Letters
8 years ago

On Banglalink

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I use a Banglalink number which is 01914254651. I have unlimited broadband internet both at home and at my office. I do not use mobile data as I do not need to. Yet for some reason I tried one Banglalink's offer last month (probably of November 16, 2016) a 150mb 3-day pack at Tk.7.11. Since then it started pick-pocketing Tk.7.11 in the name of "Auto-renewal" every 3 days (that is 10 times in a month). There are couple of issues to note in this matter:
i) The data pack does not mention that it has "Auto-renewal" feature.
ii) More interestingly, it says, dial *5000*536# to stop the pack which never works. I have tried dialling it hundred times in past three weeks and always get the same message "your request has been received successfully. You will receive an SMS notification shortly". Interestingly, the said SMS notification never comes and auto-renewal keeps on rolling charging me Tk.7.11 every third day despite my repeated instructions to stop the data pack. It is simply a  harassment, waste of my money and time.
iii) Over the past three weeks I kept trying the number *5000*536# to stop the pack again and again and again without any result other than the same old message: "your request has been received successfully. You will receive an SMS notification shortly", and the harassment continues.
iv) At one stage, I went to one of the Customer Care centres in Rajshahi to seek their help. The official there told me that the company has closed down all its Customer Care Centres, so no such assistance is available. 
v) Then I tried to get online assistance from Banglalink website. I left my message probably on November 30, 2016 and someone called me back couple of days later. I asked him why I am not being able to stop auto-renewal by dialling *5000*526#. Interestingly, he replied that it actually does not work. I asked him, why the message is still there. I also asked him, since this is company's failure, you must have to refund my balance. He said in reply that he is sorry but Banglaink will not refund. Is not it cheating, harassing and pick-pocketing public money? In the past three weeks they just simply robbed me 10x7.11=71.10 Taka. I do not know how many hundreds of thousands of customers got robbed in this way by Banglalink.
vi) My first conversations with the Banglalink staff, however, did not result in stopping the auto-renewal. Auto-renewal kept on going, and I sought online help again on December 06, 2016. Someone called me on the following day and this time he advised me that I had to dial *5000# and then follow relevant instructions.
In these circumstances, I demand that the concerned authorities, including BTRC and the Ministry of Telecommunication, should take immediate action against this fraudulent practice of Bangalink. I also demand the money back to all customers and compensation for their harassment. At the same time l demand that an investigation be carried out regarding millions of customers who are robbed every day by Banglalink through these so-called auto-renewal options.
I also demand why such auto-renewal options should not be banned as the customers have no option to stop it on their own?
Rejaul Karim Bakshi
rejaul.bakshi@yahoo.com
 

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