Currently VI and erstwhile Vodafone have been fined Rs 50,000 by the Gujarat State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission for disconnecting and blacklisting mobile numbers of users. Regarding which the users were accused that the number was being used for telemarketing without registration. According to a report in Times of India, Vi said that the user used to harass other customers.
According to the report, a user named Nirmalkumar Mistry from Surat received a message from his Telecom Provider (Vi) in October 2014, informing that the company had received complaints about users sending unregistered telemarketing messages and calls. Because of this the telecom provider disconnected Mistry’s number. Mistry later got a new SIM card from another store, but could not get his old phone number back.
After which Mistry has sent a legal notice to the company. The TOI report states that users were using the number for unregistered telemarketing activities, but only one complaint was received to clarify this.
Loss of Rs 3,50,000 in business
Users approached the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Forum of Surat against this. Mistry said he is a software developer and does not work as a telemarketer. He said that when the number was blocked, he had lost Rs 3,50,000 in his business and it should be compensated.
Forum rejected the application
The forum dismissed the complaint in 2016 and accepted Vi’s defense that Users’ Number operated as an unregistered telemarketing service. The telecom provider also said that since the users were registered as a telemarketer, they cannot be treated as a subscriber under the Consumer Protection Act.
State commission hearing
After the rejection, the users approached the State Commission and where the complaint was filed as per the rules of TRAI. Further, the report also states that the customer who complained about the user’s number did not have “Do Not Disturb” activated on his phone. Therefore, the counsel said, the company had no reason to block the number of its client. After which the State Commission in its decision has ordered to pay Rs 50,000 to the users at the rate of 7 percent interest.