Telcos To Pay Rs. 5000 Compensation If International SIM Card Fails:TRAI (10 Things You Need to Know)

India’s telecom regulatory body TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) today recommended that the International Roaming SIM card Providers and the Global Calling Card Providers should pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 to the customers, in case they fail to provide service during an overseas travel.

1. Valid for Both Prepaid and Postpaid Customers

The amount of the compensation of minimum of Rs 5,000 has been suggested by the TRAI, which will be valid of both the prepaid and the postpaid customers. Users with any plan irrespective of their subscription, face any such issue, the provider will have to pay the penalty as compensation.

2. Additional Full Refund with Compensation

“The prepaid users will get an additionally full refund of the amount which they have already paid to the service provider. The postpaid users don’t need to pay anything henceforth, and both the users will eligible for the compensation”, TRAI suggested to the telecom department (DoT).

3. Only International Operators in India are Responsible

TRAI’s recommendations only pertain to the sale and rent of the international roaming SIM cards and the consumers using the global calling cards of the foreign operators operating in India.

4. When Will Compensation Be Valid?

TRAI has recommended the compensation in the cases of –

• Non-activation of the services
• No use of the card for the reasons beyond the control of the consumer like poor network coverage
• Incompatibility of the sims or cards with handsets

5. Refund Should be Done within 15 Days

TRAI mentioned that the compensation and the refund should be paid to the customer within a window of 15 days of their return to the country and reporting of the non-usage of the international card.

6. Action Against Service Providers

TRAI also mentioned that such carelessness by the service providers might lead to cancellation of their permits in case 10 per cent of the total number of international SIM cards sold are found to be non-working.

7. Grievance Redressal Mechanism

The telecom regulatory body has suggested that the international SIM card sellers and providers should set up a proper process of grievance redressal mechanism. This will lead to early settlement of the complaints registered by the customers and together they should set up an official appellate authority having representation from the company and the telecom department (DoT).

8. Purchase of Global Cards and International Sim Cards should be Done Digitally

TRAI has suggested that the purchase of the global calling cards and the International SIM cards should be done through the digital medium only like net banking, credit or debit cards and e-wallets. This will act as a valid proof, in case any issue arises in the future.

9. Survey Revealed the Truth Behind

A survey was initiated by the regulatory body, which revealed that almost half of the customers who used such services claimed that it worked partially abroad or did not work at all.

10. Suggested Cancellation of Permits of 23 Companies

TRAI has also suggested the cancellation of the permits of the 23 companies who did not respond to the call for the discussion on the issue.