[Parry1410]

Something similar has happened with me, however mine was a post paid connection. I was not using it and had kept it aside for sometime. On purchasing a new cell for my son I tried using the card and it would not work. On contacting the call center I was told the number was assigned to somebody else as I had not used it for sometime. This was done without any notification being given to me. Complaining does not help, I just went ahead and got a new number.

[kkg]

Yes it is right that one has to do atleast minimum of rs 200 recharge in 6 months. But along with that you have to use the no for outgoing/incoming call atleast once in two months. Otherwise the co. considers the no as inactive and allocates it to someone else. IDEA does it more than anybody else.

How do I know it??. I am in this business (selling cell phones/connections) and I see it every now and then. I had a customer whose vodafone no which he was using daily was given to someone else because his was prepaid but a good/premium no. But, we somehow managed to get it back.

[BANDHAV]

^^That somehow seems to be the case with me, as you can see my number is also a sort of premium number.

Though I was not using it extensively but I was surely receiving call/messages on this number of mine.

I have already started updating my other numbers with banks, credit cards etc.

[mac187]

The reason is straight forward, yours is a premium number. Suggest you to slug it out with IDEA, else you will never get the number back.

[BANDHAV]

^^I am trying whatever I can, I have already shot a complaint mail to concerned email ids. Apart from this I have called up the Nodal officer (Delhi-NCR) and have explained him the issue. According to him they must have communicated about the deactivation of number prior hand, which is just not the case. He has promised me that he will get back to me with the proper cause of deactivation. In case I failed to get my number back following this way, I may opt for filing a consumer case against Idea cellular.

I know all this might end up being a futile exercise but I just can't let it go like this.

[mayankjha1806]

I don't think any significant thing will happen, once you have lost that number and its given to someone else, its difficult for them to take it back from that someone else. They will hide behind some policy etc, you could challenge them, but chances are 50/50.

One curious question, if you were very determined to continue with that number why did you not change the same number to a post-paid one?

[raj_5004]

Does this happen with postpaid service also?

I have a Vodafone connection in my native which I obviously dont use when I am in Mumbai. But I do pay the monthly rental on time. Twice Vodafone has disconnected my number citing a reason that I do not use that number.

What is their problem if I do not use that number? I am regularly paying the monthly rental, isnt it?

[Lalvaz]

Originally Posted by BANDHAV

Everything was fine till last week of January, when I noticed that my prepaid number is not working. I tried basic trouble shooting by putting it in different handsets, wiping it up etc but nothing worked. The prompt I was getting that Sim registration failed. On contacting the Idea customer care I was updated the number is still active and I need to visit one of the nearest idea customer care outlet to get this sorted out. I was ready with defunct SIM, required documents but failed to visit any due to my schedule.

You can write to TRAI as well with a complaint about the non notification by Idea prior to allotting your number to anyone else. What I fail to understand Bandhav is that why did you not visit the Idea customer care outlet when your SIM stopped working? It probably means that you do not use the SIM card regularly and could'nt care less when it stopped working. Only later, when you realized that it was a premium number did you raise a hue and cry. Why would you expect any service provider to give you a Premium number unless they get some revenue from it? Its all a matter of economics, my friend. Anyways, all the best in trying to get back your number. BTW, the current rule is that the number must be used atleast once a month to make outgoing calls to remain ACTIVE. This is common to all TELCOS. Not sure how many are practising it though, but AIRTEL does or atleast claims to do.

[kkg]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

Does this happen with postpaid service also?


What is their problem if I do not use that number? I am regularly paying the monthly rental, isnt it?

I don't think so. My younger brother was out of India for one year, his no. ends with ****666007 which is a kind of a premium no these days. He paid minimum rental every month online and now he is back and the number is still working. This usually happens to prepaid numbers I guess.

[BANDHAV]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

One curious question, if you were very determined to continue with that number why did you not change the same number to a post-paid one?

Originally Posted by BANDHAV

I was using a Idea pre-paid number from last 3-4 years, It was a very good looking number 999*9*99*9 (if it can be called so). A year back I also got myself a post paid number of Idea as it was very similar looking, 999*9*9**9, to my pre paid number.

I already have a postpaid number, so there was no point in getting it converted to a postpaid number.

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

You can write to TRAI as well with a complaint about the non notification by Idea prior to allotting your number to anyone else.

Yes, I am planning to do so.

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

What I fail to understand Bandhav is that why did you not visit the Idea customer care outlet when your SIM stopped working? It probably means that you do not use the SIM card regularly and could'nt care less when it stopped working.

Originally Posted by BANDHAV

On contacting the Idea customer care I was updated the number is still active and I need to visit one of the nearest idea customer care outlet to get this sorted out. I was ready with defunct SIM, required documents but failed to visit any due to my schedule.

I hope this answers you question.

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

Only later, when you realized that it was a premium number did you raise a hue and cry. Why would you expect any service provider to give you a Premium number unless they get some revenue from it?

Originally Posted by BANDHAV

I was using a Idea pre-paid number from last 3-4 years, It was a very good looking number 999*9*99*9 (if it can be called so). A year back I also got myself a post paid number of Idea as it was very similar looking, 999*9*9**9, to my pre paid number.

I got the other Idea postpaid number just for the sake that it's very similar and premium looking just like my prepaid number and I have paid the money to Idea when I originally bought this number. So going by basic economics I should be the one who must be selling it, though I have/had no intention to do so, not idea.

[BANDHAV]

Visited TRAI website, there was no direct link to register a complaint or atleast I failed to find one, anyway wrote a mail to few of the email-ids which I feel might be relevant to such consumer related issue.

Tried calling the Nodal officer again, he again promised a call back with the reason of deactivation. Till now I have interacted with few CCE, Floor In-charge and someone from so called Nodal office, the apathy towards a customer concern is very obvious in their tone.

Whichever way this ends, Idea is about to loose a customer,as they care, I am going to apply for MNP for my postpaid number.

[Kool_Kid]

Hi Bandav,

This happened to me also , around 2005 i had a very premium Airtel prepaid number , unfortunately the phone was not working and was in Samsung repair shop for 2 week. when i finally got the phone back i was amazed to see 0 balance ( i had around 1000 + ) .

I contacted Airtel but no one was ready to explain me the reason , i even went to their HQ in delhi ( okhla) . Nothing happened . i stopped using Airtel since then and switched to MTNL / Vodaphone. I later came to know that if you do not recharge every month it will go to zero balance then then will be disconnected .


Now every time i get a call from airtel telecaller , i ask them to refund my money if they wish to sell me any plan. they never call back.



I now work with an international telco billing system. In that context it is generally belived that Airtel / Reliance <- Idea <- Voda phone <- MTNL in terms of billing system integrity.

Airtel / Reliance should be avoided , the best solution for your is to

1) Lodge an FIR stating that you lost your simi card . even an police Diary report wll do . if you can get it predated ( before 20 Jan ) nothing like it.

2) copy the FIR and send it to customer care

3) fwd the email to TRI

4) raise a complain on pgportal.gov.in

follow these 4 steps and you will get your number ... you can even call up the person using your number and tell him about the FIR.

if you wish to port your numbe do so as most telco really do not care about losing retail customers.

[supercars]

I want a phone; any budget to access internet sites like FB and Twitter. The Phone should be able to take a few blows and still work well and good battery life.

btw can I see all websites on the phone like I can see on PC ?

I also want to know how to use the Mobile phone to access the net. I have always had Fixed Wire Broadband.

btw I would not be selling my phone ever so I want something that will last a very long time.
GPS if available would be a good accessory.

I would prefer to have Physical Keys as it helps in keeping the phone reliable but if there is a reliable virtual key phone; it will also do.

[Gadgetfreak]

Originally Posted by supercars

I want a phone; any budget to access internet sites like FB and Twitter. The Phone should be able to take a few blows and still work well and good battery life.

btw can I see all websites on the phone like I can see on PC ?

I also want to know how to use the Mobile phone to access the net. I have always had Fixed Wire Broadband.

btw I would not be selling my phone ever so I want something that will last a very long time.
GPS if available would be a good accessory.

I would prefer to have Physical Keys as it helps in keeping the phone reliable but if there is a reliable virtual key phone; it will also do.

There are many phones in the market which will fulfill your requirement. So kindly elaborate a little more on your requirements.

One of the best sites for latest on GSM mobile phones is GSMArena.com - GSM phone reviews, news, opinions, votes, manuals and more.... You can visit this site and do comparisons, the feedbacks and comments on this site are very genuine and to the point.

[supercars]

ok.

I want a Very Reliable Long Lasting Phone which has Good Battery Life. I do not want the phone to break if it falls once or twice(ofc just a small casual fall).

I really do not have a Budget Problem. I can buy any phone you advise. I just want a phone to see websites.