Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued new directives to telecom operators in India on ‘Preventing Misleading Tariff Advertisements’ to further improve transparency in telecom tariff offers for facilitating the telecom subscribers to choose the tariff plans that best meet their needs.
According TRAI a tariff advertisement is considered to be misleading, which in any way, is likely to induce the consumer to subscribe to a tariff plan, which he would not have subscribed, contains an untrue statement, omits a material fact having bearing on the subscriber’s decision, and fails to disclose attached limitations and restrictions. Through this direction, the telecom providers have, interalia, been directed that advertisements published by them should be transparent and non-misleading and unambiguous, disclose all material information in unambiguous manner, contain the website address and customer care number of the telecom access service provider, and the advertisements issued in vernacular languages contain all the mandatory disclosures in the same vernacular language.
Further, TRAI has directed the telecom providers have been mandated to maintain an advertisement register which must include a specimen of every tariff related advertisements, and carry out internal audit to ensure that they are complying with all aspects of this Direction and to report compliance to the Authority on half-yearly basis.
Hope this new TRAI directive customers to choose the best plan which suits them and with less confusion. Do let us know what do you think about this new directive from TRAI.