Unwanted or unknown calls coming on the phone. They can come anytime and trouble you and you cannot do anything even if you want to. Before picking up the phone, you are not even able to know who is calling you. Unwanted calls coming on mobile phones at odd hours are a cause of trouble for everyone. The residents of Madhya Pradesh are also struggling with telemarketing calls made several times a day to people to buy goods, bank loans, credit cards, and other products. Most mobile phone users block these numbers, but telemarketing companies call from other numbers.
Dr Satyavan Saurabh
It is true that as soon as the smartphone came into people’s lives, it seemed as if their world had changed. There are many people for whom it is not just a phone, it is more than that. With a smartphone, you can not only talk to someone but also make the world of the Internet dance to your fingertips. But there is another aspect of the picture and that is the unwanted or unknown calls coming on the phone. Which can come anytime and trouble you and you cannot do anything even if you want to. Before picking up the phone, you are not even able to know who is calling you. Unwanted calls coming on mobile phones at odd hours have become a cause of trouble for everyone. The residents of Madhya Pradesh are also struggling with the calls made several times a day to people to buy goods, bank loans, credit cards, and other products through telemarketing. Most mobile phone users block these numbers, but telemarketing companies call from other numbers.
For the people troubled by unwanted calls on mobile phones, the Supreme Court has said that the consumers who have registered their phone numbers in Do Not Call. If any call comes on their phone, strict action will be taken against that company. Many companies keep troubling people by calling them for their products whenever they want. But now the Supreme Court has given strict instructions to the government on this issue. The court has said that the consumers who have registered their mobile phone numbers in Do Not Call, should not receive any unwanted calls on their phones. Along with this, it has also asked to take action against those companies that provide tele services but have not registered themselves for this with the Ministry of Communications. People troubled by unwanted calls and messages can once again revive the hope of stopping them. Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) has made new rules regarding this, according to which it will be mandatory for any commercial, telemarketing, or company working for them to obtain the permission of the consumer before calling or sending a message.
Even after the strictness of the Telephone Regulatory of India (TRAI), unwanted calls and SMS are coming to people’s mobiles in large numbers. TRAI started the Do Not Disturb (DND) facility on 27 September 2011. Its purpose was to provide relief to people from unwanted calls and messages. Even after this, consumers are not getting relief. People had registered under this service. Even after this, the process of disturbing consumers by making calls is continuing. According to telecom officials, people have got some relief after the start of the service. If unwanted calls are coming even after registration, then a complaint can be made to TRAI. After this, TRAI can charge a fine to the mobile companies and blacklist them. If consumers have a complaint about getting unwanted calls or messages, then they can take advantage of this facility.
If you are troubled by unwanted calls coming on your cell phone, then this news will give you some relief. During a funeral ceremony, a person receives a loan call, the consumer court has given the decision to the company and the caller to pay compensation to the victims. Vadodara Consumer Forum has given the decision to the telecaller company I-Cube and the caller Kanhaiyalal Thakkar to pay a compensation of Rs 20,000 for disturbing the customer by making unwanted calls. The caller was selling Citi Bank’s credit card and personal loan. When the caller was offering a loan through the phone, the complainant was busy at his relative’s funeral. According to this decision of the court, both the company and the caller will have to pay compensation of 10 thousand rupees each.
Not only this, I-Qube and Vodafone Essar Gujarat Limited were also asked to pay 10,000 rupees to the Consumer Welfare Fund because the complainant had also accused the telecaller company of sharing his name, number, and personal information, which is a violation of his privacy. The case is of the year 2007. After the hearing, the consumer court found I-Qube and caller Thakkar guilty and gave the decision of compensation. A big problem for mobile phone users is unwanted and untimely calls. These calls come at times without permission. Sometimes you are in an important meeting, resting, or driving. These calls disturb you. At the same time, these calls coming at regular intervals also irritate. Sometimes Truecaller informs you that it is a telemarketing call but sometimes you are not able to know it. In such a situation, to get rid of these calls, it is important to block them. Also, use the Do Not Disturb option.
Indian courts and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have prohibited telemarketing companies from invading the privacy of individuals by making unsolicited calls for advertising, marketing, and direct selling of products especially credit cards and bank loans. However, these restrictions will not put an end to telemarketing in India as the companies continue to communicate with potential customers as well. Under the revised Banking Ombudsman Scheme, an aggrieved customer can file a complaint with the concerned Ombudsman against a bank/NBFC for violating RBI guidelines on credit cards. The government needs to fulfill the spirit of the recent observations of the Supreme Court and consumer court judgments by enacting a law to regulate telemarketing so that telemarketers conduct their business without invading individual privacy and without affecting the fundamental rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution of India.
