The government has issued a warning against businesses requiring customers to provide their personal contact information in exchange for services. That’s because this is considered unfair and in violation of the Consumer Protection Act.
It’s irritating when business owners ask for a cellphone number so that they can generate something else. The fact that the government has come out against it means that stores will no longer worry you about giving them your mobile number. When you provide your cell number, you run the risk of making it accessible to con artists who commonly use messaging apps like WhatsApp and mobile phones to carry out their frauds. The number is especially vulnerable because of the rise in the number of online cons.
According to Rohit Kumar Singh, who serves as the Secretary for Consumer Affairs, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has issued a warning recommending that businesses do not demand that customers submit their personal contact information in exchange for specific services.
This piece of advice was disseminated since a number of clients have asserted that firms will not provide services to them until they first reveal their contact information, as stated in the aforementioned media story.
The Secretary highlighted that in many cases, retailers need customers to provide their personal contact information before they can issue a bill. On the other hand, this is considered unfair and is in violation of the Consumer Protection Act. This information should not be gathered by merchants, as doing so unjustly restricts customers’ options. The Secretary of State emphasized to the media that this was unacceptable behaviour.
He said, “The sellers state that they are unable to create the bill unless the necessary personal contact information is provided. According to the Consumer Protection Act, this kind of business practice is considered unfair and restricted, and the Secretary of Commerce stated that there was no reason for the collecting of the information in question.”
