| Name of Complainant | |
| Date of Complaint | May 6, 2023 |
| Name(s) of companies complained against | Airtel |
| Category of complaint | Internet Services |
| Permanent link of complaint | Right click to copy link |
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I have been a satisfied customer of ACT fiber net broadband for the past four years and have never encountered any issues with my internet connection. However, when I learned that Airtel was providing broadband services in my locality, I decided to explore my options. I made an enquiry via the Airtel app on May 1st and had my connection successfully installed on May 2nd. As a WFH professional, I must request IP approval from my team each day before beginning work.
Last night, I noticed that my IP was changing frequently within a few hours, or whenever I turned my PC on or off. I checked my settings to determine whether my connection was dynamic or static and discovered that Airtel had locked it to Dynamic, with no option to change it. I contacted Airtel customer care and engaged in a 90-minute conversation, during which I discovered that i have to pay 199 per month for static IP.
My IP changed twice during the call, and when I explained my situation to the customer service representative, he informed me that Rs 199 extra would be charged each month to enable Static on my internet. I was shocked, given that broadband providers such as ACT fiber net do not charge extra for the type of connection I require. Airtel was shamelessly charging extra for a simple option on my internet.
Moreover, the representative ranted continuously about Airtel’s company policies and terms and conditions for 30 minutes. I requested a refund and termination of service since I had been a customer for less than a day. However, the representative continued to cite his company’s policies, indicating that they could not refund my money. This conversation lasted for 90 minutes.
I visited Airtel’s website while the representative was speaking to me and discovered that they did not mention that customers who use Airtel fiber would only receive a Dynamic IP. Although they did mention static IP, it was not clear that it was a paid service, and it could only be activated by calling or emailing customer support. When I confronted the representative about this false information, he fell silent and did not respond to any of my queries. Their terms and conditions are replete with false information and trickery.
I paid approximately 2,900 for three months, and it is now day three of my Airtel service. They have refused to refund my money or provide me with a free Static IP.
Since the customer service representative was unable to assist me, I contacted the salesperson who offered me the package and confronted him. He informed me that the company had never instructed them to inform customers about Dynamic and Static IP, and he was unaware of the existence of such a service.
It is apparent that Airtel is running a scam and robbing its customers by charging extra for a service that should be included by default. If Static IP is a paid service, why is it not stated in the brochure or in your policies? Why did the salesperson never inform me of this?
I will be pursuing legal action against Airtel through consumer protection agencies. Since your customer service representative explicitly stated that I could file a case against Airtel head office in Hyderabad (I have an audio recording of the conversation), I will do so. The representative also indicated that I would have to pay for Static IP if I wished to continue, or I could switch to another provider. I chose to return to my ACT fiber net connection.
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