Tired of Unwanted Promotional Calls and Text Messages? Here’s What You Can Do

Many of us are sick and tired of those unsolicited calls and text messages. While there is a Do Not Disturb (DND) option to block all such calls and text messages, some of us might want to keep getting information about banking or other such services. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has a clearly laid down the procedure for registering your preference for receiving such commercial communication.

Procedure for registering your preference

As a telecom customer, you have the option to either block all commercial calls and text messages or to block only commercial calls, while receiving text messages of your choice. For this purpose, you have to register your preference. Preference can be registered by either of these options:

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• Dialing toll free number 1909
• Sending text messages to 1909

You can register for the fully blocked category, in which no commercial calls or text messages will be allowed, or the partially blocked category.

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If you opt for the partially blocked category, you will not receive any commercial calls but will receive text messages on subject(s) that you opt for.

The various subjects in the partially blocked category are the following:

1. Banking/insurance/financial products/credit cards
2. Real estate
3. Education
4. Health
5. Consumer goods and automobiles
6. Communication/broadcasting/entertainment/IT
7. Tourism and leisure

How to register your preference

Once you dial 1909, listen to the instructions and choose one of the following for registration of preference:

1.Through customer care executive

2.Through IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System)

You could ask the customer care executive to register your preference.

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The customer care executive will ask you to exercise your preference, if you opt for the partially blocked category. You can opt for one, or a combination of some, or all the subjects. The customer care executive will confirm your preference(s) and register the same. You will get a text message confirming the preferences exercised by you along with your unique registration number.

A similar process has to be followed for registering your preference through IVRS.

Registering through text messages

You can register your preference(s) for commercial communications by also sending a text messages to 1909.

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The procedure for opting for various categories is the following

1. To opt for the fully blocked category, send text messages “START 0” to 1909.
2. . To opt for the partially blocked category, send text messages “START” to 1909 as below
   • START 1 for receiving text messages relating to Banking/ insurance / financial products/credit cards
   • START 2 for receiving text messages relating to Real estate
   • START 3 for receiving text messages relating to Education
   • START 4 for receiving text messages relating to Health
   • START 5 for receiving text messages relating to Consumer goods and automobiles
   • START 6 for receiving text messages relating to Communication/ broadcasting/ entertainment /IT
   • START 7 for receiving text messages relating to Tourism and leisure

You can also opt for multiple preferences – text messages START <option1, option2, option3,…>  to 1909. For e.g. START 1,2, etc.

Please remember that preference ‘0’ will always suppress other preferences. If ‘0’ is sent along with any other customer preferences, it will be treated as a fully blocked preference. For example, START 0,2,3, will be considered a fully blocked option.

On receipt of an option exercised through a text message, the telecom service provider will send a message to confirm the options exercised. You have to send a confirmation text message so that options exercised are implemented. On getting the confirmation text message, the telecom service provider will register your preference and send you a text message – indicating your preferences along with your unique registration number.

Registering a Complaint

If you receive any unsolicited commercial communications seven days after registration of your telephone number through the above method, you can register a complaint by:

• Dialing the toll free number 1909 or
• Sending an text messages to 1909

Please note that the complaint has to be registered from the telephone number on which unsolicited commercial communication has been received and the complaint must be made within three days of receipt of the unsolicited commercial communication.

You may register a complaint by sending a text message to 1909 in the format mentioned below:

 ‘The Unsolicited Commercial Communication, XXXXXXXXXX, dd/mm/yy’

Where XXXXXXXXXX – is the telephone number or header of the text message, from which the unsolicited commercial communication has been received. The complaint will be registered and acknowledged by the telecom service provider by sending a unique complaint number through a text message. You will be informed of the action taken on your complaint within 7 days of the booking of the complaint.

Deregistering from the system

You can deregister from the system by sending a STOP to 1909. You can also change your preference by following the procedure laid down by TRAI.

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