According to the Recent Document released here and here under heading The Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010, TRAI had laid strict rules for Telemarketers who break the rule and new options are opened up for customers.
TRAI rolls out tough Do Not Disturb Regulations
Below are the main features :
- A customer may choose between ‘fully blocked’ category or ‘partially blocked’ category.
- The ‘partially blocked’ category, in which case he will receive SMS in the category/categories chosen by him. There are seven categories : 1.Banking/Insurance/Financial products/credit cards; 2- Real Estate; 3.Education; 4.Health; 5.Consumer goods and automobiles; 6.Communication/Broadcasting/Entertainment/IT; 7-Tourism and Leisure.
- To register his number, one can call on 1909 or SMS to 1909. You can check if your number is registered under DND or Do Not Disturb registry or now.
- A new system is designed where both Telemarketers and the service providers filter numbers which are under DND. This way even if the Telemarketers try to skip your mobile operator will keep it clean.
- A separate numbering series 70 will be allocated for telemarketers, so that all telemarketing calls can be easily identified. Likewise, a unique SMS header has been mandated for easy identification of commercial SMSs.
- Even for unregistered numbers, No commercial calls can be placed between 9.00 PM to 9.00AM.
How to Opt-in and Out using SMS for DND?
Change Options by sending SMS to 1909.
- Fully blocked : SMS START 0
- START 1 : SMS relating to Banking/Insurance/Financial products/credit cards
- START 2: SMS relating to Real Estate.
- START 3: SMS relating to Education .
- START 4: SMS relating to Health .
- START 5: SMS relating to Consumer goods and automobiles.
- START 6 : SMS relating to Communication/Broadcasting/ Entertainment/IT
- START 7: SMS relating to Tourism and Leisure
How much Telemarketers will be penalized for?
The telemarketers are now required to enter into an agreement with the service providers with a security deposit.
- First offence Rs. 25,000/-
- Second offence, 75,000/-
- Third offence Rs.80,000/-
- Fourth offence Rs.1,20,000/-
- Fifth offence Rs. 1,50,000/-
- Sixth offence Rs.2,50,000/-.
These penalties will be deducted by the service providers and will be collected and deposited to TRAI when it happens. Once Blacklisted after 6th offence, they will be dropped from all the service providers for 2 years.
IMO these regulations are huge if implemented properly. If the Filter system works and the numbers are unique for telemarketers it gives an easy option for subscribers to just cancel the call.
However one keen issue that regularly happens is SMS from numbers which are not registered as TeleMarketers but are used to send SMS or even call. TRAI hopefully one day will come with an option where a complaint can be registered against such numbers.
