Ncell users say their balance kept disappearing even when they were using Wi-Fi!

Ncell is facing scrutiny after an investigation found that some customers were allegedly losing money from their prepaid balance even when mobile data was switched off. The customers reportedly had their phones connected to Wi-Fi, yet their Ncell balance continued to decrease as if they were using mobile data. The investigation by TechPana claims the issue has been ongoing for several months and may have affected multiple users. While Ncell has acknowledged that a technical issue was behind the unexpected deductions and says the affected customers have been refunded, some users reportedly say they are still waiting for their money back.

Ncell’s PAYG Issue

Customers say balance kept decreasing despite mobile data being disabled

According to the Techpana investigation, affected customers noticed that small amounts of money were being deducted from their main balance without any obvious reason. After checking their phones, they found that mobile data was turned off and that they had been using Wi-Fi instead of Ncell's mobile network.

Under normal circumstances, a smartphone connected to Wi-Fi should not consume mobile data if the mobile data switch is disabled. This led customers to question why charges continued appearing on their prepaid accounts. The report claims that the deductions recurred, even though users had not subscribed to any data pack and had not intentionally accessed the internet via Ncell's mobile network.

Ncell has faced similar balance deduction complaints before

This is not the first time Ncell customers have raised concerns about unexpected deductions from their prepaid balance. In 2020, we reported complaints from users who said certain services had been automatically activated or renewed without their knowledge, resulting in deductions from their mobile balance.

At the time, the issue was related to the automatic activation and renewal of different services, rather than PAYG data charges. However, it shows that concerns over unexplained balance deductions are not entirely new for Ncell customers.

How Ncell's PAYG data charging works

The investigation explains that Ncell's prepaid service includes a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) data system. If a customer does not have an active internet package but uses mobile data, the operator automatically charges data usage at a fixed rate per megabyte.

However, according to the report, the problem was that customers were allegedly being charged even when their phones were not using Ncell's mobile data connection. If accurate, this would mean users were billed despite not consuming mobile data in the usual sense.

Customers reportedly examined their own usage records

To verify what was happening, some customers reportedly accessed the Ncell app and downloaded their call and internet usage history. The investigation claims that the available usage records did not show significant mobile data activity that would explain the repeated deductions from their balance. Customers then reportedly requested more detailed records to compare the deductions against their actual network usage.

According to the report, those records also failed to justify the amount of money that had been deducted from some customers' accounts over the course of a month. The investigation further claims that affected users filed complaints with Ncell after discovering the unexplained deductions.

Ncell PAYG settings

According to the investigation, Ncell representatives advised customers to deactivate a specific PAYG-related setting using a USSD code  *9005*5#. The company reportedly said this would prevent balance deductions when no active data pack was available.

However, customers featured in the report claim that the deductions continued even after following those instructions. They argue that the problem was not caused by their phone settings but by the operator's own technical system.

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Ncell's response to the balance deduction fiasco

The investigation states that Ncell later acknowledged that the unexpected balance deductions were caused by a technical issue. According to the report, the company said it had identified the problem and had started refunding affected customers. Ncell also reportedly claimed that customers would receive SMS notifications confirming the refunded amount.

However, some customers interviewed during the investigation disputed that claim. They said they neither received the refund nor any SMS confirming that their deducted balance had been returned.

Questions remain

Though Ncell has acknowledged that a technical issue caused the unexpected deductions, a few questions are still unanswered. How many customers were affected, how long did the issue continue, and how much money was deducted in total?

There is also the refund issue. Ncell says affected customers have been refunded, while some users reportedly say they are still waiting. So, it is still unclear whether everyone affected has actually received their money back.

My final thoughts

Honestly, this situation is frustrating from a customer's point of view. Technical issues can happen, but customers should not have to figure out on their own that something is wrong with their balance and then chase the company for answers.

What concerns me more is the communication. If Ncell knew there was a technical issue, affected customers should have been informed clearly about what happened and how their money would be returned.

At the end of the day, this is not just about a few rupees. It is about trust. When we add money to our prepaid balance, we expect it to be deducted only when we actually use a service. Ncell should explain what went wrong and make sure every affected customer gets their money back.