I can commiserate with you, especially the part where you are asked to repeat the problem the nth number of time. What I usually do is call/email the appellant authority inside Airtel(usually Bangalore nodal officer). Usually works, but not always.

What's the solution? Certainly not changing operators. They all will show you similar trait, worse or so. I think drag them to a court of law. But most probably you won't. You don't have time, neither do you have enthusiasm for it. It seems to be a very very huge investment of time, effort and headache for such a small return and neither the government and the law of our country are exactly consumer friendly. And they(Airtel and elk) know this.

There's a misconception in the air that whatever costly and erratic they(Airtel) are their services are best. That is simply not true. It's just a successful marketing ploy they were able to pull. And it worked. Even being the costliest and having worst customer service(I can confirm that) they enjoy sort of a status that they are better ones.

About the rest, as someone else has commented on your site -

- Don't ever take a postpaid connection. Never ever. Well, of course until you are a millionaire and you don't give a damn how much you are charged all. Postpaid connection is a lot costlier than prepaid for the mid and low tier usage segment.

- You might not like this one - but do not blame them for misinformation, everything is given on Internet and are provided to when asked for that. Research your own shit. Like cost and all. I had learned it hard way too, just like you but I d not rely on them now. I wrote 4 emails to them when I changed one 3G voucher to another. Wanted to make sure. When they said they will call I told them you can call but in that case I will record that call as I won't have a email record of your promises and assurances and if you fk up I'll sue the shit out of you". It worked and they immediately replied to my queries.

- When in problem. Visit an Airtel store and lodge a complaint there and get a receipt and threaten to file a complaint with law if not resolved soon. Mean it. It they don't fix it, file the complaint. We usually feal the heat when we face the problem but leave it someone more crusading than us and everybody thinks the same. I had them once pay me my INR 500+ prepaid balance back they deducted unlawfully and INR 3500 in damages just using http://www.core.nic.in. It works, you have to try.

- People who show up at home in Bangalore to take your docs do not (almost always) know anything other than Kannada. That is because that job is very low paying and they can't hire a person who commands a higher salary to that job. Same story with Citibank or any bank or broadband provider et al. You can't do anything about that other than, again, visiting a store.

-Their customer care executives are plain evil. Earlier I thought even they have a tough job. Hell, if it is change it. They are simply incompetent lazy bads. Play with them. Don't loose your head make them loose it. When I get a credit card or loan call I make them explain everything to me for about 10-20 minutes while I am coffee machine in office or reviewing some code or so and then in the end when they ask when to send the bank person* I tell them I am not interested at all and I just liked their voice and felt like taking. Believe me my number of those calls dwindled. DND registration didn't work.

- Calculate the amount you might have saved(if at all) while on roaming on an Indian connection prepaid or postpaid. You can't. You are better off with those international SIMs and VoIP providers. Use your prepaid number just to receive missed calls(don't pick) and SMS(don't reply). Doesn't cost a thing. And then reply from other sources according to number priority. Or reply anyway, doesn't cost more than 1-2 INR per minute. Done this in Korea for long and plan to do the same on my Euro trip.