I am from Udaipur, Rajasthan and I bought Reliance 8830 World Edition in Feb this year and since the usage of 1 month I started having issues with it. I wish to write about Blackberry
services and the faulty Handsets itself.

1. The original Plan I had subscribed was Rs. 1099 per month unlimited which was way too costlier as compared to Airtel and Vodafone. Still I gave it a shot! I had to discontinue this BB Plan a month back with a note to Reliance that its very costly.

Despite of having unlimted browsing in my Plan, I was charged some “offnet charges” Rs. 99/month for 3 months! Reliance customer care failed to explain what was these charges for and have been promising to get it waived off.

Few Weeks later Reliance launched Rs. 299 unlimited blackberry mail plan and guess what I wasnt informed of this offer rather my Friend who uses Vodafone got a promo message. How funny? Reliance do not make any marketing sense!

2. As soon as I bought this Handset I came to know that the firmware is out of date and I will have to get it updated. I had to travel to Jaipur from Udaipur (overnight) to get the Firmware upgraded.

The very freaky thing is the Trackball which is so delicate that you might need to hold it in gloves every time else it can get dirty from your thumb and causing a damage to Sensor. My Trackball started misbehaving almost after 4 weeks of usage. Sometimes it did not up-scroll and sometimes it went just out of control.

Recently now I have started getting problem of sudden rebooting and my handset Reboots automatically 4 times in one hour!

To add salt to wounds I had throughly unprofessional treatment from Reliance customer care, however that a long story !

I have been chasing up Reliance Customer to trouble shoot this. They suggested me to try wipe which I did and I knew that it will not help. I infact reinstalled the firmware again and it dint help. I am forced to travel Jaipur which is 600 Kms drive from Udaipur to get the Handset inspected.

So far I have been completely dissatisfied with Reliance and Blackberry both!

After I had problems with my Handset I searched for Reviews of 8830 and I found web is full of negative reviews about this Model and specially the Trackball.

3. My main concern is if Reliance did not have a Service center in my City, why did it sell the Handset to me leaving me helpless as another dissatisfied customer? Also if this particular Model has been reviewed as faulty internatinally past 1 year why would Reliance chose it to be sold to its Customers?

I do not recommend Blackeberry 8830 Handset as well as using Reliance blackberry services at all.

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1. BSNL to launch BlackBerry services by April
2. Reliance CDMA in Rajasthan

The following incidence had happened and please be your own judge! I am just wondering, if it is possible! Anything is possible! which may look impossible before it actually happens! I firmly believe online payment is better option for collecting payments by any utility companies for obvious advantages! Still the following incident took place!

I have been using Airtel broadband and Airtel Mobile number for almost 6 months now. As I keep traveling, I always paid my bills online. Normally I used to pay on the last day of the due date. But for last two months, whenever I tried to make payment, airtel.in did not allow me! It was giving me error in red that Unable to process request, please try later!
And eventually I missed my due date this month, May 2009! I was not happy to miss my due date! So I complained to Customer Care of Airtel, and also wrote an email! I also informed that I am missing the due date for bill payment and it s no fault of mine! I have not heard back from them!

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1. Late arrival of bill and late payment charge
2. My Experience With Airtel Broadband in Jaipur, India
3. Airtel GPRS Service

I have a State bank of India account since 2002 and i have taken all the so called facilities from the bank like ATM, Net Banking, DMAT Account, Mutual Fund everything. So heres my story …

7th January 2009 (2:45 PM) – New Delhi: I wanted Rs. 3000 urgently and instead of finding a state bank atm i choose an HDFC atm to withdraw my money from SBI account. It was urgent and i didnot bother paying Rs.20 for the service.

I entered amount Rs. 3000 after entering my PIN and waiting for the machine to deliver the cash. But there was no cash coming out and no receipt also. The security guard told me that its not working from the past 1 hr. I rushed to another HDFC ATM at saket, New Delhi. I got the money there but was shocked to see i was debited for the failed transaction also. Without spending a minute i went inside the HDFC bank and told about my issue. They told me to inform SBI as they cross check against all SBI account and there server is not recognizing the failed transaction. Immediately i called up SBI helpline and they told u should contact the home branch. I called up the home branch and they told me to FAX the documents along with a request letter.

8th January 2009 (10:30 AM) – New Delhi: I faxed all the documents along with a request letter to the home branch and taken confirmation receipt. The SBI customer care executive informed me these cases are solved within 3-5 days so i decided to keep quite for coupls of days.

12th January 2009 (3:30 PM) – Guwahati: I was at the branch where i was having an account. They told me to give the letter again and i did. They told you tried in HDFC Bank in Delhi so your request will be send to Delhi and it will take approx 15 days time.

2nd February 2009 (3:30 PM) – Guwahati: I went to the bank again. The lady responsible for all ATM related cases told me she doesnot know if the letter sent to delhi or not as she had given the letter to a peon. I requested her to find out and process it as early as possible and i told i will come after i week.

10th February 2009 (3:30 PM) – Guwahati: I was at bank again, waiting for my turn to speak to the lady. Then a senior guy came to me. Asked me what i do, why i am sitting there etc. etc. He was Mr. Ghose the Chief Operational Manager of that SBI. I told him my problems and he assured it will be solved in 5 days. He gave me the phone number and told me to call up and ask about the status. No need to come to the bank. I was thinking Thank God!! i got the right guy at last.

17th February 2009 (4 PM) – Delhi: I called up my home branch and asked the operator to connect me to the lady. He informed she is not there.

21st February 2009 (4 PM) – Guwahati: I called up again. The operator gave me a mobile number and told me to speak with the lady. I tried the number and that was switched off.

23rd February 2009 (10 AM) – guwahati: I lodged an online complaint and wrote about my issue. SBI replied with a complaint number. They informed me it takes 3 days to solve.

28th February 2009 (12 PM) – Guwahati: I called up customer care and asked about my complaint. They told its under process. I got really wild this time. Blasted the executive and asked all the GM/DGM email ids from him. He told me to find out from the website and disconnected the phone. I mailed to customer care and CC to GM Customer Care, DGM Customer Care, GM SBI Cards and the list is on.

After that i countinuously wrote a mail to them everyday as reminder of my complaint. Finaly on 10th of March i got a call from the DGM office asking my problem.

11th March 2009 (11 AM)  – Guwahati: One guy from the bank called me up and asked me politely, “you complained?” i told “YES”. He told “You could have come to the bank why u complaint? actually the bank lost the request letter and i dont have your account numbers and all. so can you please come down and your problem will be solved today itself”

I went to the bank at 12 PM. I inquired about the person called me at the help desk. The lady asked my name. I told “Pranjal Saikia”, suddenly i was shocked to see all the bank executives looking at me strangely. A message was in their eyes like “Ok, I are the person because of whom we got scoldings from DGM.” I was laughing my ass out and returning home after taking back Rs. 3000 in my account.

I could have asked for a compansesation according to the Banking Ombudsman Law under section 35A. But i just wanted back my hard earned money. That happened with me in the State Bank of India who has recently opened there 11111th branch in Sonapur, Assam.

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They were traveling by Rajdhani Exp and forgot to take the print out of the ticket with them! So they called me up as I was not traveling with them, and I told them their birth number and coach numbers. They boarded the train and started their travel. When TTE came checking for tickets, he told them that this kind E-Ticket is not allowed, they must get a print out, send FAX to next station or pay up. Since my family were travelling alone first time without me, they had no idea! When they called up, I explained to them. And then only they came to know and prepare themselves to face the TTE!

As per ERS ( Electronic Reservation Slip), if passenger does not take a print out, TTE is supposed to charge Rs. 50 per ticket. But many TTEs try to take advantage of one’s ignorance or lack of will to fight for rights, and take some money!

As far as I know, here are the remedies you can take if you happen to forget to take a print out of the ticket:-

1. At least get SMS form some one who can send u the PNR number.

2. Confront TTE to give you the ticket and pay Rs. 50 to him.

3. If TTE does not agree, call up irctc.co.in on their 24 hours customer care and inform. TTE might get suspended

4. Normally Vigilance Officers travel in rajdhani Express trains. Contact them immediately and report about the TTE.

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1. It happened with me ( SBI ) – Pranjal Saikia

I was sweet talked by Airtel Executive that if I book the broadband connection on the same day, make payment of Rs.500 by check and opt for the unlimited package, I would be given a Wireless Wifi Router free! Though I had Wifi Router with me, being an Indian, I took the deal!

Problem started when they sent the first bill! The bill came around 20th Oct 2008 with last payment date of 28th Oct 2008. But sadly it included the additional extra Rs. 1500/- for the WiFi router!

Sequence of Events followed :

1. I called up Airtel Customer care! After frustrating customary talking to machine called IVRS, finally I got to speak to human customer care executive! As soon as I explained, he told me, there was no such offer! Stumped, I gave him details about the Airtel Executive name, number etc.! Now he got stumped! He put me on hold and came back after 2/3 minutes, recorded my number for 3rd time and promised he would get back.

2. After 2 days, no call from Airtel. I called up the original Airtel Marketing Executive, he promised he would get back, and he surely got back!

3. Sadly, last date of payment was nearing. I shot another email, informing as the due date is nearing end and my problem not near any conclusion, I will not make the payment as and my services not to be deactivated! They did not.

4. After due date expired, 28th Nov 08 itself, one collection agent from Airtel came demanding payment. I explained him and he went back!

5. Finally, the marketing executive called and informed the issue fixed! By the time, my next bill came along with late payment for the last non-payment bill!

6. Another email, argument on phone! Finally I got waiver for late payment, but bill with waiver of the WiFi router has not arrived and I started getting calls informing my services likely get disconnected if I dont pay up the bill!

7. I again called up Airtel Customer care, shot of email.

8. Finally, in Dec 2008, I made payment after deducting all late payment charges, extra Rs.1500/- and peace returned to my life!

Moral Of The Story: I had to argue, work hard, make calls to save myself from paying extra amount to Airtel which was unjustified. Had I not fought, they would have made few hundred more completely illegally!

Sadly, this may be happening to everyone and we may not notice as it is a small amount! But just imagine, Airtel has 10lacs subscriber, they make this kind of mistake, over charging to all these subscribers, and only 10% of them like me, “nutcase”, fight with Airetl Customer care department, talk to Machines (IVR Ssystem), get justice! And Airtel gets payment from 90% that is 900,000 multiplied by Rs. 15000/- equal to Rs. 135,00,00,000/- that is Rs. 135 crores! Ring a bell ?

Contact Me for the complete Email Communication with Airtel. ( I made them private.)

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I have stored all communication with Vodafone Customer Care as well as their Nodal Officer of which I am making excerpts and going to share here.  Actually this incident prompted me thinking about starting this blog and forum. I was googling a lot to know about mi rights as a mobile subscriber and a service tax payer for that, but I could not get proper informations.

The Nodal Officer and Appelate authorites take ages to respond and no proper guidance system to resolve dispute. I could not find any information about minimum service quality of Mobile Service Provider, Consumer Rights etc.

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