Cell co fined 50 lakh for 'pushing' calls

CELLULAR SERVICE providers can no longer offer schemes exhorting
subscribers to make 'extra' calls to be eligible for lucrative
contests. Declaring it as a "deceptive and unfair trade practice"
prohibited under the Consumer Protection Act, the Delhi State Consumer
Disputes Redressal Commission has imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh on
Vodafone Essar Mobile Services for its 'Baaton se banaiye sona, bees
minute mein' scheme.

Under the scheme announced in July 2007, Vodafone pre-paid or
post-paid subscribers whose talk-time was more than 20 minutes a day
were eligible. Those eligible stood to win 10 gold coins every day of
the contest and the 'bumper prize' of a Maruti SX4.

Directing Vodafone to "discontinue such a practice forthwith and not
to repeat it", the Commission, headed by Justice J.D. Kapoor, said:
"It is clear that the contest/lottery is being held not with a view to
enrich the phone users, but merely to ensure that they make more calls
and thereby generate more revenue and profits (for Vodafone)."