TRAI asks telcos to pull ambiguous mobile tariff ads
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked the telecom companies to do away with ambiguous mobile tariff advertisements and provide complete information to users. The regulatory body also said that tariff ads should have all details in the same vernacular language in which they are released.
The TRAI said that it had received numerous complaints from users regarding ‘confusing’ and ‘difficult to understand’ tariff ads. Users, the regulator added, sought more transparency in the tariff plans. Telcos are obligated to comply with the TRAI directive immediately and pull down all ads that are ‘inconsistent with the provisions’ within a month.
As per the TRAI directive, service providers will have to publish their website address and customer care contact in the advertisements. Also, they are required to maintain a register that has a specimen of every tariff related ad. To ensure that the directives are honestly followed, the telcos will have to conduct internal audits report to the TRAI on Jan 15 and July every year.
The TRAI directives also cover the special tariff vouchers. It may be recalled that the TRAI had previously barred the telcos from providing monetary value with the low-cost plans after it discovered operators misusing them but pulled the ban last week.
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