Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Upwardly mobile? Nothing official about it

By Marri Ramu

HYDERABAD May 16. Are the two cellular service providers in the State taking customers for a ride by issuing misleading advertisements with respect to the new tariff structure of pre-paid cards?

The question which was being discussed widely among mobile phone users in the twin cities took a curious turn on Thursday when a complainant alleged that Idea Cellular Services misled him by not mentioning the `huge decrease in talk time' on the pre-paid cards in advertisements. A chartered accountant by profession, A. Krishna Reddy approached the Central Zone DCP, C.V. Anand, seeking action against the company for what he described as a `deceptive ad' promoting the `Idea Chitchat' card (formerly Freedom card).

According to the complaint, while the earlier Freedom card costing Rs. 315 gave Rs. 265 worth talk time to the customer, the recently renamed `Idea Chitchat' card costing Rs. 300 was providing talk time worth Rs. 165 only. However, this fact was not being mentioned in the company ads. Instead, the company chose to highlight only the reduction in the tariff of outgoing and incoming calls.

While the overall services charges and taxes received by the company in the former Freedome card stood at Rs. 50, it was enhanced to Rs. 135 in the new card.

The ads were not mentioning the steep increase in the charges being collected by the company rather the advertisements were focusing on the reduction in the tariff of outgoing calls from Rs. 3 per 30 seconds to Rs. 1.50.

``Irrespective of the reduction in the outgoing and incoming calls the customer is losing the talk time in the new pre-paid cards. What is the benefit extended to the customers by the company if the talk time came down even after slashing the tariff for outgoing and incoming calls?" questioned Mr. Reddy in his complaint.

Enquiries with AirTel, the other cellular company, revealed more or less same reduction in the talk time. While the old Rs. 300 denomination Magic card gave a talk time worth Rs. 236, the new Rs. 300 card is extending only Rs. 166 worth talk time.

The only reduction they had announced was in the tariff of outgoing calls from Rs. 3 per 30 seconds to Rs. 1.50 during peak hours and from Re. 1 per 30 seconds to 75 paise during non-peak hours.

A customer care executive of AirTel, Srinath, however, said: "The customers are free to choose either from the old or new type of cards. But, the old cards are available only till stocks last.'' Idea Cellular Services executives were not available for comment.

Meanwhile, the DCP said as the complaint was received in the evening investigation is yet to begin.

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