The government says you don’t have to give your mobile phone number while shopping
New Delhi, May 23: The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has issued an advisory asking retailers not to require personal contact details of customers for providing certain services, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Tuesday.
The instruction has been issued after several consumer complaints. Customers have complained that many retailers do not offer them services if they refuse to share their contact number, he said.
“Sellers say they cannot issue an invoice until personal contact information is provided. This is an unfair and restrictive trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act and there is no point in collecting the information,” the secretary told reporters.
Privacy protection is also a concern. Therefore, the retail industry and chambers of industry CII and FICCI have been advised to deal with this issue in the interest of consumers, he said.
In India, it is not mandatory for customers to provide their mobile phone number to the retailer for billing purposes. However, customers are put in an awkward situation when retailers require a number to make a transaction. More often than not, customers are not given the option to opt out in many of these situations. PTI LUX LUX MR
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