I have been an Idea Cellular customer for over 15 years - prepaid, postpaid and back to prepaid when the rates became less than half of postpaid for the same benefits. On prepaid, I have been dialing the number *212*72# to check my data usage and pack validity for at least 2 years, if not longer. This number was given on Idea's website, which you can now find on archive.org. I even have this number saved as a contact, to make it easier to check my usage and validity.
Today, when I randomly decided to do the same, I received an SMS message that I have been subscribed to some BOLLYWOOD_VIDEOS and Rs. 10 was promptly stolen from my balance. This is not just about my Rs. 10, but about how Idea (now merged with Vodafone and called Vi) has just changed this number that was used to check usage and validity, to a commercial service that takes money, without a confirmation. This is highly unethical.
Screenshot of SMS that I have been subscribed to an unwanted service.
Wiki says that Idea had 220 million subscribers as of June 2018. That is a little before their merger with Vodafone in August 2018.
How many people check their data usage and/or validity? I know I do. How much money do you think has been taken from users, without their consent? You do the math.
So, I decided to call Vi's call center. I searched for the customer care number on their website. The number is 198. After going through a long and complicated IVR as you would expect with most call center numbers nowadays, I ended up with a chap who said point blank that they can't refund the money. I explained to him how this number was a data usage check number and it's not right to just change it to a number that deducts balance. He said he couldn't do anything about it. I asked to speak to his supervisor.
After a few moment on hold, a lady answers and starts telling me the same thing - that they "cannot refund the money". Again, I explained that this number was to check data usage and validity. It's not my fault that they changed it to a subscription service number and they should refund my money. Now things get interesting. She starts insisting that this number was never to check data usage or balance. I asked her, "why would I have the number saved as a contact called Data Usage? Are you calling me a liar?"
She replies, "I didn't say that, but this number was never to check data usage." I think that means she's calling me a liar indirectly.
After clarifying that I was an Idea user and not Vodafone, she still insisted "*212*72# was never used to check data usage. We cannot refund the money."
This is factually incorrect, as you can see on the archived version of ideacellular.com website (dated 10-July-2019.)
I informed her that I was recording the call and asked her one last time - "So, what you're saying is that Vodafone Idea, which is now Vi has changed the number that was to check data usage; you'll have changed it to subscription of bollywood videos and you'll are going to rob that money from people now?"
She replies, "I apologize; if it was possible to refund, I definitely would have, but it's not refundable."
I guess that's my cue to move to another provider. This was kind of the last straw, after continuous call drops, 4G that doesn't work when you want it to, and a few days of completely dead network last month.
Goodbye Idea / Vi / whatever.