on 17-Sep-2009, I enquired at Airtel showroom on Jayadeva Circle, B’lore about Airtel Broadband. That evening, they called to say there was no feasibility. I went back to buy an Airtel Datacard. Even though the initial cost is huge and the speed is very low (supposedly 50 kbps, but u don’t get that much, since its variable), I decided to try it because there arent too many options. Since the hardware was not available, I bought the Airtel SIM for Rs.500 and the next day, I bought Micromax datacard from Koramangala office for Rs. 3500.

On 5-Oct-2009 evening, I got an SMS on my datacard, saying address was not available for verification and hence my outgoing calls would be barred unless I contacted my dealer. Venkat Naresh (9880736434) never picks up the calls from customers, so I left him a message stating my problem. But he neither called back, nor picked up my calls, so we went to the office on 7-Oct-2009. He refused getting a message from me and said he does not take calls from customers! After saying that I got a delivery report, he said he will get this resolved and keep me updated. Again, I never got a call back. So I called him and after disconnecting 3 times, he finally took the call and gave the number of Prabhavati (9972575548) who is responsible for sending the person for address verification. She (probably the rudest staff I have ever come across) has the same answer everyday “they will come today”.

On 13-Oct-2009 afternoon at 4.30pm, my internet got disconnected. I called Venkat again and he said he will get back in an hour. Again, he neither called back, nor picked any of my calls. The next morning, we were back at the Airtel showroom to meet the Manager Sheela (080-41218134). She simply said Venkat will handle this and took no further interest in the matter.
Meanwhile, I had made numerous calls to Airtel Customer care, trying to find a solution to my problem. But they are good for only one thing: Saying it’s not their problem, and giving u another number to call. Try these as sample:
1. 121 the basic customer care
2. 9845012345 which says its sales counter
3. 9845907070 which is for datacard, but technical help only, can’t undo the barring of call
4. 12118 which is for GPRS on regular numbers, not datacards
All of these will finally refer to where u started from: 121. Also, after few calls to 121, Airtel puts u on ignore list for calling 121 too frequently, which is utterly pathetic on Airtel’s part.

But eventually, I found out that calls were barred because address couldn’t be verified. They call the datacard (it’s not a mobile for God’s sake!! How do they expect me to receive ur call on it?!!) and the alternate number which was wrong. I checked the carbon copy of the form I filled while buying. It showed the correct number; so obviously, the fault is from Airtel.

We went back to the showroom and they accepted that entering wrong alternate number was their fault and said it will be rectified and the address verification will be done next day at 1pm. I asked for the phone number of the person coming for address verification and volunteered to take him to show the house. To this, both Venkat and Sheela say that the address verification is outsourced to another agency and they can’t provide phone number. I again checked with customer care and still the alternate number was wrong, to which the explanation from dealer was that they e-mailed that agency with correct number, so database in Customer care wouldn’t be updated.

The next day passed without verification, so there we were again at the Airtel showroom, to which they say that the person had gone for verification, but couldn’t find the address!! Enquiries as to why they didn’t call for directions are replied that it was a “Surprise Visit”. The customer care says that if we visit dealer and call them from there, they will remove the bar, but Venkat refused to do so, in spite of repeated requests. They now took a hard copy of DL for address proof (which we had already provided with detailed landmarks at the time of purchase, but they say they have sent that copy to Chennai for whatever reason.)

So, here I am, with Rs 4000 initial investment and bill of Rs. 290 dated 13-10-2009 payed within time, but unable to use the internet for no fault of ours.

Its funny how Airtel Digital TV installation guys found my house, but for datacard, my address surprisingly just cannot be found by them.

My advice to anyone considering buying Airtel Datacard: Simply drop the idea. You’re better off with no internet than paying bills for a service you cannot use.

i took my data card usb in bihar .then i took one airtel sim card in bihar itself in which no voice calls can be made but that is only for internet & sms.i recharged in that one plan that is unlimited browsing & downloading for one month of prepaid plan at RS498/-on 19/06/2009.so i got my net connected . but when i came to tamil nadu, chennai, then my net was disonnected on 12/07/2009 and i got one sms that you are in roaming 19/07/2009.
again on 28/07/2009 one sms i got that you are in roaming.
but when i recharged my prepaid data card airtel sim no 9199495029 through one easy recharge of RS498/- on 31/07/2009, then isaw that recharge got successful . but in my sim i didn't get this sms.
so i complained to 121 airtel customer care then they gav me one bihar customer care no 9934099340 .then i contacted them, they got connected afte rcalling many times once i got connected then they told that your recharge got successful and this 498 unlimited fre prepaid plan is still availble there.they told me to go to any airtel showroom (office)of chennai to put one email complain . so when this email complain will come to bihar then automatically your internet will get connected.
so i went to saidapet for complain on 01/08/2009 by 11 AM.
they told that you will get one call back after 4 hrs.
but no call came & net do not get connected.
on02/08/2009 i talked to vidya, revathi but still not connected
then again i called to bihar customer care they told that no complain came to us so i can't do anything for you . then again i contacted chennai customer care 121 then they told that ican not get the details of bihar no . so i gave my alternate chennai no 9003225517, 9381260118.
they told me to call 7070..., ..., ...etc for technical support problem, data card problem, gprs connection, postpaid, prepaid...etc . but lastly i didn't get any solution even after talking to team leader murli. i even contacted sainthum airtel head office chennai.
so since my plan is for one month in which i already lost 7to8 days and my extra RS500/-and my precious time.
so give me proper one month connection by increasing my days which i already lost in one month plan of net.
provide me proper balance for this inconvenience to my local no 9003225517

I have been using the airtel data card during the last 6-7 months and did not face much trouble. Now i bought a new hp laptop, but the airtel data card cannot be used as the data card provided by airtel company does not fit into the card slot in the laptop which has express card slot. Please try to understand the difficulties being faced by customers due to your data card being not capable to be used with any lap top which does not have the slot to fit pcmcia card.

When other service providers are already supplying the data card with usb port and express card slot fitting data card, how come air tel can not do that immediately to address the critical maas who bought the airtel data card with good faith on the company and its management.

Beware!