[phamilyman]

Gurgaon atleast has no such nonsense. They didnt insist on a silly stove. First they made me wait about six weeks saying connections are not open. Then I lost it one day and gave them the whole desi treatment. I was not going to get out of the store till they logged onto the system and showed me that the allocation system was closed and I almost dialed the police as well. They took me into an inside room, where in just 1 minute my data was entered into a waitlist - 15 days later we had our connection.

Not a penny spent, in this otherwise bribe capital!

[Driving_Nomad]

One of my friend bought an Indane connection a month ago. The dealer was insisting that my friend must buy a stove and a pressure cooker from him until I stepped in. I took up an argument with the dealer and frustrated him to the core . It is usually customers who get frustrated after arguing. Hurl back two gaalis indirectly at them and see how they get boiled up!!
He was then prepared to give a connection sans the stove and the cooker but was asking for 5K plus the refill charge for a cylinder(for a single cylinder connection? Are you kidding me?). I then told him that my elder brother is a senior regional manager at IOC (he indeed is but was just transferred to Mumbai a week ago ) and I would take up the matter with him. He finally started to beg for 300 to 500 bucks more for the connection which my friend gave into.

[carwatcher]

Originally Posted by carbookie

I called up the BP helpline number and complained from the dealer's place. Nothing moved. So I came back home. Next day, I visited the BP regional office, and talked to the incharge there.

Originally Posted by Driving_Nomad

He finally started to beg for 300 to 500 bucks more for the connection which my friend gave into.

Don't we see a pattern here. As I mentioned in my earlier post there seem to be a serious flaw in the system.
This 'drama' of seniors intervening and 'solving' the matter is played in almost every petrol pump, gas agency, mobile co. office which shouldn't have been there in the first place. It also gives us a false sense of security/assurance that every thing is under control.
I have two interesting observations to make.
1. Generally petrol pump owners/gas agency owners are considered to be well off, then what makes them 'beg' for 300 Rupees or is it their staff who is begging. But I have seen all the gas agency staff and owner's behave in similar way.
This leads to my next observation.
2. If one observes, Gas Agency/Petrol pump ownership can be equated to getting a Govt job sans retirement. Now if you remember few years back when we were kids and we could see many people in our neighbourhood preparing for govt jobs, it was also told that though the govt job will have lesser salary but will have job security and pension benefits as benefits to make for it (I am not considering extra income here).
Now there are people who can manage with that salary and then there are people who can't and always look to increase their incomes and similarly there are few who are forced to do that (as he has to pay for the share of the higher ups).
For instance, when I went for the driving test for my DL in Goa, there is a rule that the vehicle for test must have two sets of brakes and clutch. Now tell me where are such cars available other than with Motor Driving schools, so I enquired almost 5-6 Driving schools and asked them for favour to provide me with the car and I will pay for the petrol to them. To this all the school told the same thing that you take our car for free but we have to pay them Rs.500/- per DL and you won't even realise when the payment is made. Or they requested me to somehow convince the RTO people (at my level) to exempt them from 'charging' the school in this specific case. Now can anyone beat this. I had to shell out Rs.850 (500 for car and 350 for bike despite going to all possible lengths to avoid this).
Not to mention, there is a RTO owned test vehicle available with two sets of brakes/clutch but is always in 'out of order' condition.
I have come to a conclusion that nothing other than this human 'Greed' to make more money is responsible for it and as more than 95% suffer from this, these systems are developed where the customers are made to suffer by the govt and other agencies who work in synchronisation. It is pervalent in private organisations too but in other manner.
One important thing to also note that 'Govt officials' are different from 'Govt' who are loyal to no one neither the Govt nor the public.

[Durango Dude]

We are a 'country' of a billion + rats; what happens when you put that many rats in one place: attrition: one feeds on another and the "top" sewer rats are the politicians and bureaucrats. No point loosing your cool if that's way the 'machinery' works so be it, no point challenging it or trying to make a complaint to the "Lok Pal" neither does a parallel world of good people exist where you can escape to like in Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged'. No Team Anna or John Galt is going to come to your rescue. In India do as Indian's do: "grease" your way through the quagmire.
Do you know how you got the 'water' and 'electricity' connection for your house; don't tell me you didn't have to pay a bribe, coz that would be a lie.

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

In India do as Indian's do: "grease" your way through the quagmire.

I have a suspicion, that the Indian systems are so designed by our economists to leak money, so that an alternate 'black' economy thrives. Maybe they have some logic which says that people with black/bribe money spend more, than people with 'white' money. Otherwise how else would you explain the fascination of our leaders with the black money stashed away in Switzerland, isn't it similar to collecting the the spilled water on the ground with a mug, rather than plugging the leak itself in the water pipe.

[roy_libran]

Only yesterday, I have also recieved a call from a dealer of Bharat Gas. They informed me that my 3 month old connection application has been approved, and I can operationalize the same, after buying stuff worth Rs. 6000 from them.

What should I be doing in this case, except taking things to the consumer court?

[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by alpha1

So last weekend I decided to check up with the local agency for new LPG connection:
...
So should I cough up the money for the futile junk sold by the agency and get the connection?

When I moved to Pune, I took a Reliance LPG connection since it was easy to get. One cylinder used to last us anywhere between 4-6 months then. But getting a refill was a big problem. And then one day the dealership simply disappeared and along with them the dealer's telephone numbers. After searching around for a couple of months, I located them at a different location. Again after a few months, the dealership simply disappeared. I found it again after a few months and then surrendered the connection.

I then took an HPCL connection. It was the same story of having to buy the stove. Since I had wanted a stove, I asked the dealer to procure a particular stove (BPL make) that I had finalized and paid him the same amount for which it was available from other shops. Later on I switched the dealer while shifting my residence and faced no issues at all.

Please make an online complaint to the oil company and your issue will be resolved without having to pay anything.

[Driving_Nomad]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

One important thing to also note that 'Govt officials' are different from 'Govt' who are loyal to no one neither the Govt nor the public.

India Shining eh?? Couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

Do you know how you got the 'water' and 'electricity' connection for your house; don't tell me you didn't have to pay a bribe, coz that would be a lie.

Yes we did pay a bribe (infact my dad did). But I can say that although I have tipped the attenders at a Govt. office some 10-20 bucks (after the job is done), I have never paid any bribe to anyone till date. Don't know when I will be forced to break this streak.

Out of all experiences that I have had at Govt. Offices (RTO, Sub-Registrar, Electricity, Water supply, and even City corporation) I have this to say:

• Take some time to gather infomation about the documents and applications that are needed to get the job done.
• Take all necessary documents, fill up forms correctly and legibly. Be ready to spend some time at the office.
• Be at the required office when it opens for the day. You never know how and out of where the officer would suddenly want another document or a gazetted officer's signature when it's your turn in the queue and you reach the officer. This is the main reason many people grease hands. This indeed has happened to me several times and all I have done is smiled at them and asked politely for a clarification as to "why/what" so that he/she cannot send you back the next time for something else.
• Be polite but never request them like "Thoda dekhiye sir, Kuch keejiye sir" and never show them that you are in a hurry to get the job done. They see this as a weakness and this will put you in a compelling position to grease their hands after all your hard work.
• Show them that you have a "never-say-die attitude" and are brimming with confidence.

Believe me, it has given me a sense of satisfaction every time I have done this. I feel that all the standing in the scorching sun, going in and out of the queue and their chambers, running up and down the stairs is worth.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Only yesterday, I have also recieved a call from a dealer of Bharat Gas. They informed me that my 3 month old connection application has been approved, and I can operationalize the same, after buying stuff worth Rs. 6000 from them.

What should I be doing in this case, except taking things to the consumer court?

Tell them that you aren't going to buy even a gas-lighter from him. When your application has been approved, there is very less that a dealer can do. If he/she doesn't budge, speak to the regional manager. He/she will see to it that you will only have to pay what you will be billed for.

[rm_arjuna]

i got my connection issued from BCPL Mumbai across the counter ,it was for single connection the dealer was actually willing to give double cyclinder . I opted for single as i was alone , then moved to hyderabad . In hyderabad my area had all companies except BCPL and none of the other companies refused to take the transfer letter and re-issue new connection .Finally i had to get reconnection with BCPl which was some 14kms away and was at their mercy on delivery .Somehow managed for 1.5yrs and after too many follow-up,arguements and complaints finally got 2nd cyclinder issued .

Again had to buy some cookware for 3k

[dmplog]

Over the weekend, I had been to my Bharat Gas Distributor for requesting for a second Gas Cylinder connection. He responded that issuing 2nd connection has been stopped. I also saw a notice at another BPCL Gas distributor mentioning the same. BTW, this is in Pune.

Has anybody faced this situation lately?

[mayuresh]

Originally Posted by dmplog

Over the weekend, I had been to my Bharat Gas Distributor
for requesting for a second Gas Cylinder connection. He responded that issuing
2nd connection has been stopped. I also saw a notice at another BPCL Gas
distributor mentioning the same. BTW, this is in Pune.

A 2nd connection has been stopped, but not two cyllinders on one connection I
suppose. 2nd connection not only in same person's name but in the same
household on another person's name has been stopped of late.

[dreamdiesel]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Funny are the ways of our country.
So should I cough up the money for the futile junk sold by the agency and get the connection?

Same scenario I faced about a month back to get a New Gas connection at an Indane (IOCL) distributor here in Bangalore. I was hellbent on not paying a single rupee extra in the form of stove, cooker or lighter to get a new connection. Even giving them a earful did not help, as once they realized I was here only for a Gas connection without buying anything extra from them. They kept giving me the run around saying Hot-Plate inspection needs to be carried out at my home and of course inspection was always delayed.

Next step I did was file an RTI with the Public Information Officer at IOCL State Office at Bangalore, asking about the status of my connection with the Indane Distributor and few other related questions. RTI was filed about 3 weeks back.

Yesterday I received a call from the Indane Distributor to come to their office to collect the cylinder as a connection for me was being released. I just could not stop grinning. He told me particularly that they received a phone call from the IOCL State Office.

Just an experience where RTI can be used to get your work done!!!!

[.sushilkumar]

Looks Like it;s a region specific. I have applied for a gas connection from Indane , they took 2 months to send me allotment letter but it came one fine day . went to dealer with documents , no question asked from them. inquired whether i can get 2 cylinders straightway and voila i was given 2 cylinders immediately on deposit of security ( some 3800 rs , not sure of Figure ) Next day , agency guy came to house with 2 cylinder installed them in my kitchen and happily went away with installation slip in hand. No stove talk nothing. it;s a different matter that they were short on new regulators so they gave me a returned regulator in interim, for which i will get free replacement as and when it malfunctions .

[kala]

Originally Posted by MA5K

Today, had been to SBI to open a new A/c for my sis, after filling out the application form we were directed to a counter to make the cash payment. There that guy handed over another form asking us to fill - it was a Accident Insurance form for SBI General Insurance. We didn't even want it, all the "logical" answer we got from him was "pay Rs.100 per year and you get covered for Rs.4lacs!!" After repeatedly asking him is it mandatory, his answer changed from "Yes" initially to a sheepish "this is the practice in all banks."

Exactly the same thing happened when I went to SBI to open an account for my son a few months back. I refused to fill the insurance application form and when the officer told me that it is mandatory for opening an account, asked him to give it in writing.

The officer with a sheepish smile told me it wasn't really mandatory, but they were supposed to try to sell it to anyone who was opening an account (and went ahead and processed the account application without any further issues) !!

[Gansan]

Guys, we have been informed by our LPG distributor that each household should have only one LPG connection - single or two cylinder. If we have more than one connection in the same address, one should be surrendered before 15th September.

There are two connections in my home. My father's and mine. Mine is a transferable job; I have taken my connection to wherever I am posted in the past, and when I am back in Chennai I stay with my parents in the same house. So long as it was an independent house this would have posed no problems - we can always say we live in the first floor. But now it is an apartment.

The dealer further informs that only the first four cylinders in a year alone will be subsidized, and the rest will be full rate. Fine. But he further says even the non-subsidized cylinders will have be supplied not more than one per month. So I asked him whether I can have the second connection as a commercial connection - the bigger cylinder at a higher price. But he says that connection is prohibited for homes.

Is this information correct? Why should they supply just one cylinder a month if I am ready to pay the full price? How is a large household supposed to manage with this? Mine uses two cylinders at the same time, and runs through a cylinder in about twenty days. And to my knowledge there are no private LPG suppliers here right now.
.