Say Good-Bye to Unwanted Service Calls by Dialing 155223

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TRAI, is well known for its consumer friendly attitudes and strategies. From saving the customer from SMS marketing by cutting short the number of messages per day, to pulling operator from the MNP irregularities, the ways adopted by TRAI have been welcomed by the common people with both their hands. Now, TRAI is becoming the savior of the mass once again by providing an option to escape from the unwanted mobile service calls.



It is only very recently that the cell phones began to reach the hands of common citizen of India. Now, from school children to very old people include the consumer list of mobile phones. When it comes to a common man, who uses mobile phones for its very basic features like making an unavoidable call, the service calls are really a headache. Imagine a man who is very busy with his work. His cell phone rings and he keeps his work aside and hurries to pick the call. All he hears is a computerized voice talking nonstop about their new ring tones and caller tones! More than 80%of the people who read this very sentence will be having firsthand experience of this incident for sure.



The hair pinching irritation of these unwanted calls won’t be there long. Thanks to TRAI, just dialing 155233, you can permanently put an end to these unwanted mobile service calls. This number will be the same for any network anywhere across India. We have heard numerous incidents where the consumers have been wrongly billed for Value Added Services. With the help of this new rule, that can be prevented.



With this facility, the consumer can deactivate an unknowingly added VAS (Value Added Service). If the request for deactivation is filed within 24 hours of activation, the operator will have to refund the money.



Further, the service operators will now require a clearly expressed written approval of the user for the activation of any service on his/her number. The written consent from the user can be received only through SMS, FAX, email or in writing within 24 hours. In case there no written consent has been received by the service provider from the user within 24 hours, the operator will have to refund the amount charged for the activation of any service following its deactivation.



TRAI had directed the telecom operators to offer this service back in the year 2011, but the telecom players had objected to it. They denied the proposal pointing out the huge revenue loss and employment loss. The case was going on, in which obviously the operators failed. Now, with the decision of the Telecom Tribunal Court in favor of TRAI and the consumers, operators are forced to face huge revenue losses while it will be a blessing for the customers.