The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked operators to ensure that subscribers are informed every time an amount is deducted from their account for different services.
The operators have been given a deadline of 45 days for the same.
Announcing the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2012, TRAI said, “Notwithstanding the several steps taken in the past by TRAI with a view to enhance transparency in tariff offers, the authority continues to receive complaints and representations from consumers.?
“With a view to protecting the interest of telecom consumers and particularly prepaid consumers, TRAI has issued the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2012.?
Operators will be required to send messages to subscribers to inform them about the deduction from their account after every call made or after every data usage session.
“This information will include the duration of the call or usage, the charges deducted, balance available, quantum of data usage. The consumer can also get details of his tariff plan, available balance in his account and details of any value added service activated on his telephone.”
To ensure that prepaid consumers get an itemised usage of their accounts, the service providers have been mandated to provide this within 30 days of a request being made.
Customers will be provided a start-up kit at the time of enrolement which will contain a SIM card, a mobile number and an abridged version of the citizen’s charter on the rights of a consumer.
The prepaid vouchers offered have also been standardised into three categories, plan voucher, top-up voucher and special tariff voucher and have been mandated to be under colour bands. The plan voucher will have a red coloured band, the top-up voucher a green coloured band and the special tariff voucher a yellow coloured band.
