Private landline telephone users will no longer have to pay visiting charges to a company 'technician' for rectifying faults in their instruments.
Acting on complaint
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has clarified that landline customers of private companies need not pay Rs 100 to the technician who comes to repair a faulty phone. TRAI had earlier received several complaints that telecom companies were levying additional charges for rectifying faults.
"We got many queries from customers wanting to know whether there is any extra charge for repairing their landlines or for visits by technicians. Most of the queries related to Bharti Telecommunications. We issued a clarification that no company is allowed to charge anything extra from their customers," said Nripendra Mishra, TRAI chairperson.
Extra services
Airtel, who has been charging Rs 100 and more from the customers, insisted that the additional charges were for extra services. "We are fully committed to providing our customers with uninterrupted network availability and service delivery. However, at times, we are requested by customers to attend to problems and defects not attributable to the network and not part of the standard service bouquet such as PC reconfiguration, internal extension of wiring, damage due to movement. As a customer friendly organisation, we provide these services on an optional basis and at a nominal cost," a statement by Airtel said. It added that it had notified these charges to the regulator. "We have taken note of the TRAIs decision and communicated on the compliance. We shall be engaging with the TRAI to apprise them of complete details on these customer requirements and services," the company said.
Neha Singh, a young artist said, "My phone was not working for a week and I was charged Rs 100 by Airtel. I kept trying their number and every time my call was forwarded to some senior staff but all in vain. I even doubt the speed of the broadband connection that they provide, as it is very slow."
According to TRAI, the service providers are expected to maintain the quality of service. The interruptions and correction of such interruptions were matters relating to service and customers could not be charged for these.
"The customer does not choose the quality of material being used in the network by the service provider and is not responsible for the bad quality. The service providers are not supposed to offer any such plans, which prescribe separate charges for rectifying the defects. If any such plans are under offer the same may be withdrawn forthwith and report compliance to the Authority," TRAI said in an order on August 21.
Acting on complaint
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has clarified that landline customers of private companies need not pay Rs 100 to the technician who comes to repair a faulty phone. TRAI had earlier received several complaints that telecom companies were levying additional charges for rectifying faults.
"We got many queries from customers wanting to know whether there is any extra charge for repairing their landlines or for visits by technicians. Most of the queries related to Bharti Telecommunications. We issued a clarification that no company is allowed to charge anything extra from their customers," said Nripendra Mishra, TRAI chairperson.
Extra services
Airtel, who has been charging Rs 100 and more from the customers, insisted that the additional charges were for extra services. "We are fully committed to providing our customers with uninterrupted network availability and service delivery. However, at times, we are requested by customers to attend to problems and defects not attributable to the network and not part of the standard service bouquet such as PC reconfiguration, internal extension of wiring, damage due to movement. As a customer friendly organisation, we provide these services on an optional basis and at a nominal cost," a statement by Airtel said. It added that it had notified these charges to the regulator. "We have taken note of the TRAIs decision and communicated on the compliance. We shall be engaging with the TRAI to apprise them of complete details on these customer requirements and services," the company said.
Neha Singh, a young artist said, "My phone was not working for a week and I was charged Rs 100 by Airtel. I kept trying their number and every time my call was forwarded to some senior staff but all in vain. I even doubt the speed of the broadband connection that they provide, as it is very slow."
According to TRAI, the service providers are expected to maintain the quality of service. The interruptions and correction of such interruptions were matters relating to service and customers could not be charged for these.
"The customer does not choose the quality of material being used in the network by the service provider and is not responsible for the bad quality. The service providers are not supposed to offer any such plans, which prescribe separate charges for rectifying the defects. If any such plans are under offer the same may be withdrawn forthwith and report compliance to the Authority," TRAI said in an order on August 21.
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