I got an airtel message that “As per instruction from DOT, airtel needs to publish telephone directory of its subscribers on its website. If you don’t want your details to be listed, please SMS NORQMT to 53636(Rs.3/SMS) within 3 days, from your registered mobile”. So, DOT wants telephone carriers to publish subscriber details on its website without the privacy concern of customers. The major population(Millions) who doesn’t want to be listed in directory would be individual customers not business. As of now the telephone customer base for Airtel telephone(from corporate website - https://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-08-20/news/53029036_1_monthly-growth-rural-subscriber-total-telephone-subscriber-base) is 20.92 crore. I have following questions:
Even though DOT regulation is about publish subscriber details, it should be concerned with who are interested to publish rather than who are not interested making 80-85% of the telephone subscribers to send SMS charged Rs. 3.00 making a QUICK MONEY OF 50 CRORE IN 3 DAYS.?
There are no other medium(EMAIL, CUSTOMER SERVICE) of communicating to stop subscriber detail publishing forcing customers to send SMS making one of the best low hanging fruit sales strategy ever created incurring burden to customers. HOW THIS WILL BE JUSTIFIED AS HELPING CUSTOMER AND NOT TREATED AS LOOTING JANATA?
The notification should be for people who are interested as business, corporates would be interested in publishing their details for contact information with purpose and motive of improving business. AIRTEL makes money both ways by sending SMS. DOES ANYBODY THINK IN THIS WAY? ARE WE SUBSCRIBERS MAKE AIRTEL MORE RICH BECAUSE OF THIS MESSAGE?
SERVICE OF UNSUBSCRIBING SHOULD BE FREE AS IT IS ALL ABOUT PROTECTING CUSTOMER PRIVACY NOT BEING OPPORTUNISTIC MAKING MONEY.