Value Added Service Activated Without Consent? Dial 155223 And Get It Deactivated!

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Posted on February 7, 2013 by Runjhun

Complaint Against Wrong Activation Of Value Added Services, Register At 15223 And Get It Deactivated

It was a couple of days ago that we reported TRAI’s latest initiative to curb the pesky calls menace where the consumers were required to forward the erring SMS to 1909 for registering a complaint against it. (See full story Received A Pesky SMS? Forward It To 1909.)

While the success of this service is still under scrutiny with plenty of consumers reporting that menace continues unrelented. It remains a point of debate whether this is a result of lack of consumer initiative in using the services and reporting or the service has failed to achieve its objective as such. Perceived success notwithstanding, this was still a start and is bound to have made a difference at least in some quarters, even if not entirely in visible.

And now, TRAI has come up with another set of services to curb the widely prevalent practice of activating value added services (VAS) without the consumer’s consent. Consumers can now register complaint about wrongful activation of value added services (VAS) like internet and caller tunes on a new common number, 155223, for all operators.

These services are, by design, more action oriented that the previous one dealing with pesky SMS in the sense that once the complaint has been registered by a consumer, telecom operators will have to refund the amount charged for such activation of services. The only condition here is that to be able to get the refund, the consumer will have to inform about it within 24 hours on this common number.

Subscribers who have been using any value added services beyond 24 hours can also request for deactivation of service on this number. Telecom operator will have to deactivate service within four hours of getting phone call but the customer will not be eligible to claim refund in such cases.

The regulations have come in place from February 1, after the industry players failed to convince TRAI against them. Simply put, February 1, 2013 onwards, operators will have to take consent of subscribers before activating any VAS and deactivate it without charging for it if no consent is received from them.

Interestingly, compliance with these regulations will lead to an estimated Rs 12,000 crore revenue loss to the industry, which just about begins to describe the extent to which the industry thrives on cheating and troubling average consumers.

Good Riddance, we say!

New number to deactivate unwanted mobile services (Times of India)

Warning: Consumer Troubles Ahead! Systematic Increase In Telecom Tariffs Sets TRAI’s Alarm Bells Ringing!

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Runjhun

Systematic Increase In Telecom Tariffs By All Operators Sets TRAI's Alarm Bells Ringing

We had reported about the hike in telecom tariffs earlier. (See Airtel And Idea Hike Call Rates, Others To Follow). As we have been saying, others too have been following the suite, increasing tariffs at various levels after a long period of being a telecom industry with the lowest rates in the world.

Telecom operators Idea Cellular, Vodafone and Reliance Communications are reported to have increased call charges in the range of 20 per cent to 33 per cent in a span of months. There was another hike in mobile internet services within last one month by Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular in the range of 25 per cent to 30 per cent.

In the another installment of hikes, telecom operator Airtel and Idea Cellular took promotional scheme route to hike call rates by slashing free minutes in the range of 10 per cent to 25 per cent and increasing rates of special tariff vouchers which offers discounts on call rates and other services.

There is a clear cut pattern and he industry watchers including TRAI chairman have expressed concerns about a possible nexus. NGO Telecom Watchdog has even approached Competition Commission and TRAI to look into these hikes, stating that hike in a cartelised manner is’ illegal, unjustified, and arbitrary‘.

TRAI has however assured that freedom granted to the telecom operators for fixing their call charges should not be taken for granted and that changes in tariffs are being continuously monitored by the regulator.

For years, Indian consumers had reaped the benefit of a feverishly competitive telecom industry, willing to slash the rates irrespective of losses. It would indeed be a proverbial full circle if that same set of consumers now find itself as a victim of cartelization between these very telecom players.

Tadka, however, hopes that TRAI’s belligerent stand in this regard would be an effective shield for the consumers.

Telecom tariffs are continuously monitored: TRAI (The Hindu)

Internet Junkies Rejoice! Internet Service Providers Liable To Pay Heavy Fine For Bad Services, Says TRAI.

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Runjhun

Internet Service Providers Liable To Pay Heavy Fine For Bad Services, Says TRAI (Picture Credit :commerce.idaho.gov)

Tired of your broadband services never living upto their promises?

Seems like TRAI is tired to and hence taken it upon itself to rectify the situation.

As per the updated Quality of Service regulations effective since January 1, 2013, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) found guilty of providing broadband services that fail to achieve the benchmark of Quality of Service (QoS), will be fined up to 50,000 rupees for every parameter found below quality benchmark. For subsequent contraventions of the QoS, the amount shall go up to One Lakh.

TRAI has also directed the ISPs to submit a Performance Monitoring Report, failing which they would be fined a sum of up to Rs 5,000 for every day that the default continues. In the event of an ISP submitting a false Performance Monitoring Report, it would be liable to pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh per parameter falsified.

As per the broadband QoS regulations, 2006, few of the relevant parameters that the ISPs are required to comply with include :

100% activation in less than or equal to 15 days after the payment is done.
Repair of any fault or restoration of services to be completed by next working day in more than 90% of cases, and 99% in next 3 working days.
Less than 2% billing complaints per 100 bills issued and 100% of billing complaints resolved within 4 days. Also, 100% refund of deposit within 60 days of closure of account.
60% of calls answered within 60 seconds, 80% of calls within 90 seconds.
Subscribed Broadband Connection Speed to be met more than 80% from ISP Node to User.

Simply put, your ISP can no longer get away with shoddy and lax services without bearing a severe pecuniary consequence. In principle, this is an excellent move to ensure better consumer services from the ISPs. What reamins to be seen is how effective these measures actually turn out to be!

You can find the complete QoS Regulations, 2006 here and TRAI’s latest dierctives here.

The Big Blow! Airtel And Idea Hike Their Call Rates Drastically, More To Follow Soon!

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Posted on January 23, 2013 by Runjhun

Airtel And Idea Hike Call Rates Drastically, More Like Vodafone To Follow Soon (Picture credit: widefide.com)

After years of providing call rates that progressively dropped in the fiercely competitive telecom market, the telecom companies have finally decided to bite the bullet and start hiking the call rates.

In a move that is shocking but not entirely unexpected, Airtel is reported to have increased call rates by almost 100%, effectively doubling the existing rates. The company is also reportedly reducing free minutes by up to a quarter and has increased prices of some call vouchers for prepaid customers by 5-15 rupees.

According to Idea’s spokesperson, company has raised call prices in some zones by withdrawing what she said were promotional offers but there was no across-the-board increase. According to media reports, Idea has also gone for a steep hike from 1.2 paise per second to 2 paise per second.

The fierce competition in the telecom market had sent the call rates tumbling down in 2009, with absolutely no increase for over 3 years. A hike, hence, has been long due.

More concrete information in this regard shall be coming in within next few days with respect to Airtel and Idea as well as other major players like Vodafone.

We shall keep you posted on the developments. But for now, it looks like bad news galore for the consumers!

Bharti Airtel raises call tariffs by almost 100% (Times of India)

Good News Airtel Lovers! Airtel Excels On All Quality Parameters, Says TRAI.

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Runjhun

Airtel leads on all network quality parameters according to TRAI

Brand loyalty has never made sense to us. As far as we are concerned, love for Brands is a matter of convenience. We love them till a better one turns up.

However, there are still people, who harbor a deep abiding commitment towards their favorite Brands. We are not just not sure of the part of the World inhabited by them.

Our limited demographic knowledge notwithstanding, we have a good news for Airtel lovers.

TRAI, the mai-baap of telecom industry (or so it has us believe, though we are convinced that telecom operators think otherwise) has affirmed that Bharti Airtel has delivered on all network quality parameters in Mumbai and Maharashtra circles, in its quality of service (QoS) report.

The QoS report, released by TRAI is based on various benchmarks stated by TRAI like availability of network, ease of originating a call or a data session , voice clarity and ability to successfully complete the calls and data sessions.

While I struggle to have the Airtel deliver anything on my Mumbai number, including network, we hope that it is only an exception and that Airtel has actually lived up to the standards accorded to it by TRAI in the Maharashtra circle.

Meanwhile, Tadka congratulates Airtel Maharashtra and hopes that they shall continue to deliver on all parameters, not just in Maharashtra but across the country.

Airtel leads on all network quality parameters :TRAI (Voice ‘n’ Data)

Happy Consumers Ahead! TRAI Asks Telecom Operators To Improve Quality Of Data Services And Meet Benchmarks.

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Runjhun

TRAI mandates telecom operators to improve internet services, test data services quality

Does the quality of data services by your mobile operator bother you?

TRAI is here to help!

While mobile internet performance is hardly a concern it used to be, there are still areas that need significant improvement, not just in terms of better speed and connectivity but also dissemination of proper consumer information.

In an attempt to further improve the quality of data services, TRAI has released ‘The Standards of Quality of Service for Wireless Data Services Regulations, 2012′ according to which the mobile operators are required to meet quality of service benchmarks in respect of parameters such as activation of data services, successful data transmission download or upload attempts from a test server, minimum download speed from a test server covering all tariff plans and data drop rate.

In order to ensure due compliance with the regulated standards, every cellular mobile service provider is required to set up a test set up comprising of servers and test probes to cover the entire geographical area of coverage of different data services in the licenced area

According to TRAI, it has also been mandated that service providers have to publish at its website, the details of all data services offered, along with their tariffs, clearly indicating the cities and towns where such data services and tariff plans are applicable.

Crucially, the service providers are not directed to not offer new data services or modify existing data services or tariffs without prior publication at its website.

TRAI asks telecom operators to test quality of data services (NDTV Gadgets)

Trai asks mobile operators to test quality of data services (Business Standard)