Another case of inflated mobile bill by reliance!
Anil Kumar
(Querist) 16 October 2013
This query is : Resolved
Hi, i have used 3G services of all major companies in the past 4 years without any issues. Now i have moved to jodhpur(Rajasthan) and bought a postpaid mobile number from reliance. For the first month, i had 2GB 3G data pack, and everything was fine with the billing. For the second month, i utilized all of the 2GB data, and requested the customer care for activating another pack of 4GB, which they did. So, i started using 3G ONLY after getting the SMS stating that the data pack is active, and stopped immediately when i got the SMS stating that data pack is fully utilized.
There is no active sms based system in reliance from which i can keep track of my internet usage, so i simply relied on the SMS received from the company for the data usage.
But for that month i got a bill of 9800, out of which 7500 was for 3G usage! I am fully sure that i never used 3G service before and after the sms's from the company. I also had an alternate 3G sim of airtel, which i used for the period when the reliance 3G was inactive. And i don't think i could have done anything to avoid this situation. Yes, i could have simply kept the 3G plans as it is, and this situation would not have arisen. But i had used vodafone postpaid number for past 2 years, and i frequently changed packs without any issues ever!
Now i have sent emails to all the reliance authorities, with little or no response. The complaint which i registered for inflated bill has been closed, as they say that the bill is correct and will not be revised!
Now, should i wait for them to take initiative, or should i register a case in consumer court?
I don't have much proof of my 3G usage, and also have a habit of keeping sms inbox clean, i.e. i deleted the sms's stating activation and full usage of data pack. But i had called customer care when the 1GB pack ended just after using 600 MB's, and the customer care guy had told me that it is because i got 600MB on pro rata basis instead of 1GB. That somewhat proves that i never used more than the alloted PRO RATA data.
Please guide, will the company file any case because of large amount of bill? I don't want to pay the false bill without fighting to my last breath. Its just that i don't want any CRIMINAL case against me, as it can ruin my career! And i will pay the bill ONLY IF the condition worsens till arrest or physical assualt!! Is that even possible?
Thanks in advance!
ajay sethi
(Expert) 16 October 2013
if you dont pay company will take legal proceedings . it would be a recovery suit .
Devajyoti Barman
(Expert) 16 October 2013
You can raise dispute with the TRAI. It can agitate the dispute.
Otherwise you have no option but to make the payment.
R.K Nanda
(Expert) 16 October 2013
co,will file recovery suit against u if u fail to pay bills.
prabhakar singh
(Expert) 16 October 2013
Being a postpaid customer you have right to know all details on which they have billed.
Neither there is a right nor a cause of action for your filing a consumer court case.
You can complain about issues before TRAI.
Reliance has no right to go ahead with any criminal prosecution.
Reliance right, if any,is to file a money suit of recovery that may or may not be filled.
If filed you can defend it with putting Reliance to strictly prove your user with details of sites visited ,surfed and downloaded within billing period.
Rajendra K Goyal
(Expert) 22 October 2013
Agree with the expert prabhakar singh ji.
Rajendra K Goyal
(Expert) 22 October 2013
Agree with the expert prabhakar singh ji.
Anil Kumar
(Querist) 25 October 2013
Please read it completely and reply:-
Thank you all for replying, especially Mr. Prabhakar Singh. I am totally sure that i have not used up excess data. I am willing to defend myself in case the company files a recovery suit.
Please reply can i raise the following arguments in my favor:
1. I switched 3 data packs in the same month. For the first two packs i was measuring the data, and found out that the SMS arrives instantly as soon as my allotted data is over, and after that i wasn't allowed to use any data service (2G/3G)until the activation of a new pack. So i assumed that the SMS will always warn me about the usage and i won't be allowed to use extra data.
2. Even if i did use extra data unknowingly for the third data pack, it was only because i relied on the SMS's sent by the company to warn me.
3. For the month of august, i had another airtel 3G sim simultaneously, with active data pack. So, as soon as the data limit in reliance was over, i would use airtel sim for further data usage. So why would i intentionally use extra data from reliance sim(and incur such heavy charges) when i could easily use the airtel sim for 3G data?
ajay sethi
(Expert) 25 October 2013
if you have used extra date unknowingly then you have to pay the dues .
Rs 9800 is too small a amount for which company will file suit .
you can pay amount under protest .
switch to another service provider .
does your bill mention that in case payment not made on due date interest would be recovered at 18%or so ?
ajay sethi
(Expert) 25 October 2013
you must be knowing your average data usage for a month . in future avail a scheme that gives you around 10 GB data at fixed rate for a month. saves you lot of hassles in cross checking your data usage daily .
Anil Kumar
(Querist) 25 October 2013
Thank u Ajayji for replying. The company does charge 150 per month as late payment penalty.
Btw I am using 3g since past 3-4 years, with other networks like vodafone, airtel, bsnl etc. I never committed any mistake regarding data estimation and I always subscribe for 4gb packs! Only this time such issue has cropped up, because I switched packs in middle of the month!
Rajendra K Goyal
(Expert) 25 October 2013
Arpit,
Proceeding LEGALLY would be more time and cost consuming with uncertain results. Better get rid of it.
ajay sethi
(Expert) 25 October 2013
pay bill under protest . switch to other service provider
Anil Kumar
(Querist) 21 May 2014
It has been 6 months since this debacle. I am writing here to update and inform fellow citizens that nothing happened after that.
I got few calls from reliance officials from jaipur, local offices etc, but no one dared to come to my home. Actually when the person called me from jaipur office, he was talking in an INSTIGATING manner, and was hell-bent on proving that i was the one at fault. After trying to explain him for 30 minutes, he was still calling me thief, and instigating me. So, i told him to F**k off, and do whatever he can do in his powers. I also warned him of dire consequences in case somebody came to my house from reliance.
Since then, i never heard again from them. I also switched to Airtel prepaid. It is much better in terms of speed and data accountability. I also urge all my fellow citizens not to get a postpaid reliance number. It is not necessary that everyone with postpaid reliance number will get the same treatment, but they do target a few postpaid customers to earn money by cheating.
Also the data counting by reliance is faulty. Even if you use 50 kb, they will count it as 1mb. So, effectively while you only use 600-700 mb, they charge you for 1000 mb. Whereas the data counting by airtel is fair and legit.
Sarvesh Kumar Sharma Advocate
(Expert) 16 October 2013
