In case of telecom providers, they take around 45 days to bring the do-not-call list into effect. There you have the option to choose which services you want to terminate. It could be just the promotional SMSes, calls, emails or all the promotional/marketing services.

If you are not comfortable with the online formality, some service providers also offer the SMS option, which can save you from all those spam calls. For example, Reliance Mobile customers can SMS to `DNC ACT' to 53733. BPL post-paid customers can SMS `NDNC' to 50800 and pre-paid customers can SMS to 50505. You also have the option of calling the toll-free customer care if you are not comfortable with the previous options. In case your request is not processed in 45 days, the service provider usually smses a unique reference number, which will help you follow up on the request.

Not all calls can be blocked

The bank recognises only those telephone numbers, which you mentioned on their form. This registration does not stop the bank/call centre bothering you on account of account/card maintenances, alerts on transactions, recovery calls, etc. These are exclusions mentioned in every bank's website. But even otherwise there have been some odd complaints by customers on telemarketing calls. Explains a senior customer service head of a bank: "Customers say calls have definitely reduced but not eliminated totally".

How will DNCR be more effective in future?

The basic website of National Do Not Call Registry (NDNC registry) will take a while for all the benefits to trickle down to consumers. This common registry will actually collate all the telephone numbers of subscribers who do not want to receive unsolicited commercial communications (UCC), which includes SMS. What is being proposed is that all telemarketers have to register with this common database.

Then it will be mandatory for all of them to register with NDNC and update their calling list on a continuous basis. Every time a telemarketer fails to follow this norm, a penalty of Rs 500 will be slapped. If the telemarketers still continue to disturb you frequently, they will be disconnected from the telecom service, says the Trai proposal.

Even in case of telemarketers for credit cards and other financial products, the Indian Banks' Association (IBA), along with the Indian Cards Council, has been mulling the idea of floating a common DNCR. Even RBI has proposed a regulation that all telemarketers should have valid registrations.

Explains a senior IBA official, "In case of banks, there are some internal marketing agencies and some DSAs who work outside the system. Calls are made both by the internal subsidiaries as well as external agencies. These external entities sometimes are unaware and fall out of this network. Now once telemarketers make valid registrations, the whole process will fall in place".

Amidst all this, the best part is that there is a solution. By signing up online or through an SMS, you could put an end to most of the spam calls.