When a telecom giant fails the consumer: My Airtel experience

 

Initially, I was not considering writing this blog about why I found Airtel—one of India’s premier communication service providers—to have an outrageously poor sales and customer-service experience, at least in Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s business capital. However, the last SMS I received from Airtel regarding my request for a Wi-Fi connection in my flat in the Vejalpur area left me stunned.
The SMS, received on December 27, stated, and I quote: “Hi, as per your request, your order for Airtel Black plan has been cancelled.” This, in my view, was plainly dishonest—especially coming from a powerful company that controls nearly 33 per cent of India’s fibre network. I had never requested any cancellation.

Since late last month, I had been considering getting a Wi-Fi connection in my flat and was evaluating options among Jio, Airtel and GTPL. After comparing pricing and offers, I decided to go with Airtel, mainly because it offered a two-month plan—enough time for me to decide whether to continue or not.

I placed a request on the Airtel website, and a salesperson contacted me promptly in the first week of December. He visited my house quickly—I was impressed—and I paid ₹1,500 after receiving firm assurances that the connection would be “easily installed” and that there would be “no hurdles.”

I was further impressed when I immediately received an SMS from Airtel stating that an engineer would arrive the same afternoon to install the fibre connection. This was surprising, as the salesman had said it would take “at least 24 hours.” I adjusted my schedule accordingly and waited. Nobody turned up.

After several phone calls, I received another SMS saying an engineer would visit the next afternoon. Again, nobody came. Following repeated calls, an engineer finally arrived at around 7 pm, examined the flat’s location, and said, “The network can’t be installed.”

He cited infrastructure issues and said he would return the next morning with a wireman to assess whether fibre installation was possible. I even received an SMS confirmation. Meanwhile, I posted a complaint on X (formerly Twitter), stating that such delays were unacceptable. Airtel asked me to DM the receipt, which I did, and assured me that my “problem” would be “promptly resolved.”

The engineer returned as promised, accompanied by the wireman. After inspection, the wireman said there was no passage in the duct that could connect my flat to the main Airtel line in the housing society. I contacted the salesman and pointed out that infrastructure availability should have been assessed earlier. He said he would look into it.

After nearly an hour, the salesman returned with another person who appeared more technically knowledgeable. After assessment, this person concluded that not only wired fibre but even Airtel’s AirFiber could not be installed in my flat. I then asked for an immediate refund of the amount I had paid online. The salesman assured me it would be processed “within five days” and that I would receive an SMS confirmation.

This is where my real ordeal began.

Two days passed without any SMS. When I tried calling the salesman to check the refund status, he did not answer. Repeated attempts went unanswered. I contacted Airtel’s Ahmedabad office, only to be told to speak to the same salesman, as they were “helpless.”

Angered, I posted another message on X:

“Terrible Airtel service! Booked a new Airtel fibre connection in Ahmedabad. After frequent calls, technician assessed that the service can’t be provided in my flat. Was told I would get a refund. Despite repeated calls, no response!”

The routine reply followed:

“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you have faced, Rajiv. We have shared your concern with our respective team for prompt resolution. We will get back to you soon with an update via DM.”

The DM update merely said:

“We’re on it, Rajiv. Please be informed that we have highlighted your concern to the respective team to expedite the resolution. We solicit your cooperation in the interim.”

Trusting the salesman’s verbal assurance, I waited five days. Nothing happened. I then sent a detailed email complaint with all supporting documents, including the payment receipt and UPI transaction details, requesting a refund.

The response I received read:

“Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the service issue. Resolving this issue is our top priority, and our team is working diligently to address it. We appreciate your patience and understanding.”

Thereafter, I began sending DMs on X every two or three days to check the refund status. Each time, I received a standard response stating:

“We’re sorry for the delay caused in your new Airtel Wi-Fi installation. Our team is upgrading the network in your area and will contact you within 72 hours. It is our priority to bring you on board with our services.”

I received five such messages, none of which addressed the refund.

Finally, I wrote directly to the Airtel CEO. This, it appears, made a difference. I received an SMS stating that my request for a new Airtel Wi-Fi connection had been cancelled and that the refund would be processed soon. Once again, I followed up via X to ask when this would happen.

Subsequently, I received an email stating:

“This is in reference to your email regarding cancellation refund. As per our records, your order was created on 06-12-2025 and cancelled on 20-12-2025.”

It added:

“Further, the refund amount of ₹1,500 was initiated on 24-12-2025 and will be credited within 4–5 working days. Kindly check the bank account through which the payment was made. Inconvenience is deeply regretted.”

Finally, on December 26, I received my money back.

For comparison, I had also approached Jio for a fibre connection. They first sent an engineer—not a salesman—to assess feasibility. His assessment was also negative. While Jio’s pricing was less attractive—about ₹3,600 for a minimum six-month plan—no money was collected after the negative assessment.

The contrast in approach was telling.