How to complain to Airtel: Mobile, broadband and billing problems

Whether you’re dealing with poor mobile coverage, unreliable broadband or an unexpected charge on your Airtel bill, getting the problem resolved isn’t always straightforward.

You might have reported the same fault several times, been promised a refund that hasn’t arrived or struggled to get a clear response from customer support.

But you don’t have to keep chasing Airtel without getting anywhere. Here’s how to complain, what your rights are and how to escalate your complaint if Airtel doesn’t put things right.

What can you complain to Airtel about?

You can raise a complaint about almost any problem with your Airtel mobile or broadband service. Common issues include:

Poor mobile coverage: Dropped calls, weak signals or unreliable mobile data.
Broadband problems: Slow speeds, frequent disconnections or prolonged outages.
Incorrect bills: Unexpected charges, billing errors or services you haven’t agreed to.
Recharge problems: Failed prepaid recharges, missing balances or incorrect plan activation.
Cancellation and refunds: Continued billing after cancellation, delayed refunds or problems closing your account.

Before contacting Airtel, gather any relevant evidence. Keep screenshots of bills, payment confirmations, recharge details and previous conversations with customer support.

For broadband problems, record when your connection failed and how long the disruption lasted. If you’re complaining about slow speeds, keep the results of speed tests taken at different times.

How to complain to Airtel

Your first step is to contact Airtel’s customer support team.

You can currently reach Airtel through:

198: Toll-free number for complaints about mobile services.
121: General enquiries and customer support from your Airtel number. Speaking to an adviser may incur a charge.
Airtel broadband: Call 121 from your Airtel landline or use the support options on Airtel’s website.
Online: Visit Airtel Customer Support or use the Airtel Thanks app.

When you complain, explain what’s gone wrong, how long the problem has continued and what you want Airtel to do.

Ask for a Service Request Number (SRN) or complaint reference. This is important because you’ll need it if you have to escalate your complaint.

Keep a record of when you contacted Airtel, what you were told and any promised resolution date.

What if your Airtel broadband keeps disconnecting?

An occasional interruption is one thing, but repeated broadband outages can leave you paying for a service you can’t reliably use.

Start by reporting the fault to Airtel and asking for a repair timescale.

If the problem continues, keep a record of each outage and any engineer visits. Ask Airtel to investigate the underlying cause rather than repeatedly closing your complaint after a temporary fix.

You may also be entitled to a billing adjustment.

Under the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) consumer complaint guidance, if a qualifying fixed-line broadband fault takes more than three working days to repair, you may be entitled to a proportionate rental rebate or an extension of your prepaid validity.

Ask Airtel to review your bill if you’ve been paying for broadband you couldn’t use.

What if Airtel has overcharged you?

Unexpected charges can appear on your mobile or broadband bill, particularly after a plan change, recharge or cancellation.

Check your bill against the plan you agreed to. Look for additional services, roaming charges, incorrect tariffs or charges that continued after you asked to cancel.

If you believe you’ve been overcharged, ask Airtel for an itemised explanation and request a refund or adjustment.

TRAI’s published guidance says billing and charging complaints should be resolved within four weeks, with any resulting credit, waiver or adjustment applied within one week of resolution.

Don’t just accept an explanation that doesn’t match your records. Ask Airtel to show how the charge was calculated and why it applies to your account.

How to escalate your Airtel complaint

If customer support hasn’t resolved your problem, you can take your complaint to Airtel’s Appellate Authority.

This is the next stage of Airtel’s formal complaints process and covers unresolved mobile and broadband disputes.

You’ll need your original complaint reference and details of what Airtel has already done.

Airtel has different appellate contacts depending on your service area and whether you’re complaining about mobile or broadband services.

You can find the relevant details here:

When you appeal, explain why you’re unhappy with Airtel’s response and what you want it to do to resolve the problem.

Don’t leave your appeal indefinitely. TRAI’s complaint regulations generally require you to appeal within 30 days after the original complaint resolution period expires, although later appeals may be accepted in certain circumstances. Airtel’s published support guidance refers to an outer limit of 90 days.

The Appellate Authority generally has up to 39 days to resolve your appeal.

Can you complain directly to TRAI?

TRAI regulates India’s telecommunications industry, but it doesn’t normally investigate individual customer complaints.

Instead, it requires telecom providers such as Airtel to operate a two-stage complaints process: first through customer support and then through an Appellate Authority.

So, if you’re getting nowhere with Airtel, your next step is usually to escalate through its formal complaints process rather than contacting TRAI directly.

You can read more about your rights and the escalation process on the TRAI website.

What if Airtel still won’t resolve your complaint?

If you’ve exhausted Airtel’s complaints process and you’re still unhappy, you can consider seeking further help through India’s consumer protection system.

The National Consumer Helpline provides a pre-litigation route for raising consumer grievances. You can contact it through its online portal or by calling 1915.

You may also be able to take an eligible dispute to the appropriate Consumer Commission, depending on the nature of your complaint and the available legal remedies.

Keep copies of your original complaint, Airtel’s responses, your appellate decision and any evidence of financial loss.

Keep your Airtel complaint on track

The most effective way to resolve an Airtel complaint is to be clear about what’s gone wrong and what you want done.

Don’t rely on repeated phone calls without keeping a record. Get a complaint reference, save your correspondence and follow up when Airtel misses a promised deadline.

Whether you’re disputing an incorrect bill, chasing a refund or struggling with unreliable broadband, knowing when and how to escalate can help you get the problem resolved.