Complain against: Vodafone Essar Gujarat Limited, 6th Floor, Sakar II, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad - 380 006, Email - vodafonecare.guj@vodafone.com, Fax +91 79 2657 5990
Connection No. 9925035268
Bill No. 0001204605102009 (period 15.09.09 to 14.10.09)

I had taken Vodafone mobile internet connection no. 9925035268 by making advance payment of Rs. 6,617.00 for 1 year. As per the tariff plan, my free data based usage limit is 1 GB (1024 MB) per month, beyond which extra amount is chargeable. The connection was activated on 23.05.2009.

In the bill for 15th Sept - 14th Oct ’09, bill no. 0001204605102009, I was astonished to find that I have been charged for 1123.545 MB, for which Rs. 562.00 is to be paid extra. My estimated usage for the bill period is not more than 1024 MB.

As the details of usage were not available in the regular bill, I downloaded the itemized bill from the website of Vodafone. I saw that numerous (more than 230) individual calls, all of usage 510 KB have been shown from 30.09.2009 to 04.10.2009. Part of the itemized bill showing the calls is attached as bill.pdf. As I failed to understood the reason for showing the calls, I sorted the help of customer care (“Happy to help”) to explain the same. I also put forward the following evidences I had in support that my data usage didn’t exceed 1 GB.

1. Period 15th Sept - 30th Sep ’09: using SMS “UBILL”
The unbilled usage excluding rentals, service tax, etc. can be found out by sending the SMS “UBILL” to 111. Please refer to the attached file SMS_01-Oct.jpg. This is a screenshot of the reply SMS showing the unbilled usage upto 01 Oct ’09, 05:04 hrs. The usage is Rs. 4584.55. As Vodafone charges 5 paise per every 10 KB, the usage comes out to be 4584.55*10/0.05 KB = 916910 KB = 895.42 MB, which is same as the usage upto 01 Oct ’09, 00:00 hrs.

2. Period 1st Oct - 14th Oct ’09: using “View Usage” screenshot
Please refer to the attached file usage_15-Oct.jpg. This is a screenshot of “View Usage” window along with the desktop, where the date has been displayed at the bottom right corner (obtained by placing the cursor over the time displayed). Counting the height of the bar in pixels (144 nos., equivalent of 1024 MB) and height of the blue shaded portion in pixels showing the usage (18 nos.), the usage in Oct ’09 comes out to be 18/144*1024 MB = 128 MB, which is same as the usage from 01 Oct ’09, 00:00 hrs to 14 Oct ’09, 24:00 hrs.

From point no. 1 & 2, total usage for the billing period 15 Sept ’09, 00:00 hrs to 14 Oct ’09, 24:00 hrs comes out to be 895.42 + 128 = 1023.42 MB. The estimate may not be very accurate, but gives a fair idea of the usage. My free usage limit is 1024 MB.

The fact was brought into the notice of Vodafone customer care. However, even after repeated persuasion, they never provided any satisfactory explanation for the numerous individual calls of 510 KB. Every time, they adamantly argued that their bill is absolutely correct, without citing any reason. The evidences using Vodafone’s own tools that I provided (point no. 1 & 2) were not even acknowledged by them.

As I refused to pay the excess bill amount without getting an explanation for the 510 KB individual calls, Vodafone barred my internet connection without any intimation. Exact date of barring in not known to me, but it is in the early 2nd week of Nov ’09.
I took the issue to the nodal officer of Vodafone. I explained the barring of internet connection to her and again emailed the details on the next day, 12.11.2009.

Several days later, when I tried to contact the nodal officer, one of her “representative” picked up the call and asserted that their bill is “absolutely correct”, though they are not sure about the reason behind the numerous 510 KB individual calls. One of their predictions was that there is an application installed in my PC that automatically connects and disconnects the internet, without my knowledge (he didn’t comment when I said that I always physically remove the USB modem from the PC when not in use, and turn off the PC when not working).

In the advance payment of Rs. 6,617.00 for 1 year, not even 6 month had passed at the time of barring the connection. The unutilized part of the payment (Rs. 3,308.50 even if considered to be 6 month) still lies with Vodafone, which they a refusing to return back.

Due to the harassment done by Vodafone, I demand a full refund of the advance payment of Rs. 6,617.00.

Regards,
Saugat Haldar