What happened?

On Thursday (4th August 2016) I received a threatening call from Idea Cellular DND team +91 90927 17053 at 3.22 PM who told me that I have been telemarketing using my phone number for ICICI Bank services and they are intending to deactivate my number. Interestingly I have only reported the following Idea Mobile number (+91 90878 63369) for telemarketing to my service provider and ICICi Bank. In fact I have also claimed a reimbursement for the incoming junk call from ICICI Bank. The stupid smart asses at ICICi bank were asking me account number to trace the call and they did not understand the essence of NDNC.

The simplest inference is either below (an unholy nexus of ICICI Bank with Idea cellular) or Idea Cellular has hired illiterates to keep their workforce expense low and they are not able to understand the reports clearly.

In realty the Idea Mobile Number which did telemarketing on me was +91 90878 63369 on 2nd August 2016 and was duly reported to the office of Ms. Chanda Kochar. Going by this call of Idea Cellular, my inference is that ICICI Bank has an unholy nexus with Idea Cellular and hence threatening customers not to report NDNC complaints on them and if customers report they would fake reports to close mobile numbers of customers.

Idea already has the reputation of their licenses squashed by our Honble Apex Court regarding 2G scam. An year back I reported that Idea Chennai resellers put random alternate numbers to activate Idea connections. Now Idea is protecting their illegitimate telemarketers using this cheap ploy.

 

What was done?

The issue has been reported to the following persons for due investigation:

  • PgPortal (Banking) DEABD/E/2016/09108
  • PgPortal (Telecom) DOTEL/E/2016/28769
  • Vodafone (My Cellphone Operator)
    • appellate.kar@vodafone.com; appellate.tamilnadu@vodafone.com; nodal.tamilnadu@vodafone.com; vodafonecare.kar@vodafone.com; vodafonecare.chn@vodafone.com;
  • Idea Cellular (Telemarketer’s Cellphone Operator)
    • shs@idea.adityabirla.com; Sanjeev.Aga@idea.adityabirla.com; Akshaya.Moondra@idea.adityabirla.com; Anil.Tandan@idea.adityabirla.com; Prakash.Paranjape@idea.adityabirla.com; Navanit.Narayan@idea.adityabirla.com; Vinay.Razdan@idea.adityabirla.com; Rajat.Mukarji@idea.adityabirla.com; Rajesh.Srivastava@idea.adityabirla.com; Ambrish.Jain@idea.adityabirla.com; Himanshu.Kapania@idea.adityabirla.com; Arul.Bright@idea.adityabirla.com; Rajendra.Chourasia@idea.adityabirla.com; Sashi.Shankar@idea.adityabirla.com; Sunil.Tolani@idea.adityabirla.com; Sanjeev.Govil@idea.adityabirla.com; Siva.Ganapathi@idea.adityabirla.com; Anish.Roy@idea.adityabirla.com; Rajesh.Naik@idea.adityabirla.com; vineet.choraria@idea.adityabirla.com; pankaj.kapdeo@idea.adityabirla.com; pragnya.ram@adityabirla.com; investorrelations@adityabirla.com; abg.youngtalent@adityabirla.com; care.mumbai@idea.adityabirla.com; grievance.mh@idea.adityabirla.com; Mangalam.Birla@adityabirla.com; appellate.tn@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.wb@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.upw@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.upeast@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.ap@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.assam@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.bj@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.delhi@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.gujarat@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.har@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.hp@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.jk@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.kar@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.kerala@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.kolk@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.mp@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.mh@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.mumbai@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.orissa@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.pun@idea.adityabirla.com; appellate.raj@idea.adityabirla.com; customercare@idea.adityabirla.com;
  • ICICI Bank Senior Management
    • shradha.katariya@icicibank.com; sanjay.sh@icicibank.com; tushaar.shah@icicibank.com; Dileep.Choksi@icicibank.com; customer.care@icicibank.com; headservicequality@icicibank.Com; Chanda.Kochhar@icicibank.com; vishakha.mulye@icicibank.com;
  • TelecomTalk
    • news@telecomtalk.info; tarun@telecomtalk.info; srikapardhi@telecomtalk.info;
  • TRAI
    • ap@trai.gov.in; advlegal1@trai.gov.in;
  • DoT TERM Cell
    • ddgvtmchn-dot@nic.in;
  • PgCell of RBI Mumbai
    • svpatil@rbi.org.in;

Resolution

I had a discussion with Ms. Anitha on Friday evening (from ICICI Bank Complaints Team). She listened to my entire grievance and agreed that whatever has happened from the telemarketer and the false allegation that came upon me was not acceptable. From the bank’s perspective they seem to be maintained another level of do not call registry it seems. She has taken steps to add my number to that also which would be another level of fortification against calls from DSAs. At the same time, she has agreed to look into the particular telecaller whether she is approved one or not and take action on them accordingly.

This communication is to clarify that I am no longer associated with this issue now and it is now between the bank and the tele-caller’s code of business conduct as I have given complete information to all parties to help in every team’s investigation.