BSNL responds to complaint, issues caution

The statement was in response to a query by DT Next , based on a complaint from a reader. In his letter to this newspaper, Prof V Chandrasekhar of Besant Nagar had alleged that people in the guise of BSNL mechanics were running a scam by forcing customers to change their modems often. “Whenever I lodge a complaint with the Adyar Telephone Exchange, the Asst Engineer (AE), who is always very polite, sends a mechanic promptly. 

The mechanic is not a BSNL employee. He is a modem mechanic cum salesman who supplies modems to BSNL. He (the mechanic) invariably informs me that my modem is faulty and needs to be replaced. Each modem costs around Rs 2,500. In the past one year, I have been literally forced to purchase three modems,” he said. 

Chandrasekhar further stated, “While the mechanics collect Rs 2,500 as cost of the modem, (which may cost less), they also issue a bogus bill to convince the customers, who, however, realize later that the address and the telephone numbers given therein are non-existing. After installing the new modems, the fraudsters also collect back the old modems which are still in working condition. BSNL has been receiving such complaints”. 

When contacted, G Vijaya, AGM, Public Relations, BSNL, acknowledged the complaint of the senior citizen from Besant Nagar. She also said,  “We are investigating the complaints. We want to caution our customers to not fall prey to such frauds. Our linesmen usually carry an ID proof issued by us. Customers should demand to see the same,” she said, adding, those who have been duped should lodge a police complaint.