I use two SIM cards, one from IDEA cellular and another one from AirTel. On the recently purchased IDEA number, I started getting automated sales calls (UCC – Unsolicited Commercial Communication, as TRAI calls it) from day 1. It is not just calls, but SMS, WAP push message, Flash message, you name it! And what they are selling is ring tones, SMS jokes, horoscope and all such B*S which I have no interest in. If you are smart, thinking of marking the calls as junk, they are making the calls from random phone numbers. I have started collecting these random phone numbers in my junk list and I have 13 numbers now. And for the SMS, they don’t have a number at all.
I called the customer care and told them that I don’t need this “service”. They were kind enough to raise a request to register my number in the DND. But they said that it will take 45 days to update it in the registry. I do not understand the logic behind such a delay in updating a database. And remember, it took them no time at all to activate the service. I was getting UCC calls the very first day I bought the SIM. And I asked the customer care agent, why Idea is taking 45 days. She told me that Idea is not making any sales call at all and even added that it will be from their competitors. Why in the world would their competitor call me asking to by Idea’s services? I have no IDEA!
After a little googling I leaned about the DND (Do-Not-Disturb) registry maintained by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and I went to the page describing the procedure for registering your number in the DND registry. The regulation imposed by TRAI restricts agencies from calling us if our number is registered there. As per the rule, marketing agencies and service providers should first check the DND registry before calling us. Unless they will have to pay a fine. It is not clear whether customer will get any compensation or not. Unfortunately there is no direct mechanism to register your number in the registry. You can send an SMS or call the service. If after 45 days, you are still getting calls, you can file a complaint. The whole stuff looked ineffective to me. So I wrote to TRAI pointing this and suggesting some changes. Following are my suggestions..
- Provide a facility in TRAI web site (http://ndncregistry.gov.in/ndncregistry/index.jsp) to directly register/unregister telephone numbers in DND registry. May also include an SMS based verification mechanism to avoid misuse. Users will be willing to pay for this verification system.
- Remove/reduce the 45 days delay in activating or deactivating the DND registry entry.
- Restrict the service providers to make service/sales calls/SMS/WAP push message/Flash message, to be made from only one number. If possible a predefined number.
- Ban the delivery of SMS without a from number in it.
- Take legal action against violators.
- Provide a portion of the fine collected from the service provider or UCC source to the sub-scriber (at present it is not clear from the description given in the site that, the customer is getting any financial compensation for the abuse or not).
I remember that my old AirTel number was registered in the DND registry long back, and I am still getting calls from them, especially when I am in roaming, and yes they charge for their sales – incoming – calls too.
So, in short, there are no practical ways to fight spam telephone calls as of now. My search for a solution ends here. Let me know if you know any methods to control them. You can also send your suggestions to TRAI, h e l p l i n e @ n d n c r e g i s t r y . g o v . i n
