06 March,2011 07:42 AM IST | | Bobby Anthony
Mobile phone companies do everything from offering freebies to making you submit documents multiple times to stall your attempt to change service providers, we found
According to a survey conducted by telecom operator MTS across 11 telecom circles, nearly 15,000 consumers in Mumbai and Delhi have expressed a desire to switch service providers. The study also says over 1.7 million subscribers have switched operators in a month since the nationwide rollout of the mobile number portability service.
Subscribers wanting to switch operators mostly cite billing issues and value-added services like ringtones. A small number of consumers wished to switch to experiment with MNP.
However, the porting process has been far from smooth, and consumer activists are flooded with complaints from irate consumers.
"My inbox is flooded with complaints. There are several complaints of technical goof ups and customers being made to re-apply due to expiry of portability codes," said Achintya Mukherjee, honorary joint secretary of the Bombay Telephone Users' Association (BTUA).
Here are three grievances that Sunday MiD DAY looked at:
Endless procedure
Vijay Sinha, Senior Vice President, Tata AIG Life Insurance Ltd: "I provided documents to Vodafone on January 31, to switch from Loop Mobile. Vodafone's Sharad Makhija informed me that the process would be completed in eight working days. On February 15, I was told that application document could not be traced. On February 18, Vodafone's Santu Dev informed me that the form was rejected due to date overwritten (they had filled the form) and that they will resubmit it and the number will be transferred in four days.
On February 22, Vodafone informed me that they were awaiting Loop Mobile's approval. When I checked with Loop, they asked me to clear Rs 1,008. I made the payment on February 23 and informed Loop's Zubin Doroga.
On February 25, Loop told me that my unique portability code (UPC) had expired and a new code had to be generated.
The UPC was generated and submitted to Loop Mobile and Vodafone. On February 28, Vodafone said it was awaiting Loop's approval. I followed up with Loop but there was no response. An SMS informed me that due to a 'Contractual Obligation Violation,' the request was rejected.
Loop informed me that an unbilled amount of Rs. 220.42 was pending and put in a fresh portability request after I paid up.
I wrote to TRAI on February 3, seeking appropriate action. Immediately, I received an email from Zubin Doroga, which said, "We have allowed you to port out. You can resubmit the documents at any other telecom operator's gallery". However, the same morning, Loop mobile once again sent me an SMS, that they have informed Vodafone that they have rejected my request for so-called 'Contractual Obligation Violation'.
Hence the cycle starts again with no guarantee of the matter getting closed. Loop will continue to charge me for my use. This is how they block portability."
Loop's spokesperson's emailed SMD: "All MNP guidelines as provided by TRAI are complied with when a porting-out request comes from a subscriber."
Here's free rental, instead
Ashwin Ferro, Assistant Editor (Sports), MiD DAY: "When I sent a porting request, an executive called asking me why I wanted to switch. I cited the serious network issue in the Sion East area, where I live.
He offered me a couple of months' free rental, after promising to look into the problem. I said I would have to think over it, since having no network is a serious problem."
When SMD asked Airtel why it tried to discourage its customer from switching by offering free rental, the official spokesperson refused to comment on the issue.
Better luck next time
Uday Thakar, Astrologer, Kandivli West: "I wanted to switch from Reliance and twice submitted my documents to the Vodafone gallery on February 2. I was SMSed a porting code and told it would take a week.
After 12 days, I was told that my documents were not in order. I resubmitted them and got a new unique portability code, but nothing happened. After various calls and excuses, I have given up.
I also have a Reliance GSM card. When it developed a SIM card error, I asked for it to be ported Reliance CDMA. After repeated reminders, I was told that the portability is not happening. I was also told that in many cases, the numbers of those who had applied for portability were getting disconnected."
When SMD checked with au00a0 Reliance spokesperson, he said, "It is difficult to say what the problem is. If you give us the customer's number, we can get this resolved by Monday."
