Unwelcome charges
In October 2014, I cancelled my post-paid data add-on using etisalat’s website, because I was planning to travel abroad in November. However, I was wrongly billed for the add-on in November, even though it was showing as cancelled in their online portal. I checked the website to confirm its status and found that it was indeed off. I filed a complaint and in the next bill (December) I received a refund of the extra charge but also got billed again for the same add-ons (still showing off) in the month of December. I again filed a complaint but this time, etisalat’s representative said it was not turned off in October but rather in mid-December.
If I was lying, then why did they refund my November charges? If I was truthful why did they bill me for December charges? I had evidence of a screenshot from their online portal, showing there was no add-on on December 8, whereas etisalat said they had turned it off on December 12.
I have been on a post-paid service from the past 6-7 months and in every bill, I received extra charges and settled them by making complaints, staying for up to 45 minutes on the phone with etisalat’s help line staff. It has become a painful service. Initially, I was being charged for the packages I was using on my prepaid line, but cancelled before switching to post-paid (with proof of cancellation via SMS), but every month, etisalat would charge me those packages in addition to my post-paid bill and I would spend days trying to convince them that those packages had already been cancelled, by sending them proof with the text message’s screenshot. Yet, in the next month, it’s the same story all over again.
From Mr Jawad Ahmad
Dubai
The management of etisalat responds:
The case has been resolved and closed. The complaint in brief: The customer had been charged for the rental of data add-on in November and December 2014 even though he didn’t apply for it.
Conclusion: No data usage was found.
The final outcome:
1. Dh50 has been refunded already on December 14, 2014.
2. Dh50 has been refunded on February 9, 2015.
3. The customer has been updated regarding the same.
Mr Jawad responds:
Thank you Gulf News for the intervention; it was really helpful. Etisalat called and finally acknowledged my complaint and promised a refund. I am grateful for the resolution.
(Process initiation: February 8. Response from organisation: March 1. Reader confirmation: March 2.)
Editor’s note: Do you have similar issues that you would like to raise with us? You can write to us at readers@gulfnews.com.
