Connect India Thieves

There’s a website called connectindia which describes itself as “India’s biggest mobile and internet plans destination.”  They provide various services related to mobile phones and the internet connection.  I am one of the hundreds of victims of their fraud.

A certain problem in my foot had made me partly immobile when I ordered a Tata Photon Plus data card from connectindia, not suspecting in the least that it was a fraudulent company. Within a minute of entering my name and phone number in the relevant rectangles on their website I received a call from them.  They promised to deliver the data card at my residence within a couple of hours.  I thought that was what one would call excellence in service and efficiency.  I paid them instantly using my credit card. 

A couple of hours later, one connectindia thief (I find no other word for them) came to my residence and handed over the data card and a receipt.  He promised me that the card would be activated within a couple of days. 

A couple of weeks have now passed.  I have made more than 30 complaints in various forms, through their website, through email and by making them call me by placing pseudo orders at their website.  Why pseudo orders?  They never answer any phone call or email.  There’s no other way of contacting them except the single phone number they have provided in the bill and the contact form at the website.  They won’t ever answer any of these complaints. 

I googled “contactindia complaints” and found that there were about 500 complaints against this company at various portals like consumercourt.in.  Anyone can google the phrase and verify what I’m saying.

I went to a Tata Photon outlet.  They said that only connectindia could solve my problem since it is they who took the payment.  “Aren’t they mere frauds?” was my spontaneous question when the Tata man mentioned connectindia.  He looked at me indifferently and said nothing.  “So they are frauds,” I repeated.  “No,” he said indifferently again.  And too tersely to be taken seriously.

Not receiving any response to any of my complaints, I started placing pseudo orders at their website.  Their call would come within minutes.  I would narrate my complaint.  They would listen for half a minute and say something like, “It’s not my department,” and snap the call. 

One person, however, cared to promise that she would do something about it.  More than 24 hours after her promise, I’m becoming convinced that she is just another helpless cog in a big wheel of consummate fraud.

Why do hundreds of people get cheated by this company in spite of the many complaints against them?  This is the mystery that really baffles me.  Why is no action taken against this company?  How can they go on cheating people endlessly and with apparent impunity?