I had a maharashtra registered airtel number for over 10 years from 2000-01 up until last year. During a vacation last year, i switched off my phone for 20 days. When i got back and tried using the phone, the number was deactivated for some reason.

I had an alternate number too so i kept using that one while trying to resolve the issue with the airtel sim. No luck.

Soon i got to know that Airtel had very conveniently ASSUMED that i was not using the number anymore, and just GAVE it away to someone else!!!

Not only did they give me enough stress, the new person who has the number also got stressed out enough cos all my friends kept calling that number and asking for me!

For all the money i spent on this number since over a decade, i feel truly ROBBED. I even paid for it to be a 'lifetime' prepaid for myself.

Somebody has to give me sensible answers instead of me having to hear the constant 'Sorry sir, that number is give to someone else' over and over again through their customer service. It makes NO SENSE to me at all how they could do it. Pathetic pathetic people.