| Name of Complainant | |
| Date of Complaint | November 7, 2018 |
| Name(s) of companies complained against | Airtel |
| Category of complaint | Internet Services |
| Permanent link of complaint | Right click to copy link |
| Share your complaint on social media for wider reach | |
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Is Airtel disempowering customers unfairly for international roaming revenue gains ?
#Airtel has international roaming packages valid for specific periods : 1 day, 10, 30 days for various zones. A customer can activate a package for a zone and a period through the Airtel app and it takes effect within 2 hours. At the end of the period, the package does not expire automatically (as a customer would expect because the subscription is for a fixed duration). Instead, it is automatically extended and customer gets charged even if not used. The subscription can be ‘deactivated’ from the app. However, this will deactivate within 2 hours and not at the end of period subscribed for. If a roaming package is active, then the app does not display the end of validity nor does it send status or reminder messages before expiry. It is entirely up to the customer to remember and make sure it is deactivated before the expiry period to avoid automatic renewal and charges. For a customer in overseas time zones , the calculation period for the validity of the subscription can be tricky.
In my latest bill of October 2018, I was charged renewal even though I deactivated. See attached picture. The exact time of activation and deactivation are not mentioned in the bill for verification.
Regulator #TRAI should intervene to fix this unfair and unethical practice that leverages poor product design and usability to gain extra revenue.
Image Uploaded by Raghu Kolli: