is thro my Company, I am with folded hands, requesting the company to put this connection on track & I promise I will not opt for Airtel for the other three required in my house.

I have had an experience of Hutch in Delhi & BPL in Mumbai prior to this & I would like to give them the credit for handling all the issues smoothly & very promptly. Kudos... to you both... while I find Airtel to be highly non responsive & insensitive to customer.

God be with all those who opt for a post paid connection.

I made a request for GPRS activation on my Corporate Airtel prepaid mobile account. But it has been a painful and frustrating experience - repeatedly calling Cust Care for same thing - And finally they didn't enable GPRS but disabled my SIM!!! how on earth Airtel can do that to a corporate customer??? After hours of calls and false promises they made my sim active but again I discovered that CLIP service and Roaming are deactivated. This is bull shit. Airtel should now open pan shops - they are not at all worthy of running a telecom service.

The fact is that still I have not got GPRS enabled on my phone. Airtel Sucks. This is the beginning - I don't even know that once it is enabled - what speed of internet it is going to deliver.

This is a issue bearing moral grounds - they charge 500 PM for GRs service and before starting the service they suck every drop of blood from the frustrated customer.

Manish