Srinagar, May 17: Subscribers of Aircel in Kashmir are presently a discontented lot: Reason, ‘poor connectivity’ and ‘ill service’. 
 Greater Kashmir received a litany of complaints from Aircel subscribers from different parts of the Valley saying the cellular company is not providing quality service and even as charging from the customers for the unsolicited services.
 “Initially Aircel service was good, but now they are lagging behind every other company in the Valley. There is lot of problem in connectivity on this network,” Rauf Bhat, a subscriber said.
 He said: “More often than not when you make a call from the Aircel, you listen to some echoing sounds that fade out the voice from other side,”
 The subscribers complained that the company has increased its call charges unilaterally and is sending unsolicited SMSes or activating services that are never sought by the customers.
 The customers said the company has been irking them with pesky messages
 “They sent you tantalizing messages, when one clicks on it, amount is deducted from the account balance of the subscribers,” they said.
 “I received a message from the cellular service provider saying: recharge your account in order to reduce the call charges to half the rate,” Suheem Ahmad, a Kashmir University student said.
 “Believing in the message, I recharged my account but only to see no reduction in call charges was effected,” Ahmad said, adding that he tried to complain to the customer care but there was no response.
 “My mobile balance was deducted for activation of some service that I had never asked for,” said a subscriber.
 Basit Ahmad, a city denizen said: “Aircel is sending some messages saying ‘click on it to download pictures’. But once you click, deductions are effected in the account automatically.”
 Even GPRS and internet services provided by the company are not up to mark, Abid Shafi of Pampore said.
 He said: “I have recently purchased Aircel 3G SIM, but its service is not good in Pampore.”
 Safina Nabi , a KU student said : “I have recently purchased new mobile set, but my 3G internet was not functioning  on it. I asked Customer Care of Aircel to provide me internet setting, but I was surprised when they barred my calls to customer care.”
 She said: “Even the executives at the Customer Care don’t replying your queries.”
 Repeated attempts to contact officials of Aircel proved futile.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 IST