Several Vodafone users across India on Tuesday have taken it to Twitter to voice their concerns over the operator deducting Rs 99 from their account towards international roaming fee. The users on Twitter said that the operator has deducted the amount without their consent. Further, certain Vodafone users have said that they have been unable to make calls as their main account balance has turned negative with the operator deducting the balance towards the roaming rental charges. Vodafone said that the issue was “due to a technical error” and that the deducted amount would be credited back to users accounts.
Vodafone Deducts Roaming Charges Without User Consent
StockTalk, a Twitter account dedicated to investments, economy and finance said in a tweet that Vodafone would have gained Rs 3,400 crore over the roaming rental charges. “The sum of Rs 99 looks small but it’s huge if done on a scale,” StockTalk said in a tweet. According to the data from Vodafone, the Rs 99 charge gets automatically deducted from the user’s balance on the first chargeable event abroad which includes incoming, outgoing or the user browsing the internet. However, the operator highlighted that the users with an active international roaming pack when travelling abroad would not be deducted the Rs 99 charges. “This is to inform you that a rental amount of Rs 99 has been deducted towards International Roaming rental for 30 days,” Vodafone said in a message to users.
Vodafone Credits Back Rs 99 Charges to Select Users
Meanwhile, Vodafone is said to be crediting back the charges in users accounts affected by the technical error. “We apologise the inconvenience caused,” the operator said in a tweet. “Due to a technical error, Rs 99 has been erroneously charged on your prepaid number. We are crediting the amount to your account. We solicit your cooperation. Stay Home and Stay Safe.” Several users on Twitter said that the operator has sent an SMS notification informing that the deducted amount is being credited back into the account.
