Mumbai: Man wins Rs 1,940 refund from MTNL after six-month fight

Ravi Nair outside MTNL office in Borivli. Pic/Nimesh Dave

A long-suffering MTNL Dolphin customer from Borivli finally won back Rs 1,940 after a six-month battle over payments made while struggling with bad network issues. Ravi Nair, a social worker, continued recharging his mobile account despite the poor connectivity, hoping MTNL would resolve the problem. He also repeatedly contacted customer service for help with the issue, but it remained unresolved.

Frustrated, Nair eventually visited MTNL offices in person, demanding a refund for his payments during the service interruption. Though redirected between various offices and officials, he persisted. After nearly six months of follow-ups, an MTNL officer from the head office in Prabhadevi contacted Nair and refunded him a year's worth of recharge payments. However, Nair is not satisfied, stating that the refund only covered the amounts he had paid, and he sought further compensation.

Nair, an activist from Borivli West, shared with mid-day that he has used MTNL's GSM Dolphin mobile service for 25 years. Over the past two years, however, he began facing severe network issues that left his mobile virtually unusable. These disruptions took a toll on his work, as he missed important calls, and also created frustrations at home. Messages from his wife and daughter - like requests to pick up household items - often arrived two to three hours late, causing misunderstandings with his family when he got home.

"My reputation started to suffer, as callers heard a computerised message saying my number didn't exist. I felt mentally disturbed and even wrote letters to the relevant department, including TRAI, but received no response."

Due to the poor network, Nair relied on WiFi whenever possible for calls. Those aware of his connectivity issues called him via internet apps, but others struggled to reach him. "The most distressing part," he said, "was my inability to reach emergency services, like the police, fire department, or ambulance, which require a direct call. This left me feeling helpless in urgent situations."

Nair explained that he holds a sentimental attachment to MTNL, which prevented him from porting his number to another provider. Determined, he decided to address the issue in person, visiting multiple MTNL offices, including Kandivli, BKC, and Prabhadevi, where he waited to meet senior officials. After nearly six months, he met MTNL General Manager Jaipal Kamble and Executive Director Deepak Mukherjee at the Prabhadevi headquarters. After additional delays, they offered him a refund for one year's recharge payments.

"I wasn't satisfied with this alone," Nair said. "I requested compensation for another year's recharge, and they eventually agreed." Last month, he visited the Prabhadevi MTNL headquarters, where the executive director handed him a cheque for around Rs 1,940. "Surprisingly, they didn't even ask me to sign any paperwork," he added.

When reached for comment, MTNL Executive Director Deepak Mukherjee explained, "This was a unique case for us. Restricted access to the tower location in his area led to network issues. We refunded what we considered reasonable, but did not agree to pay any penalties or additional compensation."