The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has cautioned banks and financial institutions against use of unregistered telemarketers for promoting their business.
TRAI said that despite actions taken by it, the regulator continues to receive a large number of complaints from consumers against banks, insurance companies, builders, etc. for making calls/ SMSs organised through unregistered telemarketers.
TRAI has said that such a behaviour of these banks and companies etc is in violation existing regulations which provides that in case complaints continue to come in, then on receipt of the third complaint, all the telecom resources of the organisation shall be disconnected.
TRAI has named seven banks that have been flouting the regulation by marketing their products and services through unregistered telemarketers.
These banks are Axis Bank, Citi Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra, PNB and SBI. They have been directed to look into the specific cases of breach, initiate corrective action and report back to TRAI in seven days, failing which the banks are liable to have all their telecom resources disconnected throughout the country.