Reliance introduced its first VoLTE feature phone, the JioPhone at its 40th annual general body meeting. The company had announced that the JioPhone is effectively free, but to avoid misuse, Reliance was collecting INR 1500 as a security deposit.
The deal offered the JioPhone user to use his phone for 36 months and be eligible to get a full refund of the security deposit by returning the used JioPhone. Reliance has now published a detailed terms and conditions of JioPhone usage, which reveals some of the asterisks of the free claim.
Two key points that we would like to highlight for you –
- To keep the using the JioPhone you need to recharge the JioPhone for a minimum value of INR 1,500 per annum for a period of 3 years from the date of the first issue of the phone. If you fail to purchase recharge vouchers as per above, then the company has the right to repossess the JioPhone and you will still have to pay early return charges.
- If you plan to return the JioPhone at any time during the period of three years from the date of first issue, then you will have to pay an early return charges depending on the age of the JioPhone. The charges are as follows-
| Time of Return of JioPhone | Early Return Charges |
| Upto 12 months from the date of first issue of the JioPhone | Rs. 1,500/- (Rupees One Thousand Five Hundred only) plus applicable GST or other taxes |
| After 12 months and up to 24 months from the date of first issue of the JioPhone | Rs. 1,000/- (Rupees One Thousand only) plus applicable GST or other taxes |
| After 24 months and up to 36 months from the date of first issue of the JioPhone | Rs. 500/- (Rupees Five Hundred only) plus applicable GST or other taxes |
If you return the JioPhone after the 36 months period, it’s needless to say that you should still ensure that the device is in working condition without any damages.
So, if you are planning to buy a JioPhone or if you pre-ordered it, then we believe you would want to beware of these two conditions of the JioPhone user agreement. You can read the detailed terms and conditions here.