Free Local Information courtesy Google

If you have been spending money calling up Just Dial services on 24444444 to get information about local businesses in Hyderabad, you have an alternative now. Google has launched its free telephone service on the number 1 800 41 99 99 99. You call them up and you get instantly connected to their call center. You ask them for what you want and they ask you for your mobile number and then send you an SMS.

The last time I called up Just Dial they asked me for my name and if I had a business and if I was interested in listing with them and a zillion other stuff. Nothing like this with Google - just call them up and they were quick and efficient.

You can alternatively also get local information by sending them an SMS to 54664 ('5GOOG' on most devices). But you are charged for sending the SMS and you can see the charges here http://www.google.co.in/mobile/sms/index.html. You can alternatively search for the information on the link given above without sending an SMS.

I checked by searching for "ameerpet pest control" on the site and I also called up the call center and asked for the information and they both gave me exactly the same places and phone numbers.

On the whole its a neat service as it is very comprehensive and I can access it on the web, sending an SMS or just calling them up.

A joke called "National Do Not Call Registry"

The Do Not Call Registry of TRAI is a farce. Registering with this registry does not seem to have any effect on the number of calls that you receive from Tele Marketers. If you go to their website http://ndncregistry.gov.in/ndncregistry/index.jsp they have a section called Information For Subscribers and inside that How to File Complaints. If you get very excited on seeing that don't, in that page this is what is written

"Subscriber may make complaints if he receives Unsolicited Commercial Communication(UCC) even after 45 days of successful inclusion of his number, he may complain the same to his Telecom service provider. Please contact your telecom service provider for more Details."


If you click on the Details link it will take you to a document that has the contact numbers of all the telecom service providers.

Yesterdays newspaper had the following headline


And I have one basic doubt in the whole process working and that is

If the person who you have to complaint to is the telecom operator and thats the same person that is to be paying the penalty why would that person even bother to acknowledge the complaint.

Assuming that in this Utopian world that will happen I still have the following questions that I have not got answers from either the TRAI or the Telecom Operator

• What is the format of the complaint?
• What is the proof that is needed to file the complaint?
• What is the acknowledgment that the complaint has been accepted?
• Who is the arbitrator for the complaint?
• How long will the complaint be resolved in?

It looks like a lot of people out there are looking for answers lets hope something comes out of all of this and we are saved from the plague of tele-marketers. Here are some links to others that are facing the same problem

No end to nuisance calls
India’s Do Not Call Registry: A Failure
The 'Do Not Call' registry farce

Beware of Vodafone

Today I heard an interesting conversation between a Vodafone sales person and a customer. Let me give you a background first. The customer is on a post paid plan and wants to increase the credit limit. The audio file below is the recorded conversation between the customer and the Vodafone sales executive (you can read the transcript below).



Download VodafoneSalesPerson.MP3


...
Sales person : what is happening ma'am actually through credit card if you are paying the bill we need one of your credit card front and back xerox copy
Customer : Can you repeat that please
Sales person : if you are paying through credit card if you want to avail this service through credit card
Customer : ok
Sales person : we need one of your credit card front and back xerox copy ma'am
Customer : ah ah
Sales person : and we are having one credit card form in that all your details and signature
Customer : right
Sales person : that is needed and on this we are getting free holiday package anywhere in India with your family
Customer : ok
Sales person : and 100 rs local SMS free for 3 months
Customer : ok so are you from hutch
Sales person : hutch in the sense Vodafone no ma'am
Customer : are you a Vodafone employee
Sales person : yeah yeah
Customer : you are a Vodafone employee right
Sales person : yeah yeah
.....
Customer : Renuka see front and back xerox copy if i give it then the credit card can be misused right
Sales person : your credit card how will it be misused we will send that to the bank nah
Customer : You'll will send it to the bank
Sales person : yeah for verification
Customer : no but is there any other proof that i can give you other than front and back
Sales person : if you are taking from bank then we need a cancelled signed cheque ma'am
Customer : for credit card facility is there any other proof that you can accept to pay through credit card is there any other proof
Sales person : no we need only front and back copy of your credit card
Customer : ok Renuka
Customer : are you working at the Begumpet sales office
Sales person : no Basheerbagh
Customer : Basheerbagh Vodafone office
Sales person : yeah
...

With the front and the back copy of the credit card the person who collects it can do pretty much anything they want with the credit card since they will have the credit card number and the 3 digit CVV number. They can shop on any online website and no one will be able to stop them. When I called up Vodafone they told me that there isn't any scheme for supplying your credit card such as a free holiday and 100 SMS per month free. The sales person actually made it look like you are guaranteed a holiday provided you give them your credit card details.

Please be careful regarding this. Do not ever let your precious credit card go out of your sight and also do not hand over photo copies of your credit card to anyone. This is a big scam that is being carried out by the sales agents of Vodafone.