Government has ‘mobile number request’ for retailers
The central government has asked major industry bodies to advise retailers not to take mobile numbers of consumers without their consent at the time of sale of goods or services. According to consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, consumers are flooded with marketing and promotional messages from retailers on their phones which they did not opt for.
Singh wrote to major industry bodies, including CII, FICCI, Assocham, PHDCCI, Retailers Association of India (RAI) and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), asking them to advise retailers on this issue.
“I urge upon you to suitably advise the retailers that the mobile number of the consumers should not be taken without their express consent at the time of sale of any goods or services and, providing the same should not be made a mandatory pre-condition for sale,” news agency PTI quoted Singh’s letter as saying.
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Increase in complaints on NCH
The secretary said that people are registering a number of grievances on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) that several retail stores are compelling consumers to submit their mobile numbers before purchasing a product.
In case of denial to provide the mobile number, retailers either declined to sell the product or service and/or also rejected any refund, exchange etc, the secretary wrote in the letter dated May 26.
“By imposing a mandatory requirement to provide mobile numbers, consumers are often forced to share their personal information, against their will, after which consumers are often flooded with marketing and promotional messages from retailers, which they did not even opt for at the time of purchasing the product,” Singh was quoted as saying.
Singh said that the Department of Consumer Affairs has taken serious note of this situation.
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“…insisting on mobile number during the sale of a product as a pre-requisite mandatory condition, even when a consumer opts not to provide the same, is a violation of their rights and constitutes unfair trade practice under the Act,” Singh said.
‘Unfair trade practices’
According to Singh, restricting consumers to buy products or to return, exchange and refund or resolving consumer grievances on the grounds that the consumer has not shared a mobile number, is an unfair trade practice.
“In the absence of breach of any other terms and conditions of sale, mere non- sharing of phone number cannot be a ground to deprive consumers from exercising their rights under the Act,” he added.
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The central government has asked major industry bodies to advise retailers not to take mobile numbers of consumers without their consent at the time of sale of goods or services. According to consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, consumers are flooded with marketing and promotional messages from retailers on their phones which they did not opt for.
Singh wrote to major industry bodies, including CII, FICCI, Assocham, PHDCCI, Retailers Association of India (RAI) and Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), asking them to advise retailers on this issue.
“I urge upon you to suitably advise the retailers that the mobile number of the consumers should not be taken without their express consent at the time of sale of any goods or services and, providing the same should not be made a mandatory pre-condition for sale,” news agency PTI quoted Singh’s letter as saying.
Read Also
Increase in complaints on NCH
The secretary said that people are registering a number of grievances on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) that several retail stores are compelling consumers to submit their mobile numbers before purchasing a product.
In case of denial to provide the mobile number, retailers either declined to sell the product or service and/or also rejected any refund, exchange etc, the secretary wrote in the letter dated May 26.
“By imposing a mandatory requirement to provide mobile numbers, consumers are often forced to share their personal information, against their will, after which consumers are often flooded with marketing and promotional messages from retailers, which they did not even opt for at the time of purchasing the product,” Singh was quoted as saying.
Singh said that the Department of Consumer Affairs has taken serious note of this situation.
Read Also
“…insisting on mobile number during the sale of a product as a pre-requisite mandatory condition, even when a consumer opts not to provide the same, is a violation of their rights and constitutes unfair trade practice under the Act,” Singh said.
‘Unfair trade practices’
According to Singh, restricting consumers to buy products or to return, exchange and refund or resolving consumer grievances on the grounds that the consumer has not shared a mobile number, is an unfair trade practice.
“In the absence of breach of any other terms and conditions of sale, mere non- sharing of phone number cannot be a ground to deprive consumers from exercising their rights under the Act,” he added.
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end of article
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