Thread: Change in Airtel Modem policy ?

Now you have to go to Airtel specified Vendor for any modem relating issues on your own expensive. Even after repairs expensive of your own, you have to return the modem to Airtel on disconnection. I talked to some Vendors and they say you can't get Airtel Beetel modem repaired for more than once because they are cheap Chinese crap imported by Beetel for Airtel. You can't repair the main IC which is major cause of problem for most of the time. Now Airtel stops issuing modem to their old customers. Now as far as modem is concerned Customer is on their own. If you buy modem from outside vendor than Airtel will not help you with any techinal support, They'll say contact your vendor and If you purchase from them then you have to pay double.

Background:
I am using 999 ul plan from past five years here in Chandigarh but from past 2 months I am fed up with Airtel, their technical field staff and Customer care. The connection was totally disconnected for 5 days on three separate occasions in past 2 months. Now I am facing frequent disconnections after every three hours for one/two hour. 15 days back I was having problem of continuous disconnection/resetting of modem So on 25th Oct. I got my complaint registered with Airtel, after 4 days on 29th after several complaints they replaced my modem with the repaired one. Now from the last three days, I am facing the same issue again so I called the customer care again, but this time they said that the company has changed their policy regarding modem. Now you have to go to their specified vendor to get it repaired on your own expenses and most importantly time even after paying Rs. 999 + 10.2 % tax. The agreement on issuing the modem was any physical damages of modem is on customer and technical difficulties are on Airtel itself. Now they backtrack from the technical stuff too. Can any body confirm this same in their areas too.
One thing more their field staff has habit of closing the complaints without rectifying it.

Yes some changes have been brought forth by the company regarding the ADSL modems.

But I am unsure about the "we must buy modem from vendors pointed out by airtel" part. Because the last time I checked, their policy was something like "the subscribers will have to pay for replacement modems" (earlier they used to give replacement modems for free). What you have mentioned seems to be a new policy..

Regarding the staff members closing complaints without rectifying it...there are some bad apples within the organization who resort to such tactics. Not everyone does so. It usually happens when the field engineer wrongfully informs the customer care personnel that the subscriber's complaint has been rectified.

Actually as you may know mostly Vendors specified by Airtel or any other company are on the commission bases or on contract bases. So if we buy or get repairs from vendors specified by Airtel then one way or other some pennies goes to Airtel. It seems Airtel now have new department of R&D to innovate new ideas about How to cut pocket of Customers. They told me they changed their policy two days back.

True.

Cost cutting measures along with increased profitability is seen on their latest mobile tariffs and new broadband plans.

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