Service Providers Fined For Unsolicited Telemarketing Calls

In a landmark judgment, the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has imposed a total fine of Rs 75 lakh on mobile service provider Airtel, two banks and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) for pestering public with unsolicited telemarketing calls and text messages despite a ban.

The commission was very critical of the fact that the information relating to subscribers, which were confidential and were lying with the mobile companies, were being passed on to the telemarketing agencies that to without the users' consent.

While Airtel and the COAI are to jointly pay Rs 50 lakh, ICICI Bank and American Express Bank are to share a fine of Rs 25 lakh.

Taking strong note of inaction by telecom regulator TRAI, the commission said that in spite of it being aware of this problem for years, which had spread like epidemic and was unabated, no effective steps were taken. The order came on a petition filed by a New Delhi based lawyer who was an Airtel subscriber. The court said every subscriber who suffered from such calls shall be entitled to a minimum compensation of Rs 25,000.