I had detailed below my experience with MTS for data card usage:

My MTS datacard number: 9136989674
Complaint number: JAN/6492

I transferred money from my bank account for data card recharge on 06-01-2011. Money got debited from my bank account and credited into MTS bank account. But my internet connectivity is not functioning.

When contacted the customer care department of MTS, I was replied that the information had not got updated into their database. Then later they asked for my bank transaction ID and I provided the same. On friday (07-01-2011) they told that they cant do anything and that they will refund my money back with in 12 clear working days.

My concern is when i had paid money and that money had got credited into their bank account, why should i get the money refunded? I asked them to restore my internet connectivity as i had provided the proof to them. If that is difficult, I asked them to refund as soon as possible so that i can make a fresh fund transfer. Why should i wait for 12 working days? They said they cant do either of these and in case of my urgency to avail internet connectivity they were suggesting to process one more fund transfer.

No one was patient enough to understand my concern and the only sentence they were repeatedly using was "Sorry sir, we can understand your problem and we cant do anything. This is the policy of MTS, that in such cases money will be refunded in 12 working days"

Again in such cases what was the necessity for them to ask for transaction ID, saying they can lodge a complaint only after when they receive my bank transaction ID. Such statements makes me to think, are they mobilising their working capital in this manner from the customers?

I felt too much harassed and asked them to take back the datacard and refund the money i paid for that? They replied that they cant do anything and for such cases I have to approach the retail vendor.

Above all these I received two SMS from them.

one was having the text "Your complaint no.JAN/6492 regarding the WEB RECHARGE has been resolved. For any assistance please contact our customer care".

Another message was "MTS values your feedback. If you are satisfied with the resolution of your complaint SMS Yes else No to the toll free number 1552". When i tried twice to reply to the toll free number with with the text "No", the message failed and still remains in my mobile outbox even today after a week. Everytime i scrolled to my mobile outbox and tried to resend i was getting the display "unable to send" and status gets updated as failed.

Moreover when a mobile can be used with several service providers, why not these companies are selling data cards that can be used with any other service providers? It seems TRAI doesnt have any control and it purpose fully allows such kind of monopoly.

Not only all these, last month december 2010, i recharged for unlimited connectivity for a month and i couldnt able to use not even for one month. Connectivity went poor after 23rd of december. Not even the free sites were getting loaded. I did not used much compared to previous month and had not downloaded too. Same case happened few months before. That time when i was trying to call the customer care i was getting the message that the number is switched off. I found another number from their website and called. I was replied that the number i called is to attend mobile complaints and for data card i need to call the same number on which i was hearing the message 'switched off'. When i told them that am getting this kind of message they replied that I cannot call that number from airtel number, as there are some problems with that. They said if i call that customer care number from Airtel number i will get the message "switched off".

As am getting such kind of poor responses I feel better to change the service provider. But i have to buy one more data card equipment for that. Doesnt this sounds that this is an unfair trade practice?

To protest I felt to forward a mail with above details not only to customer care of MTS but to all known contacts including TRAI. Unfortunately the mail ID provided by TRAI on their website is not reachable and bounced back. I did sent it to the mail ID trai@del2.vsnl.net.in.