[barcalad]

Reasons aplenty, I finally decided to close my account with Paytm a few weeks back. They had rocked my boat and I decided to call it in. Promptly removed my cards, UPI syncing and sent in a formal request to close my Paytm account (along with Fastag) permanently. After a message or two with their in-app chat support, they began ghosting me.

Escalated on Twitter, got a legible response which required me to post a selfie with the KYC document that I had used to register with Paytm many years back for "authentication". Regardless, followed the drill only to get a "Your selfie is not clear" message. Realized that they are stalling and what followed was a very stern message from me. Within 24 hours, got an account closure confirmation email that I immediately confirmed. This included my Paytm Fastag closure for all of my cars - a poison I was willing to gulp simply because I had begun to abhor Paytm and its policies by this point. A story for another day.

All closed. Fastag refund with security credited to my bank account within 48 hours.

Post that, I immediately raised a request on Amazon Pay - ICICI for new Fastags for my wheels. Received all new Fastags with documentation within 4 days. As smooth as whipped cream.

The pickle here was to remove the Paytm fastag from my old windshields. Quite a simple process - used sanitizer + scotch brite (utensil scrubber) gently over the stickers and all of them came down easily once the main outer white peeling was out. Remember to use nails/forceps for the white peeling and sanitizer + scrubber only for the magnetic bit that is hard to remove.

All in all, a happy and content transition from one Fastag vendor to another. No issues so far.

[SideView]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Reasons aplenty, I finally decided to close my account with Paytm a few weeks back. They had rocked my boat and I decided to call it in.

As I use paytm for UPI and fasttag, would be interested to know the reasons ( if ok) since I personally haven’t faced any issues to take such drastic measures. Curious because I want to keep an eye out for any possible issues that as a paytm user I should be aware of.

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by barcalad

I had begun to abhor Paytm and its policies by this point. A story for another day.

Originally Posted by SideView

I personally haven’t faced any issues to take such drastic measures.

Indeed, I too would like to know the reasons for Paytm. I am a paytm fastag user as well as their UPI+Bank. Experience has been good so far.

In fact, I had not so good experience with ICICI bank account and CC back in the day. Closed relationships with the bank long back.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by SideView

As I use paytm for UPI and fasttag, would be interested to know the reasons ( if ok) since I personally haven’t faced any issues to take such drastic measures. Curious because I want to keep an eye out for any possible issues that as a paytm user I should be aware of.

Originally Posted by shipnil

Indeed, I too would like to know the reasons for Paytm. I am a paytm fastag user as well as their UPI+Bank. Experience has been good so far.

In fact, I had not so good experience with ICICI bank account and CC back in the day. Closed relationships with the bank long back.

Won't go into the details, but the way their app takes data about a user and uses it is concerning. They literally require ever imaginable app permission that exists on your phone. I happened to read some Twitter posts about how Paytm intentionally tried to renew Paytm First memberships for some users by sending multiple UPI approval requests without the user having requested it in the first place. Sounds quite unethical and unbecoming to me.

I had a Fastag issue once on Yamuna E-way when the toll charged me in cash and Fastag auto-deducted too. Fortunately, I had the slip. It took me more than a month to get the auto-deducted money back because their customer service specializes in one thing only - stonewalling a customer.

Anyway, these incidents, horror stories from others and anecdotes kept building up and one fine day I simply decided to close my account and get all of my user data removed from them. That's that.

[binand]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Reasons aplenty, I finally decided to close my account with Paytm a few weeks back.

Originally Posted by SideView

As I use paytm for UPI and fasttag, would be interested to know the reasons

Originally Posted by shipnil

Indeed, I too would like to know the reasons for Paytm.

I have also taken the resolution to get rid of Paytm Fastags (this is the only relationship I have with Paytm currently). I don't like the way they have crippled web access to my account with them. I refuse to install their app because of its inordinate appetite for permissions and private data. I don't even bother to report double deductions and incorrect application of return fares in tolls because the hassle is extreme and the outcome is never certain.

[adisan]

Originally Posted by barcalad

They literally require ever imaginable app permission that exists on your phone.

Thanks for sharing these details.
I checked by removing all permissions for my PayTM app, and it still works well. Have retained only the camera permission to scan QR codes.
Does the app surreptitiously collect data?

[binand]

Originally Posted by adisan

Does the app surreptitiously collect data?

Paytm has an ads platform (https://ads.paytm.com). You can guarantee that they're collecting more data than they are entitled to.

[adisan]

...their customer service specializes in one thing only - stonewalling a customer.

So I checked for reviews of customer care provided by Fastag vendors. The result was far from promising. Most vendors seem to have bad feedback, with "no response to emails" or "no one answers calls".

The below Quora page summarizes the feedback:
https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-b...vices-in-India

Any personal stories regarding good support received?

[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by adisan

So I checked for reviews of customer care provided by Fastag vendors. The result was far from promising. Most vendors seem to have bad feedback, with "no response to emails" or "no one answers calls".

The below Quora page summarizes the feedback:
https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-b...vices-in-India

Any personal stories regarding good support received?

I have had very good experience with ICICI customer care during the usage as well as when I wanted to close the tag due to sale of car. Their customer care was easy to reach over phone and provided me with the required resolution or guidance and I was able to close tag online without any trouble.

For new fastag application as well, I was pleasantly surprised that I could apply and get fastag for new car through my ICICI savings bank account even before I got my car delivery(with just the car RC number and no documentation was required). That saved me trouble of running after dealer who was only able to provide some random bank tag I was not interested in.
So overall, nothing to complain about ICICI and looks like they are one of most popular Fastag providers.

[attinder]

Is the dealer fitted Fastag ready to use or do I need to 'activate' it by proof of fitment?

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by attinder

Is the dealer fitted Fastag ready to use or do I need to 'activate' it by proof of fitment?

It is linked to a limited functionality Bank account with the issuer bank. A part of the initial fee you paid goes into this account as a balance. If your KYC has been done, and online banking activated on this bank account, you can recharge / load the tag with additional money. Once you get the registration certificate, you'll need to send a copy to the issuing Bank and once the vehicle number and tag is linked, you can use other means also, like UPI / Google pay also to load money.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by adisan

So I checked for reviews of customer care provided by Fastag vendors. The result was far from promising. Most vendors seem to have bad feedback, with "no response to emails" or "no one answers calls".

I feel that the concept of "service" is extremely subjective and everyone has a different experience from perhaps the same vendor. Which is fair, per se. In my case, Paytm was consistent in letting me down. It was from them that I understood that ghosting a customer is a customer relations concept, especially on social media, where every word matters more since it is in public eye. These guys literally stopped responding if I followed up within a reasonable time frame. "Ghost the customer so much that they get tired/frustrated and forget about it" is perhaps their customer service mantra.

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

I have had very good experience with ICICI customer care during the usage as well as when I wanted to close the tag due to sale of car.

This. The only reason I went with ICICI-Amazon Pay is because post my Paytm closure, I shifted to Amazon Pay completely for everything online. I've read better things about ICICI than I have about Paytm. Amazon's customer service and social media reactivity has been kind to me so far, even in Tier 3 cities. No complaints yet, touchwood.

[Nalin1]

To the Nexon owners-

Did anyone of you get the Fastag from Kotak Mahindra bank with the vehicle? They charged me Rs 400 and informed that Rs 200 is refundable deposit and Rs 200 is usable balance. When I log in to my Kotak fastag account, I see that Rs 50 is deposit and Rs 150 is account balance.

I am wondering where the other Rs 200 went!

The less said the better about their customer service . They did not even understand my query!.

[vinodmk]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

To the Nexon owners-
The less said the better about their customer service . They did not even understand my query!.

Maybe go through the dealer, they will have contact from whom they purchase this so might be easier.

[vharihar]

I have an ICICI FASTag. I'd like to share a good experience I had with them ...

A nearby toll plaza on the EPE (Eastern Peripheral Expwy) in Delhi outskirts had overcharged me on May 1st (I guess it senses the entering plaza and finally debits on exiting plaza). Instead of Rs 10 it deducted Rs 125, because it incorrectly sensed the entering/exiting plaza I guess (maybe manual error bcoz sometimes sensor doesn't work and they enter manually).

I noticed it in the SMS that came 10 mins later, and same day called ICICI FASTag Customer Care# 1-800-210-0104 after I reached home to file a complaint. They filed a complaint promptly, and finally resolved it last week by crediting Rs 115 into my FASTag account, got the following SMS last week ...

>>
Dear Customer, we have resolved your ICICI Bank FASTag complaint number CMP00000000xxxxxxx and the amount shall be credited in 3 working days to your FASTag Account.
>>

I had actually given up hope, but was pleasantly surprised to see this get resolved. I guess they could see my travel patterns and that helped them resolve it (I always get off on the very next exit (which BTW is spaced quite far, as anyone familiar with EPE will know), my travel is such)