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Woman claims Airtel imposed ₹1 lakh roaming charges during her trip to Bihar

A woman took to X to share how she was charged ₹1 lakh as roaming charges by Airtel despite travelling within India and never ‘crossing the border’.

Published on: Dec 8, 2023, 16:05:34 IST
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A Delhi-based author took to X to claim that she received a bill of ₹1 lakh during her recent trip to Bihar. In an elaborate X thread, she shared that her number was disconnected and how Airtel responded when she reached out to the company to seek a solution.

A woman's post about Airtel roaming charges has created a chatter (Representational Image). (Unsplash/@priscilladupreez)
A woman's post about Airtel roaming charges has created a chatter (Representational Image). (Unsplash/@priscilladupreez)

“A terrible scam! I'm in Valmiki Nagar, Bihar. Airtel sends me a roaming bill of ₹1L+. I'm an INDIAN citizen on INDIAN soil. With no outstanding bill, Airtel cuts my services. Leaving me stranded! Shame on you Airtel India,” she wrote.

In the next few lines, she tweeted that she “never crossed the border” and didn’t give her “consent for international roaming”. She also claimed that customer care asked her to pay ₹1792 to get her SIM restored.

“Why was it cut in the first place? I have no answers. Not to mention the tone is passive-aggressive. Like it’s my fault. Well, sister, it's not my fault. It’s yours,” she wrote and concluded the thread.

Take a look at the tweets here:

The thread, since being shared a day ago, has received thousands of views and likes. It has also prompted people to post varied comments.

“This is quite the opportunity to go to consumer court. Tell them that they have a fight to look forward to,” wrote an X user. “Airtel did to me also that's why I shifted to Jio,” posted another. “Had a similar experience, where they started charging international SMS charges for a local SMS. No more an Airtel guy!” expressed a third.

“Oh my, this is horrific, to say the least! So unsettling if you’re cut off in a remote location. Everyone suggesting that you should have switched your network settings/taken prepaid is all just banter in retrospect. Why would this even cross your mind if you’re in India!” posted a fourth.

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More