Holding Matrix Cellular International Services Pvt Ltd guilty of “unfair trade practice by selling defective SIM cards for Kenya and by charging international roaming mode charges for the SIM used in Tanzania and raising a bill of Rs 5812, the district consumer disputes redressal forum, SAS Nagar, has directed the telecom solution provider to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation and `5,812 bill amount to Punjab IPS officer Dr AA Siddiqui, a resident of Sector 8, Chandigarh.
Chairman of the police task force, Punjab government reforms commission, IPS officer Dr AA Siddiqui was left inconvenienced when the international calling cards he had purchased failed to work during his trip to Kenya and Tanzania.
Siddiqui said he took the SIM cards from the Matrix Cellular International Services Pvt Ltd on August 5, 2013, before travelling to Africa from August 6, 2013, to August 13, 2013.
The complainant when tried to put the SIM in the phone, found that the SIM card meant for Kenya was broken.
He immediately informed the company, who replaced the broken SIM with a new SIM. After reaching Kenya, Siddiqui switched on the phone, but found that the Kenya SIM was not working. He changed the phone, but to no avail. While the other SIM meant for Tanzania was active on roaming mode, forcing him to use his Indian number on international roaming.
After reaching Tanzania, the SIM meant for that country was still on the roaming mode and efforts to change it on normal mode failed to get any result. He even took up the matter with the company after returning to India, but they failed to redress his complaint.
{{/usCountry}}After reaching Tanzania, the SIM meant for that country was still on the roaming mode and efforts to change it on normal mode failed to get any result. He even took up the matter with the company after returning to India, but they failed to redress his complaint.
{{/usCountry}}Matrix Cellular International Services failed to appear and were proceeded exparte, while the branch manager of the Chandigarh office of the company denied the averments made in the complaint and stated that when the cards were handed over to the complainant, they were in working condition.
The forum presided over by Madhu P Singh on October 21 said, “The company failed to rebut the allegations about the non-functional SIM card meant for usage at Kenya and the SIM card meant for Tanzania being on international roaming mode when put to use by the complainant.”
The forum said, “The company have indulged in unfair trade practice by selling defective SIM cards for Kenya and by charging international roaming mode charges for the SIM used in Tanzania and raising a bill of `5812.”