01 The Story
On January 14th, 2026, I walked into a Reliance Digital store like the naive consumer I was. I pointed at a TV. They said "10-14 days maximum, sir." I paid in full. Then began my journey into the Kafkaesque nightmare of Reliance Digital customer service.
What follows is a story of broken promises, employees who develop selective deafness, a CS Head whose job is apparently to repeat things louder, and a CEO who is presumably too busy counting his yacht collection to read emails from peasants who actually paid money.
The Order (RIP Wallet)
Ordered TCL 75" Mini LED 4K Google TV (75C8K) from Reliance Digital. Paid ₹1.5L+ in full like a person who foolishly believes transactions should result in receiving goods.
Promise: "10-14 days maximum, sir. We are Reliance, sir."
Narrator: It would not be 10-14 days.
The Silence Begins
No delivery, no updates. Store employees start developing a rare medical condition where they cannot hear phones ringing. Each rare successful call yields:
"2-3 days more, sir. Truck is coming."
🎰 THE PLOT TWIST
Another customer orders the same TV. 11 days after me. Different Reliance Digital branch.
Somewhere in the Reliance Digital system, a decision is made. A decision that makes absolutely no sense unless you factor in incompetence, favoritism, or a roulette wheel determining order fulfillment.
That customer gets the TV that was supposed to be mine.
First Escalation Email
Sent email to reliancedigital@ril.com. Explained order stuck for 13 days. Was told "the truck is coming but delayed due to Republic Day."
Ah yes, the famous Republic Day Truck Slowdown, where all vehicles in India simultaneously forget how to move. This is definitely a real thing and not something someone made up while panicking.
The Temple of Templates
Customer Support responds. They tried calling but "it was unresponsive" — they let it ring once, like someone checking if their ex is still awake at 2 AM.
"Please accept our profound apology for the inconvenience caused to you."
I now have this phrase tattooed on my soul. I hear it in my dreams. It means nothing. It solves nothing. It is the corporate equivalent of thoughts and prayers.
The Trust Me Bro Protocol
Another call, another promise: "within 3 days stock will be available." When asked what happens if it's not delivered in 3 days?
"Sir, please trust us."
I ask: "Croma briefly had stock. Should I just cancel?"
They say: "No sir, 2-3 days only."
Spoiler: Neither Croma nor anyone else has stock now. TV is out of stock everywhere. My only option is to wait for Reliance. Lucky me.
The CS Head: A Human Echo
Escalated to CS Head. Surely the HEAD of Customer Service would do something different?
"The product will be delivered to you within 2-3 days."
Congratulations, you have discovered the secret of the CS Head position: it's just the Store Response, but delivered with slightly more arrogance and a fancier email signature. Same lie, higher pay grade.
The Letter to the CEO & President
Sent a detailed email to CEO Brian Bade (bm.bade@ril.com) and President, comparing their delivery speed to continental drift and a garden snail with depression. Included hand-drawn map.
Key Excerpt:
"Transitioning from Tata to Reliance has been a bit like moving from a functional society to a cult that believes the world is ending next Thursday, but the date keeps getting pushed back due to logistics."
Did Brian Bade and the President read this? Yes. Did they care? No. Did they take any action? Also no. Consumer emails simply don't matter.
🎭 The CEO Desk's Creative Fiction
Finally, a response from the CEO's Office. Surely now we'll get some truth?
🤥 Fabrication Alert
"Sir, 2 units came in stock. One was delivered to a customer who ordered before you. The second unit was damaged, so we couldn't deliver it to you."
🔍 The Reality Check:
- The "before me" customer? — I ordered on Jan 14. Show me who ordered before me. I'll wait.
- The "damaged" unit? — That "damaged" TV was delivered perfectly fine to a customer at Reliance Digital Wakad store who ordered on January 25th — 11 days AFTER me.
- The math: 2 units - 1 (to "before me" customer) - 1 (damaged) = 0 for me. Convenient!
The CEO's desk has apparently hired a creative writing team. Their fiction skills are impressive — the plot holes less so. If the second unit was "damaged," how did someone in Wakad receive it in perfect condition? Did the damage magically heal itself during the 40km journey? Is this TV a phoenix rising from the ashes of corporate lies?
The "Resolution" Saga
25 days later. Still no TV. Stock given to someone at Reliance Digital Wakad. The refund journey:
- First told: "Maybe 20-25 more days for delivery"
- Asked for refund → "Will check and get back in 2-3 days" → Vanished
- Had to chase the store myself
- Initially offered: Store credit to buy something else
- Had to fight for actual bank refund
"We will refund to your bank account in 10 working days."
📊 Quick Math on "Working Days":
10 working days = 14 actual days (2 weeks: 10 weekdays + 4 weekend days)
Total time to get my own money back: 25 days waiting + 14 days refund = 39 days
The same "10-14 days" they promised for delivery is now "10 working days" for refund — a subtle but important distinction that adds 4 extra days. Because weekends don't count when it's YOUR money. At Reliance Digital, even your refund needs weekends off. Capitalism is exhausting.