This is with regard to auto debit mode of payment for my connection # 9886121543. I been using Hutch auto debit facility from last 9th months with my old cell no # 9986072343. I had lost my cell so I want for new connection this month and I had give all required documents with credit card photo copy as auto debit mode of payment.

The bill cycle for me is 24th of every month and due date is around 8th or 9th of next month. I had received SMS from Hutch informing that payment had debited from your credit card for this month. I have not received bill till yet and before that only they have debited amount from my credit card. This was not the case earlier when I was using same service with old number. The amount is always debited after 5th or 6th of next month.

I had called customer care today spoke to the executive and she informed me that it is problem with back-end team and will ask back-end department to get this clarify before 6 PM today and I will get a call back for the same. I am not feeling bad to say that customer service of hutch in to up to the mark at any point of time. Moreover when I gave call to customer care at around 9:00 PM and spoke to executive name as Sontash and he argue with me saying that this is not the process. When I ask him that I am satisfy with your answer I need to talk to your manager or team leader he never transfer call. I feel that all your executive think that they are capable of resolving any sort of problem and they don’t to escalate any issue to higher authority. I think there is not need to have any manager in the customer care as they don’t dare to face customer.

I have taken a student hutch connection two months before and as per the offer I have to get full talk time and 4000 national sms on all recharges of 350 and above. I recharged for an amount of 350 on December 5th 2006. I got only 150 talk time.

They registered my complaint on 10 th December. After that I called customer care two to three times per day. Whenever I am calling they are telling to please wait for one day. I am hearing the same for the past 15 days. They are not even giving any explanation. I think the customer care people are attending the call for their enjoyment and they are not at all bothered about the customers.

I don't know now what to do with this kind of customer care. They are cheating the customers.

A copy of email to:

Shri Ashim Ghosh
Head Asia – Pacific
Hutchison Essar Limited
Hutch House
Peninsula Corporate Park
Ganpatrao Kadam Marg
Lower Parel
Mumbai 400 013
Board no.: (022) 66645000, Fax no.: (022) 66661222 or 66661200

Monday, October 16, 2006

Dear Mr. Ghosh,

Before initiating this letter I am feeling ashamed of myself that I am associated with HUTCH although in the capacity of a subscriber only but I am not sure whether you would also feel the same way after getting through with it.

It is now an open secret now that HUTCH has been adopting all unfair means in order to swell the small bills. And the irony is that it portrays itself as the most fair Mobile Service of the country.
It has been mentioned by me on many occasion before on many forums right from You to your Help Desk, News Papers’ Grievance columns to Consumer forum etc but without avail because today I am told that your are fully aware of the Dirty Game being played by HUTCH.
Just to brush up your memory let me tell you again that I am holding two connections of HUTCH; 9811978783 & 9811938783 for the last three years. Since I do not use both the connections much, my bills never exceed Rs. 100/- per month. However perhaps HUTCH Delhi doesn’t like to maintain small customers and has adopted a ‘Novel Way’ to increase such bills by levying FAKE SMS charges which are never sent.
During last three years I have paid for at least 50 FAKE SMSs on a mysterious number 12311 which I am not even aware of. On enquiring it was leant that this number pertains to subscribing to ‘Caller Tunes’ which I have never subscribed to and same can be verified from HUTCH’s records and my Bills as well. It is not only a matter of couple of bucks only but it’s a matter of getting duped. And that too by the second biggest Business House of the trade.

But, the worst side of the story is that whenever HUTCH Delhi is complained about the same, it gets away with a casual reply that there is nothing wrong at their end and the SMSs have actually been generated from my handsets only and hence the charges cannot be reversed. To name some people who are sending such replies are one Mr. Virender Singh, Ms. Ritu Kaushal and Ms. Shefali Arora.

I am absolutely baffled by their reply that how can they be so callous for such a sensitive issue. I am holding a responsible position in GOI and would never indulge in such cheap practices to save some bucks but the attitude of HUTCH Delhi is getting more and more tyrannical with every passing day. Today it is a number as innocuous as 12311 tomorrow it may be some other number which may land me in trouble if HUTCH continues to show FAKE numbers on my bills.

However, what I came to know from one of your HUTCH Shop assistants only sent me out of my mind. He, on the promise of keeping his identity not be disclosed told me something which is although extremely hard to believe but is unfortunately true to the last bit. He told me that whatever is happening is being done on the directions of Top-Brass to increase the bills. The way and strategy divulged by him too was fully convincing and I have no other option but to believe him. According to him there are more than 16,00,000 HUTCH subscribers in the country. If on an average a bill is increased by Rs. 20/- only the collection would be of Rs. 3,20,00,000/-. Out of 16,00,000 consumers even if 2000 customers spend their time and energy on an as petty sum as Rs. 20/- the refunded amount would be only Rs. 40,000/-, i.e. a sheer gain of Rs. 2,80,00,000/-. Which is coming as a charity to HUTCH. And representatives of HUTCH have clear instructions never to accept any lapse from their end in writing but if te things start going out of hands they may in the case of some difficult people may reverse the charges without elaborating the reason.

Ever since I have come across these revelation I have been cursing myself as why the hell I chose HUTCH and not any other damn company. In my dictionary these practices are clled ‘Day-Light Robbery By White Collared People’

Needless to mention that had I not deposited two-year rental in advance I would have snapped all ties with HUTCH at the very first instance when I was duped. But, in spite of all your wrong-doings you are having the last laugh because I have turned from a subscriber to captive of HUTCH.

Best Regards

Yours Sincerely,

Rajneesh

*************** Next Bill After The Above Letter ***************


From
Rajneesh

31, Maitri Apartments
A-3, Paschim Vihar
New Delhi 110 063

To:-

Shri Ashim Ghosh
Head Asia – Pacific
Mumbai 400 013

Friday, October 20, 2006

Dear Mr. Ghosh,

Kindly refer to my letter dated October 16, 2006 wherein I had told you your own story regarding the fraudulent practices of HUTCH (copy enclosed).

However, I must honor HUTCH by crowning it as the ‘MOST INCORRIGIBLE & GREEDY ORGANIATION’ of the country because in spite of getting exposed by own people HUTCH has yet again played the same con-game of charging for same FAKE Numbers 12311 thrice in the latest bill.

Mr. Ghosh if HUTCH wants to strike out my name from its subscriber list why does it not come out with it openly without adopting wicked means which in the longer run is going to harm only your reputation.

And if it is really so I would therefore be thankful to you if you settle my account for both the numbers once and for all after returning my balance because I do not have any more time to waste on malicious game being played by HUTCH with me.

Best Regards

Yours Sincerely,
Rajneesh

I came across the complaint of Mr. Sivakumar Nachimuthu of SRF, CIFE, Mumbai 400061 regarding wrong billing on his prepaid mobile connection of HUTCH. In his case, HUTCH had alleged that there must be something wrong with the handset. But in my case, HUTCH said that it is not possible to investigate complaints of excess billing in case of prepaid connection, meaning thereby that the consumer of a prepaid connection has no remedy against wrong billing and he has to suffer even in case of the system failure on the part of the service provider like HUTCH.

I am a subscriber of HUTCH in respect of a prepaid mobile connection. For two days, i.e. 20th and 21st April 2006, I found that I was billed at twice the rate. I talked to Mr. Butt Avais of HUTCH on 22226 about the same but he was unable to sort out the problem. He informed me that sitting at the service center, he would not be able to verify the details but anyone at the Hutch Gallery would be able to do so. I sent an SMS to 6790 recording the above but there was no response except for the standard reply SMS stating 'We appreciate your feedback. Thank you!

I normally check my balance every morning and on 21st morning, I found that the amount debited for the previous day was rather on the higher side. I then made a call to a local number and again checked the balance after the call and came to know that I had been billed at twice the rate. I noted down the details of the local call as well as the time at which the same was made. It lasted for 53 seconds but my account was debited for Rs.3.98 instead of Rs.1.99. I furnished the details to HUTCH by e-mails dated 25-4-06 and 29-4-06.

On 29th at about 10:00 hrs Mr. Ashish from HUTCH called me and stated that since I am subscriber of a prepaid mobile, it was not possible to verify my calling details, meaning thereby that my complaint could not be looked into. This was contrary to what your Mr.Butt Avais informed me on 21st.

Thereafter, I had sent three e-mails to various officers of the HUTCH. The final reply, which I got, was that it was not possible for the HUTCH to verify excess billing complaints of prepaid subscribers.

If there is a system failure on the part of the HUTCH even for five minutes, during which the prepaid subscribers are charged at double the rate, the HUTCH must me wrongfully earning lacs of Rupees. It is not believable that the calling details of a prepaid subscriber are not accessible in the system of the HUTCH. I am now planning to approach Consumers Disputes Redressal Forum through a consumer organization. Other affected subscribers can also do so.