TRAI's new figures show its stricter norms for activation and deactivation of VAS services has helped reduce user complaints.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) says there has been a significant 87 percent reduction in the number of complaints about wrong activation of Value Added Services (VAS) since July, when the regulator had released tightened norms for activation and deactivation of such services.
The latest data released by the TRAI says number of of complaints about wrongly activated value added services on mobile phones has slipped to by about 87.56% to 9,338 in August, from 75,117 in July.
However, the TRAI figures do not include data from BSNL, QTL, MTS and Videocon.
According to the regulator’s new guidelines, operators are mandated to include all forms of activation and scenarios –OBD, IVRS, WAP, Mobile Internet, USSD, SMS, Tele-calling and any other mode of activation in the process of activating any VAS. The service provider needs to develop a system that has second consent from the customer before activation any value added service. The system may include any means- OBD, IVRS, WAP, Mobile Internet, USSD, SMS, Tele-calling or any other mode of activation.
“The first offer of a service is on the service providers’ platform and a second confirmation from the customer is through a dedicated consent gateway which is owned by a third party and not by the service provider. It is only after receiving a second confirmation from the customer, that the service provider shall activate the value added service,” say the new guidelines.
“In case of USSD and SMS mode of activation, no activation response time should be greater than 10 seconds and 60 minutes respectively and in case of non-response, the same should be treated as ‘no activation required’.”
“Upon activation of VAS service, the de-activation number, the validity of the VAS service and charges for renewal should be explicitly informed.”
Source: TRAI