‘Take User’s Written Consent for VAS Subscription’ Says TRAI

Any of you suffered due to mobile operator sudden subscription and activation of some Value Added Services (VAS) such as call ring back tone and hello tunes, TRAI has listened to your voice and on Monday TRAI directed all the mobile operators that they need to take explicit consent from users for the subscription of Value Added Services (VAS) in written to prevent accidental activation of such services.

TRAI Authority feels that present method of service activation by pressing a key is not the correct way as there could be chances of accidental activation like children at home pressed the respective key unintentionally or customer may not have listened to the announcements fully or did not understand the offer and pressed a particular key unintentionally and the service will be activated and amount has been deducted from his account.

To safeguard the users interest, TRAI has directed the Mobile operators that now onwards they need user’s consent in written through SMS, FAX, Email or Hard copy of subscription & activation with all the details of the offer of such value added service.

This decision of TRAI will increase the Mobile operators cost and reduce the paid VAS subscription. It will also have an impact on the mobile vas growth as  whole. Onmobile which had recently tied up with vodafone for ad ring back tone services would be the worst affected.