Anti-consumer policies of Airtel mobile phone service provider

04 February, 2013

It refers to a mobile-phone service-provider (Airtel) now discontinuing sending paper-bills for post-paid mobile connections despite subscribers' saying a clear 'No' to their offer for a Rs. 50 discount for getting the bill through e-mail.

Such an anti-subscriber practice is deliberately designed so that a subscriber with multiple connections may not check over-spending on mobile connections by employees of the subscriber having multiple connections under one account.

Earlier also the same company turned down request made for details of ‘incoming’ and ‘missed’ calls on mobile numbers of the person/s making such a request in name of ‘privacy’! However, the company is ready to provide details of ‘outgoing’ calls.

It is beyond understanding how and why the company can claim ‘privacy’ on providing the sought data when the calls are made to persons requesting such details of ‘Incoming’ and ‘missed’ calls received on their mobile numbers.

Providing details of ‘incoming’ and ‘missed’ calls on request is of utmost importance in cases of obscene/threatening/harassing calls received by person/s requesting for details of incoming and missed calls. Such details are also of importance because of unwanted calls interrupting despite registration done on ‘Do-Not-Disturb’ service. It is clear that mobile-companies cite privacy for deliberately not restricting unwanted calls in order to mint money by such calls.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) should look into the aspects, and must go to the extreme end of cancelling licence of such mobile phone service providers in case they do not reform in a time-bound period.