Dated 13th November,2014
From : Chittaranjan Musib
103 Serena CT,
Mountain View
CA 94043 USA




Sub: Complaint for international roaming charges for which no formal/informal request was made to Vodafone Customer care Mumbai for mobile no .********78
I submit below the facts in a sequential order to make the matter more clear and transparent.
1 .I planned to come to San Francisco, USA on 18th October, 2014 and to stay here for 6 to 9 months to spend time with my granddaughters. Accordingly, I board a flight from Mumbai on 18th October, 2014 at 04.30 hrs for San Francisco by Emirates via Dubai.
2. I spoke to customer care of Vodafone Mumbai on 17th October, 2014 with a request to deactivate my 2G connection and to keep the mobile live as I am going out of the country for a longer period. I asked for charges to keep the phone active and it was confirmed that normal charges of my scheme i.e. Rs.299 per month. I got a sms at 12.21 p.m. that the system is deactivated.
3. After disabling the system of WIFI, Downloading, and Internet etc. I switched off my mobile from 18th October, 2014 .before leaving India. Since my mobile was switched off the question of using the inyternational roaming facility and surfing of data do not arise. I never bothered to switch on the mobile as I was having another mobile of USA operated by T-Mobile.
4. Since I was extremely tired due to Arthritis I did not check email from 17th to 24th October, 2014. I opened my yahoo mail account on 24th October,2014 and saw one email from Vodafone asking me to pay Rs.13689.00 as interim payment for using international roaming from 18th October,14. (My Vodafone bill period is 25th of the previous month to 24th of the current month.).
Immediately, I made a telephone call to Voda Customer Care, Mumbai from my home phone at San Francisco, USA( 650-390-6834). I requested the lady who took the call to verify it as I never asked for international roaming facility rather I asked to deactivate 2G services. She told me that I being a corporate customer should speak to Corporate Asst. but never transferred the call. Then I requested her that my mobile should be deactivated immediately. She was very rude and left the telephone.
5. on 26th October,2014 Vodafone sent the bill for October,2014 through email . The bill includes international roaming charges of Rs.13473.30 . The total bill amount was Rs.16,139.07 inclusive of taxes out of which domestic use inclusive of tax was Rs.1047.44.. I sent a email to Vodafone requesting to revise the bill in view of not asked for international roaming connection but could not get any reply. Being a loyal customer, I paid Rs.1047.50 by cheque drawn in favour of Vodafone mob.no.********78 and my friend in Mumbai has deposited in Vodafone collection center at Thakur Village, Kandivali €.Mumbai on 10th Nov,2014 ( due date was 12th Nov.14).
6.. In the meanwhile my Yahoo mail was hacked by hackers and I could not get entry to Yahoo mail. This was intimated to Vodafone on 27th October,2014 with a request to register my Gmail account as I have no access to yahoo mail. So, I again called over phone to Vodafone Customer care (********00) and then requested to connect me customer Relations Executive. One Mr. Albert came on phone and I explained him what I said on 17th October, 2014 to Vodafone Customer care but mentioned that I never asked international roaming. Then why I am being charged for international roaming? Then I mentioned about the talk of 24th with the lady customer care representative of Vodafone who talked to me on 24th October, 14 and to know what action has been taken for deactivate my mobile. He was positive and assured me to provide all help to restore the mistake.
The entire conversation with Vodafone Customer care from 17th October, 2014 to 27th October, 2014 was written in seriatim and email to Vodafone Customer Care Mumbai and also to Vodafone Corporate Asst from my Gmail Account.
I got a reply from Vodafone Corporate Asstt which has not mentioned about my request of 17th October, 2014 for deactivation of 2G connection. Rather it says about technicality of international roaming and wanted to establish that the billing is correct and also stated that no details could be provided. Immediately I sent a reply against that mail. Subsequently, on 6th November,2014 I sent a letter addressed to him giving the facts in chronological order.(Interaction No.1042214316)
I got a reply from another person of Vodafone (Mr. Alfa Shaikh) on 9th November, 2014 and his reply was the same one which was written by Mr. Shrivastava on 1st Nov,2014 and no extra point has been added. Rather it was a copy of the same letter of 1st Nov.2014 ( interaction No. 1050950740
I sent a reply email to Mr. Alfa Shaikh on 10th November, 2014




I received an email in response to my reply to Mr.Alfa Shaikh written by Mr.Prashant Pandey on 12th November, 2014 just repeating the same language to establish that payment has to be made as per billing and stress that billing is correctly done. It is also mentioned that my mobile has been suspended from 6th November, 2014 and a bill has been raised for November, 2014 for an amount of Rs, 55,501.80. (Interaction No.105361238, 1053361552, 1053361794)
I am surprised that when I requested on 24th October, 2014 to deactivate my mobile why it took a long 12 days to suspend it. Secondly, when I have not asked for international roaming facility how such bill can be raised?
6. In view of the above facts I have serious doubt about the integrity of Vodafone Customer care as well as Vodafone Corporate Assistance. I spoke to Vodafone Customer care; Mumbai on 10.11.2014 over phone from USA (650-390-6834) .The call was attended by Mr. Rahul. He informed me that based on my email received by them on 28th October,2014 my mobile phone has been kept under suspension from 4th November,2014.He also informed that I should speak to Nodal Officer Ms. Zillah Vaz and gave her telephone no. and email Id. On this issue I wanted to speak to her and tried her mobile but could not get response. Ultimately I sent one email to her attaching all the emails exchanged between me and Vodafone Customer care, Mumbai but yet to get reply. The reply has come just now when I was going to file this letter. It says that Billing is correct and that too for surfing the data while roaming which is a utter lie as my mobile is totally dead so far data surfing in question.
7. I have the following questions for Vodafone in this matter:
(i) When I never asked for international roaming, how the facility was given without my knowledge and confirmation?
(ii) Does it possible for an ordinary man to ask for international roaming when foreign stay is almost 8 months? Is it believable?
(iii). When domestic roaming bill for my phone is within Rs.1200 p.m. and how it is possible to give credit for more thanRs.50, 000.00 and that too for international roaming.?
(iv). Does it not indicate a vicious circle is playing in Vodafone to extort substantial money in the form of international roaming and that too without being asked for such connection? Since I had mentioned that I would be out of India to Vodafone Customer care, Mumbai on 17th October, 2014 my telephone call of 17th October could be mistaken for international roaming whereas the fact remains that I requested for deactivation of 2G services. Why Vodafone has not verified before giving international roaming facility and explicitly explained the cost impact for such facility? Do Vodafone have taken any consent for giving credit limit of such huge amount? Obviously , I doubt the integrity of Vodafone Customert care for such manipulation for extortion of money from innocent customers.
(v). When the matter was brought to Vodafone Customer Care,Mumbai on 24th October, 2014 that I never asked for international roaming and asked for immediate disconnection of facilities why action was not taken instantly? Why I need to follow up continuously for disconnection through phone from USA and by email constantly whereas connection of international roaming was possible instantly.
(vi). Does it not an extortion of money by fraudulent practices in the name of international roaming facility when the telephone is switched off and not active ? Why Vodafone refused to give the details of calls or downloading of documents, if international roaming facility was used?
(vii). Why Vodafone does not refer to the customer profile before and deal accordingly instead of giving stereotype reply by X, Y Z.?
(viii). Is it not one type of Forgery with clients having relationship over 15 years