Calling it chaotic might seem an overstatement even calling it messy might be just an understatement – such is the ground reality of the ongoing hurried installation of set-top boxes (STBs).
The extended deadline for installing the STBs expired on April 15. More than 1lakhs of TVs –that could not install it - went blank the same mid-night. And as it always happen, the ‘sleeping public’ was jolted to life when their TV screen went black. The cable operators were inundated with calls from consumers for installing the STBs.
And a result – the operators swung into profiteering mode. They are arbitrarily charging any amount between Rs1,000-1,200, for installing the STBs. Additionally they are asking the consumers to pay money for any additional cable that might be required during installation. And of course the installation charges which might be anywhere around 200-250.
Though, when asked cable operators are denying these accusation but consumers are complaining of such rides.
A consumer from Morhabadi area said, “I had to get three STBs installed. Earlier my operator proposed to install the STBs at Rs 800. A fortnight later he asked me to pay Rs900 for each STB and when the deadline is expired he is asking me to pay Rs1,000.”
Also, strangely enough cable operators are not giving any purchase receipt to consumers after installing the STBs. And because they are not giving any purchase receipt there in no record with any consumers that could have served as a reference for other consumers while they made the purchase.
Not only this, different cable operators have different takes on whether the STBS were being provided on the rent basis or the consumers got the ownership of the box once it is installed to their TV sets.
While ‘Manthan Cables’ said that the set-top boxes were being provided on rent basis another cable service provide Pas Cable said that the consumer got the ownership of the STBs once it was installed in their TV sets.
In such a chaos consumers are in fix. They don’t know the Terms & Conditions under which they had been sold/rented the STBs, what exactly is the price for the STBs.
They also have no clue what to do when they receive encrypt signals. The countrywide toll free number 1800-180-4343 always says, “The dialled number could not be connected at this moment.”
Faced with such situation the operators have only one fig leaf – the enforced hurriedness in blocking the broadcast of analogue TV signals.
“All the cities except Ranchi have got the extension in the deadline for digitisation. Only we have to block the broadcast. We will start another drive to collect the address and identity proofs of customers. Once this is done we will educate the consumer of the T&Cs and other things,” said Povitra Tarabdar of Pas Cable.