04-13-2010, 04:10 PM
More than five years after Direct-To-Home (DTH) service began in Pune, the first consumer complaint against a private DTH provider was filed in the Pune District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum recently.
“While consumers have been approaching lawyers seeking their opinion about discrepancy in service, none of the complaints could be admitted in the court as some were either compromised beforehand, some lacked enough evidence to stand in court or the consumers failed to take it forward,” said advocate Dnyanraj Sant, secretary, Grahak Hitvardhini, a consumer rights organisation.
With all documentations in place, 74-year-old Purushottam Ahuja moved the consumer court after his DTH service provider failed to give him the promised five-month free subscription and disconnected his connection within three months without notice.
According to Ahuja’s complaint, he had opted for DTH in August 2007. After the service provider promised him six month’s connection free of cost, he took additional three child connections in October 2007. These connections were also supposed to be free for five months. “However, the free subscription period was cut down to five months for the main connection and three months for the child connections,” said Ahuja.
Ahuja claims that he had paid Rs 4,200 installation charges per connection. “Despite follow-ups with the service provider’s Pune and Noida offices, they refused to pay any compensation or rectify the mistake,” Ahuja stated in the complaint. “I have now shifted to another private DTH service provider,” he said.
Ahuja has asked for a refund of Rs 8,400 as only two of the four connections are valid; a refund Rs 8,400 with interest for the rest of the two connections and a token compensation of Rs 1,000.
“Consumers feel they have nowhere to turn to when it comes to complaints about DTH. The fact is that the Telecom Regulation Authority of India (TRAI) has elaborately laid down regulations to address consumer complaints,” said Sudhakar Velankar of Grahak Hitvardhini.
As per the regulations, failure to provide receipts, deficient after-sales service, not giving promised packages or free subscription, poor quality of channels and so on can be addressed in the consumer court. “Consumers must preserve copies of the package details, payment details, including dates and cheque numbers, and other important documents given by the service provider,” Sant said.
Know your rights>
According to the Telecom Regulation Authority of India regulations, you can approach consumer courts:
When service provider fails to provide receipts
Does not give promised packages or free subscription
Poor quality of channels
Deficient after-sales service
Source: Indian Express
“While consumers have been approaching lawyers seeking their opinion about discrepancy in service, none of the complaints could be admitted in the court as some were either compromised beforehand, some lacked enough evidence to stand in court or the consumers failed to take it forward,” said advocate Dnyanraj Sant, secretary, Grahak Hitvardhini, a consumer rights organisation.
With all documentations in place, 74-year-old Purushottam Ahuja moved the consumer court after his DTH service provider failed to give him the promised five-month free subscription and disconnected his connection within three months without notice.
According to Ahuja’s complaint, he had opted for DTH in August 2007. After the service provider promised him six month’s connection free of cost, he took additional three child connections in October 2007. These connections were also supposed to be free for five months. “However, the free subscription period was cut down to five months for the main connection and three months for the child connections,” said Ahuja.
Ahuja claims that he had paid Rs 4,200 installation charges per connection. “Despite follow-ups with the service provider’s Pune and Noida offices, they refused to pay any compensation or rectify the mistake,” Ahuja stated in the complaint. “I have now shifted to another private DTH service provider,” he said.
Ahuja has asked for a refund of Rs 8,400 as only two of the four connections are valid; a refund Rs 8,400 with interest for the rest of the two connections and a token compensation of Rs 1,000.
“Consumers feel they have nowhere to turn to when it comes to complaints about DTH. The fact is that the Telecom Regulation Authority of India (TRAI) has elaborately laid down regulations to address consumer complaints,” said Sudhakar Velankar of Grahak Hitvardhini.
As per the regulations, failure to provide receipts, deficient after-sales service, not giving promised packages or free subscription, poor quality of channels and so on can be addressed in the consumer court. “Consumers must preserve copies of the package details, payment details, including dates and cheque numbers, and other important documents given by the service provider,” Sant said.
Know your rights>
According to the Telecom Regulation Authority of India regulations, you can approach consumer courts:
When service provider fails to provide receipts
Does not give promised packages or free subscription
Poor quality of channels
Deficient after-sales service
Source: Indian Express
