Reliance Jio asked telecom regulator TRAI to impose highest penalty on Airtel in giving misleading tariffs ads. The advertisements issued by Airtel for prepaid and postpaid tariff packs for unlimited calls and free data is in “gross violation of extant telecommunication laws”.
It alleged that the free calls under Airtel’s Special Tariff Vouchere 345 were not really unlimited as Airtel as implemented FUP (Fair Usage Policy) of 300 minutes/day or 1,200 minutes /week, after that all calls are chargeable.
“Therefore, these prepaid packs do not provide unlimited free calling to customers. This fact is not discernable from the advertisements of Airtel and neither does Airtel specify in the advertisements that such limitations apply or are conceived as part of the terms and conditions,” Jio.
It also claimed that FUP related information is provided only by call centre executives of Airtel and that too when the issue is specifically highlighted to them.
It said that this was violative and inconsistent with TRAI’s instructions dated September 10, 2010.
On Airtel’s advertisement of ‘Free data for 12 months, worth Rs. 9000’ on the prepaid sTV of Rs 347, Jio alleged that the data benefits were available only on paying Rs. 345 and therefore, could not be termed free.
“Further, post expiry of the data benefits in the back, the subscriber is charged at pay-as-you-go rates, therefore, the free data claims are grossly misleading,” it said.
Arguing that the value of 3GB data (at the rate of Rs. 450 a month) would work out to only Rs. 5400 over 12 months, Jio said that the benefits are therefore “much lower” than Airtel’s claim of Rs. 9000.
Jio as also accused Airtel of arbitrary discrimination between subscribers of same class, saying that offer (free data for 12 months) can be availed only by subscribers with new 4G handsets, that is 4G handsets that have previously not been used on Airtel’s network.
This “arbitrary classifications” by Airtel is a gross violation of the Telecom Tariff order 1999 Section IV (Transparency and Consumer Protection), Jio said.
“In view of the gross violation by Airtel of TRAI directions, instructions, tariff orders, we request the authority to take the strongest action under the Act and impose highest penalty on Airtel,” the Jio letter said
