Vodafone Idea Prepaid Users Receive Rs. 99 Refund After Wrongful International Roaming Charges

Vodafone has started to refund prepaid users in India after customers took to Twitter to complain about a wrongful deduction of Rs. 99 from their account citing international roaming fee. Many users complained that they were charged for the service without prior permission. Vodafone said the money was deducted due to a "technical error", and added that the full amount has been credited to users' accounts. The company has clarified to Gadgets 360 that only a small percentage of customers are impacted, adding that the refund will be done automatically and users need not take any action.

The issue came to light after several Vodafone users earlier this week complained on Twitter that they were unable to make calls as their prepaid balance went to negative. The issue was first reported by Digit.in.

Vodafone users claimed that they were charged Rs. 99 for international roaming without even opting for the plan. "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.

Meanwhile, the company has started crediting back the amount to affected users' accounts. "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," the company added.

Affected users are advised to check their balance to confirm that the amount has been credited to their account. To check balance, Vodafone prepaid users can download the MyVodafone app or dial *111# and choose the relevant option to check balance. Some users have also pointed out that Vodafone Idea is sending text messages to confirm that the money has been credited.

Vodafone Idea in May partnered with Paytm to enable feature phone users in the country to recharge their accounts directly on the phone. The new technique essentially enables Vodafone Idea subscribers to recharge without an Internet connection.

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