Well, well you receive a lot lesser calls from Munni, Arjun, Shabnam and Ayeshas from 1st January 2011. That is if the new regulations issued by TRAI for telemarketers are implemented well. The last effort with NDNC was not a complete success with not much respite to call receivers and very few people actually using the facility.
Some of the highlights of the new regulations are as follows:
1. Phone numbers of telemarketers to start with 70 so that everyone can easily identify
the caller
2. No telemarketing calls between 9 pm and 9 am
3. Individuals will have the option of blocking all calls or being selective about it
4. For the purpose of selection seven catergories have been defined – Banking and Finance (which includes insurance companies), real estate, education, health, consumer goods and automobiles, communication and entertainment and tourism and liesure
5. First time offenders will be fined Rs. 25,000, Rs. 75,000 for the second, Rs. 80,000 for the third, Rs. 1,25,000 for the fourth, Rs. 1,50,000 for the fifth and Rs. 2,50,000 for the sixth time offence. (Yes, we need to know where this money will go to!) If it goes to the aggrieved party, be prepared for a lot of action!!!
6. Bulk SMS too will be controlled with no party getting access to more than 100 SMS per day
7. A toll free number 1901 would be provided for registering complaints and getting onto the NDNC list
8. Transactional messages from banks, insurance companies, telecom, airlines and railways have been kept out of the list
These guidelines from TRAI do seem to be a step in the right direction. Lets see if our FM gets another call when in an important meeting – that would be the litmus test.
Next in line would be Emails – but that is a much more difficult task.
