Thread: BSNL broadband excess bill - what if not paid?

What action will BSNL people take against me if I dont pay their faulty bill
Hi all,
I have a problem and hope you can help me out.
I had got bsnl broadband Home500c plan in june 2009. I have internet traffic monitor installed on my computer and am also in the habit of regularly checking the brodband usage on the bsnl portal website. So this way I always keep track of internet usage on my computer and always keep it within the free limit of 1.5 GB. Everything was fine for 3 months but suddenly, in the month of September, I recieved an excess bill of Rs 5000 for the month of August showing the extra charges due to extra usage of internet, although I had used internet for that month only within the free limit and the usage detail on portal website also showed that it was used within the free limit. I complained to the local bsnl office about the excess bill and also spoke to the accounts officer. I also submitted the printout of usage details as was displayed on bsnl portal website. At first they agreed that the bill was mistakenly printed in excess due to a technical fault. They cited that the fault arose due to shifting of their servers from pune to bangalore. They promised that they would send me the corrected bill. So I did not pay the exces bill and waited for a month but in the next month they still sent me the excess bill. After that I approached the accounts officer but this time he changed his tone and said that the bill is issued correctly and they cannot do anything about it without giving any reason for the difference between the printed bill and usage details on the portal. After that, I approached higher officials but none of them helped me in this matter and some of them were plain ignorant and behaved in an extremely rude manner. So I decided that I would not pay the bill and let them disconnect their service. After 2 months they disconnected their service and after a few months I shifted my residence. Now they only have my mobile phone number and they do not know my address. Last week they contacted me on my mobile phone and asked me to pay the bill. I denied the payment straightaway saying that it was because of their fault that the whole problem arose.
My question for you people here is that: What action can they take against me and to what extent can they go if I do not pay the bill. Should I approach the consumer court for this or let BSNL make the first move? Did anyone among you ever faced a legal action initiated by BSNL for not paying the bill? Please share with me. I am a really busy person and it would be hasslesome for me to approach consumer court too. All I want is not to pay the bill and let it go. Please advice me on this. Thanks in advance to all of you.
Cheers.

This may help

.:Special Relief Scheme:.

All I want is not to pay the bill and let it go. Please advice me on this.

Not a reasonable stand. ( Telephone BB disconnected now )

Suggestion :
Work out the amount according to your calculation ( for Aug 2010) and subsequent months.
From total for all months for which bills remain unpaid, etc.
deduct any security deposit for Telephone/Modem paid by you.
Enclose photo copy of your usage page.
Send a Banker's cheque by courier if you feel like..

Hope you surrendered the telephone instrument ( if taken ) and modem splitter power adapter ( if on rental basis )etc to Exchange.
Get a receipt. Include photo copy in your letter.

This will help in any legal notice/action which can be taken , in snail's pace by the Dept. ( may be one year or two years . Maximum 3 years. Law of limitation applies )

statement if possible.
Month ......claim by dept ..... accepted/disputed .......paid amount

@meetdilip
thanks for the link

@essbebe
The bill was for Aug-2009 so its more than one and a quarter year now. I had outright purchased the modem from bsnl. I have not claimed my security deposit.
I was ready to pay all the bills fairly but even after submitting the usage page they did not listen. I really feel bad for all this because I have never ignored my due payments in my life but what can I do. One of my acquaintances, who is also an advocate, has suggested to let it go as BSNL does not know my current address. He said if I go into this matter, I will be entangled in this all over again and will waste a lot of time and will still have to pay the whole faulty bill. The landlord of my previous house spoke to me on phone and said that a few days back they had sent a notice through a registered mail but since I did not reside there it was returned back. Can they still take legal action against me? Can they not claim the amount after 3 years? Will my complaint in the consumer court be time-barred too?
Thanks for your suggestion.

If. your friend Lawyer, will represent you Free of cost in a court case, you can ignore the matter.
Getting case file/ representing you, getting adjournments/ legal fees etc !!!!
Some charge for each appearance in court.

Senior Supreme court lawyers charge by the minute.
(whether case was taken up/adjourned/arguments were made
or not. )

There is a story:
Two brothers approached court for a family property dispute.
Initially they went in their own cars and the lawyers came in autos.
In due course of time the brothers attend court, by using Bus and the lawyers use the latest model cars !!! Case still pending !!!!

In a recent case Amb vs Amb it was reported One lakh Rupees was charged for each minute for Supreme Court appearance .

Our Advocate (senior ) friend charges Rs 50,000/= for each appearance/hearing/ in High court .

@essbebe
Thanks for your response.
I am not relying totally on my advocate acquaintance that is the reason why I have posted my query here to estimate the seriousness of the situation.
I have also got the option of approaching consumer forum. The only thing stopping me is that I fear that it will eat up a lot of my time. Any idea how much resources time,money etc. will be consumed in approaching the consumer forum? I have got all the nescessary proofs with me that the bill was faulty. Will I need an advocate to represent me in conumer forum too?
Thanks for your advice.

we don't know the contents of the registered letter sent to your old address.
Now in BSNL, usual govt procedure is followed.
Action to recover unpaid bills by sending REGD demand letter. .
Now BSNL , can close the file stating, unable to trace the user.
( If your Landlord has given permission for the l/L connection
they can hold him responsible for the dues !)
The staff dont want Dept action, if their Audit Section says " "No action been taken to recover telephone/BB dues "
listing all of them showing total probably in Lakhs for Each Exchange.!! for Each Year. ( or a sample list )

Once communication is broken , no compromise possible.

Also it will be very difficult to prove the authenticity of the usage
data for AUG2009 produced by you ( Unless you have ack from Bsnl to your letter with Annexure as it may not remain in their Data base for ever.)

Consumer court: Usually only after paying the dues, consumer appeals for refund with punitive damages,for mental strain/harassment etc ). Please verify.
Bill showing excess usage.
Letter from you annexing BB usgage details ( of dept )
Letter from BSNL asking you to pay.
letter or disconnection notice .
Again demand Notice from bsnl. ( regd letter ?)

Legal Notice etc
A statement showing difference in the dues.
Claimed by Dept --- Accepted by you == and paid
Disputed amount now.

Consumer court also does not work with "ANGELS" and only Indians are employed !!!



for ever.

@essbebe
Thanks a lot for your help.
Anticipating any future actions from BSNL, I had video-captured the usage details page for all the months using "camstudio" starting from the login page to the actual display of usage details for each month, scrolling to also capture the account details like username etc. I have stored the file in .AVI format. I have also got the printouts of the usage details and also stored the html files. Although I cannot access the usage detials page now but I dont think they have deleted the records from the database. I do not have any written acknowledgement from them that the excess bill was their fault. There was only verbal communication in this matter that it was due to the shifting of their servers. However after looking at the proofs it will be evident that the bill was faulty. They had also put their stamps on the copies of my complaints regarding the excess bill that I submitted to them along with attached proofs. I have those stamped copies with me. Anyway I have decided to pay only the portion which I am entitled to pay them as per my own calculation and get the reciept. After that I will wait and see what happens. In the course of any events taking place, I will post the whole story and my experiences in this matter in a new thread so that it will benefit others like me.
Thanks again for your reply.
Cheers.