National Do Not Call Registry
September 17, 2007 – 8:03 pm
After many complaints, litigations and public cry over Unsolicited Commercial phone calls, the government of India finally came up with a “National Do Not Call Registry” to curb spam phone calls. But this is little amusing to expect a telephone/mobile phone holder to sign up in order to stop telemarketers from making spam calls. However, I feel since the telemarketers are the ones who want to make calls so they should first take permission whether one would like to receive phone call from them. Like the US CAN SPAM ACT which mandates this in order to send marketing email to anyone.
I am sure there has been great deal of opposition to this from the telephone/mobile phone service providers, marketing agencies, companies and they might have prevailed on the government to come up with a “National Do Not Call Registry” and not taking permision of the phone holder first. Also, this marketing agencies, popularly known as Direct Marketing Agency or DSA are hand in gloves with the phone service providers. If may not the company as a whole but definately some employees are hand in gloves with this DSAs. Otherwise how do this DSAs are able to get their hand on lists of mobile phone connection holders. For more information on this you may visit the website below:
Now how to register:
- To avoid Unsolicited commercial call/SMSs register on “National Do Not Call Registry” through your phone service provider.
- Landline/mobile phone holders can send such a request to their service provider via SMS, Website or call their Customer Care.
- Any Landline/mobile phone holder receiving telemarketing calls/SMSs after 45 days of registration may complain to his/her service provider with the relevent details so that suitable action can be taken against call originator/telemarketer.
- An amount of Rs 500/- per call/message has been prescribed to discourage telemarketers who make calls to numbers registered in Do Not Call list. The defaulter telemarketer will face disconnection of telecom service.