Breaking Airtel DTH has increased Lock In Period For A-La-carte to 30 days

[Siva]

@peter9 bro, your frustration is understandable. I believe your account validity would have increased based on what I understood from your posts though you had to pay additional amount for the extra al-a-carte channels you subscribed. But, if you were charged double for any of such channels, you could raise a complaint and get the refund. There are too many calculations involved in these changes as some of them are charged on DBR basis and some on upfront basis. It gets difficult for common subscribers to understand. However, usually there won't be any double charges and even if there are, you'll be promptly refunded if you explain the case to the CC. Unfortunately, there's no easy way out of this.

@dino29 bro, Rather than treating the users as some kind of exploiters or money mongers, try to understand their frustration and help them. It doesn't make sense to keep asking for screenshots, when the problem is pretty clearly explained.

 

[KGF]

Buddy, do u think the long explanation i gave u was just based on random assessment or i said the same without knowing the facts or process?

Yes. Obviously.

 

[peter9]

@peter9 bro, your frustration is understandable. I believe your account validity would have increased based on what I understood from your posts though you had to pay additional amount for the extra al-a-carte channels you subscribed. But, if you were charged double for any of such channels, you could raise a complaint and get the refund. There are too many calculations involved in these changes as some of them are charged on DBR basis and some on upfront basis. It gets difficult for common subscribers to understand. However, usually there won't be any double charges and even if there are, you'll be promptly refunded if you explain the case to the CC. Unfortunately, there's no easy way out of this.

@dino29 bro, Rather than treating the users as some kind of exploiters or money mongers, try to understand their frustration and help them. It doesn't make sense to keep asking for screenshots, when the problem is pretty clearly explained.

Thank you Shiva Bro. In my first post I had mentioned, validity increased to 48 days but the amount is not adjusting towards a-la-carte channels. I had to pay separately Rs.146.

I already s/w Airtel CC but they are also confused. After unsatisfactory response from Airtel, I thought to raise the issue in the forum. But the way @dino29 is asking question which are out of the world. How can I bring the screen shot which pop-up during the plan change. I already paid, so i showed the payment made. After the transaction, there is no such option to retrieve it.

I am using Airtel from last 14 years and had never such experience. The way they are dealing with customer now-a-days, soon they will loose a big number of customers.

 

[peter9]

Buddy, do u think the long explanation i gave u was just based on random assessment or i said the same without knowing the facts or process?

I know how the charges r deducted and its co-relation with process of modifying channels or packs hence provided all the information.

You are just stating that wrong/double charges were deducted without sharing any proof nor do the details shared
by u do not make any valid case for such issue being faced

No where I have mentioned wrong/double charges are deducted. Read my first post thoroughly, you will understand.

 

[Siva]

Thank you Shiva Bro. In my first post I had mentioned, validity increased to 48 days but the amount is not adjusting towards a-la-carte channels. I had to pay separately Rs.146.

So your expectation was that, after you added the al-a-carte channels, they should have deducted the amount from your existing account balance and then reduce the validity of the main pack, rather than asking you to recharge again. Is this understanding correct?

If yes, the explanation could be that as per this new change, the al-a-carte channels need to be subscribed at a minimum of 1 month right? You can't subscribe to them without having a minimum of 1-month base plan validity. My guess is that, if they deduced the amount from your main balance for the al-a-carte channels, the validity would have come down to below 30 days, which could be the reason, they forced you to recharge separately for just the al-a-carte channels and then adjusted the remaining balance by increasing the validity period.

 

[iDJ]

Because of reading so much negativity about Airtel's service despite having 30 days lock-in period. I have decided to change my vote. I see no difference in service.

 

[peter9]

So your expectation was that, after you added the al-a-carte channels, they should have deducted the amount from your existing account balance and then reduce the validity of the main pack, rather than asking you to recharge again. Is this understanding correct?

If yes, the explanation could be that as per this new change, the al-a-carte channels need to be subscribed at a minimum of 1 month right? You can't subscribe to them without having a minimum of 1-month base plan validity. My guess is that, if they deduced the amount from your main balance for the al-a-carte channels, the validity would have come down to below 30 days, which could be the reason, they forced you to recharge separately for just the al-a-carte channels and then adjusted the remaining balance by increasing the validity period.

No Bro you are not getting my point. I am explaining you in very simple word.

- Previous Plan Price Rs.686.
- I Paid Rs.690 on March 30, 2023.
- Changed to New Plan which Price is Rs.552.(This include Base Plan, a-la-carte and a bouquet plus NCF for 30 days)
- When I click submit, it asked me to pay additional Rs.146.

My question is that already I had paid one month subscription charge of Rs.552(30 day) + Rs.138 Extra then why they are asking another Rs.146.

They increased my validity to May 18 2023. I want to pay for only 30 days but they forced me to pay upto May 18.

Really, I am getting headache and can't explain more. Good Bye.

 

[Karthik_]

No Bro you are not getting my point. I am explaining you in very simple word.

- Previous Plan Price Rs.686.
- I Paid Rs.690 on March 30, 2023.
- Changed to New Plan which Price is Rs.552.(This include Base Plan, a-la-carte and a bouquet plus NCF for 30 days)
- When I click submit, it asked me to pay additional Rs.146.

My question is that already I had paid one month subscription charge of Rs.552(30 day) + Rs.138 Extra then why they are asking another Rs.146.

They increased my validity to May 18 2023. I want to pay for only 30 days but they forced me to pay upto May 18.

Really, I am getting headache and can't explain more. Good Bye.

Airtel's system is not completely changed to effect 30d Lock-in. To activate a la carte channels you need full 30d amount in existing balance. You should not directly change the plan and activate a la carte channel at once. You should first change base pack i.e from 686 to 552 and get 134 refunded (System automatically refunds the difference) and then activate a la carte channel with the balance of 134. Now it shouldn't ask you to recharge anything in excess. Remember this in the future. Even if you ask CC they won't know about these kind of things. They will ask you to recharge only.

 

[mmadhankumar]

@peter9 bro i think i finally understood your concern..

You changed your base pack to HINDI Entertainment HD which is Rs.179
Airtel Oriya Regional is Rs.77
NCF cost (considering your total pack price is 552) is Rs.150
This totals to Rs.406

A-la-carte Channels costs Rs.146

You initially recharged for Rs.690
It is Rs.284 more than your base+addon packs.

Airtel could have used this excess Rs.284 for your A-la-carte. Instead of that they extended the validity of base+addon and have asked you to pay separately for the A-la-carte.

I think You are one of the victims of this new policy enforced by Airtel. Imo, you shouldn't have recharged Rs 146 again but have insisted the CC to activate the A-la-carte to use the balance in your account.

This is definitely not customer friendly practice from a reputed brand. However i don't think they will refund any amount now because there's actually nothing to refund as per their terms. You have got your base validity extended according to the account balance and have paid separately for A-la-carte. I can only feel sorry for happening as there is no resolution for this.

 

[Karthik_]

@peter9 bro i think i finally understood your concern..

You changed your base pack to HINDI Entertainment HD which is Rs.179
Airtel Oriya Regional is Rs.77
NCF cost (considering your total pack price is 552) is Rs.150
This totals to Rs.406

A-la-carte Channels costs Rs.146

You initially recharged for Rs.690
It is Rs.284 more than your base+addon packs.

Airtel could have used this excess Rs.284 for your A-la-carte. Instead of that they extended the validity of base+addon and have asked you to pay separately for the A-la-carte.

I think You are one of the victims of this new policy enforced by Airtel. Imo, you shouldn't have recharged Rs 146 again but have insisted the CC to activate the A-la-carte to use the balance in your account.

This is definitely not customer friendly practice from a reputed brand. However i don't think they will refund any amount now because there's actually nothing to refund as per their terms. You have got your base validity extended according to the account balance and have paid separately for A-la-carte. I can only feel sorry for happening as there is no resolution for this.

Also, my neighbours, family, many especially elderly people ask me the question. I recharged for 30d but get only 27d or a lower validity ? Most of the time they have add-on or VAS activated in their plan. They don't understand thier plan. I think DTH billing is getting complex day by day and it wouldn't be a surprise if a diploma will be needed to understand the billing.