My Airtel HD box has been lying unused for several months since I have shifted to Hathway HD. After several pesky calls from Airtel about recharging, a fellow showed up at my door asking me to return the box if I wasn't going to use it any more.
I went back and read the terms and conditions paper and apparently Airtel has included this provision. But what I don't get is, then why does one has to pay upfront 3k to get the box home. What is that charge for? Its not a refundable deposit on the box. Airtel refuses to refund the money. They have cunningly not included any paragraph about the upfront charge and the company's obligation to the customer for that charge in their fine print.
If the box develops any fault then you are liable for it. Why is that so? It isn't your property, why should you bear the costs? Airtel should. Its their property. I had an audio niggle which would randomly crop up and Airtel wanted to charge me 750 to replace the box. Luckily Hathway HD was launched around the same time and I switched.
Had it been the case that you are buying the box for 3k and later it develops a fault, then you'd have to spend on it outside the warranty period. That would be totally acceptable because now I am spending to repair/replace my own property. Airtel wants me to spend to repair and maintain their property for them. I can't believe how blatant they are in their intentions to rip you off and yet they have amassed millions of subscribers.
TL;DR
You buy a HD box for 3k, but it really isn't yours, but if anything goes wrong with it, you pay more to replace it. And if you don't use it you return it without a refund.
Airtel wants to have their cake and eat it too. I don't know much about consumer law but this is just wrong and completely prejudiced against the consumer on the face of it. I mean they can't justify something wrong by just including it in their fine print can they?
IBF users what has happened to our old STB's when you have switched providers?
I went back and read the terms and conditions paper and apparently Airtel has included this provision. But what I don't get is, then why does one has to pay upfront 3k to get the box home. What is that charge for? Its not a refundable deposit on the box. Airtel refuses to refund the money. They have cunningly not included any paragraph about the upfront charge and the company's obligation to the customer for that charge in their fine print.
If the box develops any fault then you are liable for it. Why is that so? It isn't your property, why should you bear the costs? Airtel should. Its their property. I had an audio niggle which would randomly crop up and Airtel wanted to charge me 750 to replace the box. Luckily Hathway HD was launched around the same time and I switched.
Had it been the case that you are buying the box for 3k and later it develops a fault, then you'd have to spend on it outside the warranty period. That would be totally acceptable because now I am spending to repair/replace my own property. Airtel wants me to spend to repair and maintain their property for them. I can't believe how blatant they are in their intentions to rip you off and yet they have amassed millions of subscribers.
TL;DR
You buy a HD box for 3k, but it really isn't yours, but if anything goes wrong with it, you pay more to replace it. And if you don't use it you return it without a refund.
Airtel wants to have their cake and eat it too. I don't know much about consumer law but this is just wrong and completely prejudiced against the consumer on the face of it. I mean they can't justify something wrong by just including it in their fine print can they?
IBF users what has happened to our old STB's when you have switched providers?