Airtel told to pay Rs 1.55 lakh to customer for unfair trade practice

BENGALURU: The Bangalore First Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed Bharti Airtel Ltd to pay Rs 1.55 lakh compensation, including Rs 5,000 litigation cost, to a customer for committing deficiency in service and unfair trade practice for not activating the sim card provided to him.

Partly allowing the complaint filed by Simha, a short film-maker, scriptwriter and director, residing at Vijayanagar, the commission comprising of president B Narayanappa and Member N Jyothi passed the ex-parte order, as Airtel did not turn up in spite of issuing notice. The complainant contended that he wanted to port his sim card from Vodafone to Airtel, but Airtel failed to activate it even though sims were three times, disrupting contact with potential investors and other members in his field of business. 

The commission declined the contention observing that the entire process of porting his sim stretched less than a month from January 22, 2018, to February 18, 2018, during which the complainant could not have plausibly suffered monetarily “missing the biggest opportunity in his life and appointments with investor”.

The compensation claimed by the complainant to the tune of Rs 43 crore was irrational, said the commission, adding that he could have resorted to other telecommunication service providers and continued his business. “We do agree that Airtel has committed deficiency in service and unfair trade practice,” the commission said.