Naveen’s Blog

I always wondered what those two letters added to the sender name of a bulk/junk SMS refers to, like TA-ICICIBANK, BA-FORTUNE, etc. These days, the junk SMS has become a pain and I get unsolicited spam SMSes from Vastu consultant, Astrologer, Real Estate agents, LIC agents, which I have not opted to receive. Today, an article in Times of India says that these junk SMSes have reached an astounding number of 100 million a day sent throughout the country. As the SMS cost has become so cheap, it has become a low-cost marketing trick to reach the targeted customers.

As per TRAI, every bulk SMS must have 2 letters as initials: the 1st letter stands for the service provider sending SMS and the 2nd for location eg, TA is Tata Andhra, BA is BSNL Andhra, etc.

This is the complete chart:

So, now you can find out the origination of bulk SMS using the above chart. If you are getting huge number of bulk SMS daily, register for National Do Not Call Registry and see if it can be of help.

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I hope you have enjoyed my previous post on funny telemarketing calls.  This post will guide you on stopping telemarketing calls.   After I got the credit card, these annoying calls have increased in number. I was aware of “National Do Not Call Registry,” but never tried it. As the calls increased to 4-5 a day, I registered for NDNC and surprisingly never received a marketing call thereafter.

What is “National Do Not Call Registry” ?

The NDNC Registry is a database having the list of all telephone numbers of the subscribers who do not want to receive Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC). Telephone subscriber (Landline or mobile) who does not wish to receive UCC, can register their telephone number with their telecom service provider for inclusion in the NDNC or directly as mentioned below. Telecom Service Provider shall upload the telephone number to the NDNC within 45 days of receipt. The telemarketers will have to verify their calling telephone numbers list with the NDNC registry before making a call.

How to register for it?
Dial 1909 or SMS to 1909 with message ‘START DND‘ (remove quotes).

Register for it and get rid of annoying telemarketing calls.

Do Not call Registry of other countries:

Do Not Call Registry is also maintained by several other countries.  Below is a list of countries and their websites to help the international visitors/subscribes of my blog.

USA: https://www.donotcall.gov/
Australia: https://www.donotcall.gov.au/
Canada: https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng
New Zealand: http://www.nzma.simplicitycrm.com/editors/content.aspx?config=NRR_DoNotCall
UK: http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

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If you are carrying a mobile, you might have already experienced the annoying calls from the telemarketers. If you are a credit card user or if you have taken a loan, then the number of calls you receive will increase and sometimes you will become mad. Some of the telemarketers even don’t ask if it is the correct time to call and go on explaining about the product they are selling. If you say “not interested,” still they ask you to listen what they are telling, which is really annoying. Sometimes, we even get repeated calls though we asked them not to call again.

I have two friends who are really good at making fun out of these calls. They enjoy those calls with funny answers to their questions and at the end of the call, the telemarketer will feel that their sales pitching is a waste of time.

One of my colleagues, Billa Ashok, is one of those two guys. We cry out of laugh listening to the conversation he will have with these telemarketers. Recently, a guy called offering personal loan and Ashok put him into conversation for half an hour asking for 1 lakh loan. The guy explained everything without asking about the Ashok’s profession, salary, and savings. He explained all the document requirements, monthly EMI, etc. and at the end he asked how much salary Ashok is drawing. Ashok told him that he is drawing around Rs. 4000 after all cuttings (just to make himself not eligible to apply for the 1 lakh loan). The loan guy hanged up the phone and eventually disconnected listening to the salary figure. He occasionally records the conversation in his Nokia mobile, which has the call recording facility.

For your information, Ashok is a young guy who is just recently married and is a medical transcriptionist.

Recently, a lady called Ashok from Country Club pitching for membership sale, which is priced at Rs. 1.5 lac, which only high-income people can afford. I don’t know how these people gather the mobile numbers. They should get the phone number of high-income group and not every Tom, Dick, and Harry. Telemarketers should politely ask about the profession first to make sure that they are pitching the right person to whom they can sell the product. If they find that the customer is not worth of pitching, they should delete the number, so that another associate would not waste calling the same customer again. The same lady called him two times and the conversation was hilarious. Below are those two conversations. Listen and enjoy! (These are in Telugu language).

Call #1: Ashok tells the telemarketing lady that he owns a rice mill and has two grown children. He even tries to sell rice to the lady. At the end, he asks the lady to call when he is not busy in the shop and when the lady asks how she will know that he is not busy, Ashok tells her to call to know if he is busy or not. She says okay.  Listen to the hilarious conversation.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Call #2: The same lady calls again. This times the lady offers a discount and asks in which profession Ashok is. He tells her that he runs cycle puncture shop. The lady asks whether he can afford to buy a membership at Rs. 36,000. He says that he is interested and he can sell the land he owns to buy the membership. At the end, he tell the lady that he will ask his wife and let her know because if he is not taking her permission, she will yell at him. Enjoy the funny definitions he has given to club, family entertainment, massage parlor, and restaurant & bar.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Call #3 & #4: This is a telemarketer call pitching for insurance product.  He tells the lady that he is a roadside balloon vendor.  As soon as he tells that he sells balloons, the lady says “Thank you…have a nice day” and tries to cut the phone.  He tries to continue the call…but she tells that she will call again with full details.  Her senior calls and carries on the conversation.  Again, he tells that he sells balloons and asks about the benefits of taking an LIC policy.  He tells her that he is investing the money in Chits and asks her to tell the benefits he gets if he invests in LIC.  She thinks that he is really a balloon vendor, so tells him to invest in chits and cuts the phone deciding that she can’t sell the product to him at any cost.  Enjoy the conversation in two clips.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

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Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I will write a follow-up post on how to stop getting these telemarketing calls.  Until that, enjoy the funny audios.

Direct Link to MP3 files Call #1 | Call #2 | Call #3 | Call #4

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This Virtual Credit Card creation method is for Indians who does not have a valid credit card and wants to make online transactions where credit card is mandatory.

What is a Virtual Credit Card?
Virtual Credit Card (VVC) is a one-time usable credit card with a preloaded amount and comes with few months of validity. It is the safest way to pay online.

My Method!
Following is a method I am using since 2005 to make online transactions. At that time, I did not have a credit card and getting a credit card was very difficult thing. I found this facility in HDFC Bank, explored its full strength, and able to make online transactions since then.

How to get these VVCs?
For this method, you need to have an HDFC Bank savings account with International Debit Card. If you have a normal debit card, apply for an International Debit Card. Visit an HDFC Bank branch nearest to you and submit a simple application for International Debit Card, which takes around a week or two to get your card. If you have not opted for online banking facility, go and get it.

You can create unlimited virtual credit cards using NetSafe by HDFC Bank. Go to the homepage of HDFC Bank and select “NetSafe/ Verified by Visa/ MasterCard SecureCode” from the different account logins available on the homepage. It pops up a window where you can register for NetSafe using your International Debit Card.

Once you registered, login into your account and it will show your balance and option to create a virtual credit with a specified amount. Fill the amount and click “GO.” It will create a virtual credit card with expiry date, CVV, and the amount you have chosen.

Don’ts:

• Do not use this virtual credit card where physical goods are delivered at your doorstep upon presentation of the card to the delivery boy.
• Do not use this card where recurrent payments are made because it expires in a month or so.

Except the above, you can now use the virtual card for online payments safely.

VCCs Benefits – From my experiences
Though I have a credit card now, I still use virtual credit for online transactions where free trials are offered upon entering the credit card.

• Past year, I have signed up for a hosting company, which offered one year free hosting. I just needed to signup with my credit card to get this offer. They told that if I am not satisfied with it, I have to cancel it before next renewal. I found that their service was crap and when I tried to cancel it, I found that I have to contact their customer service team to cancel it. There was no option to cancel it from the control panel I have been provided with. Assume, if I have provided my original credit card and at the time of renewal, I mailed them to cancel, but they did not turn up on time, then I had to lose the renewal free, which was more than 150 dollars. Fortunately, I have signed up with them with a VVC of Re.1, which already expired. So, happily I have just mailed them to cancel it and forgot. Because, it was a VCC and I do not need to worry about it anymore.
• I get a lot of free trial offers for webmasters where I need to signup with a credit card to available the trial offer, but I need to cancel it before the trial offer expires. Sometimes, I get offers that are just 1 or 2 days valid. After that they bill my credit card without any notice. For these, I always use VCC with a value of Re.1. I just concentrate on getting more benefit from the offer than worrying about the automatic re-bill because they cannot rebill my card with their huge fees as my VCC can be billed for Re.1 only and eventually, they can’t bill it and the offer expires.

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After making usage of any bank ATM free, RBI now moves towards changing the interest calculation of savings accounts. It is really a good change and our savings accounts will earn a better interest income.

How savings account interest is calculated?
At the present time, banks are calculating the interest rate on the lowest amount available in your savings account from 10th to the end of month. The disadvantage is that if you have a low balance on any of these days, you will get interest on that amount only. For example:

If your account shows the following balance for the month of February 2010:

You will get interest only on 1,000/- rupees, which is the lowest balance available in your account at 3.5% per annum, which turns out to be, Rs. 2.92.

According to the new circular from RBI, banks have to calculate the interest on a daily product basis and this must be implemented from April 1, 2010. This way savings account holders will not lose interest for even a rupee.

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Mobile Number Portability is going operational from January 1, 2010.  You can change your mobile operator retaining the same mobile number at your will at just Rs. 19.  TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has released a Press Release fixing the porting cost at Rs. 19 and porting will take a maximum of 4 days.

TRAI explains Mobile Number Portability (MNP) as “it allows the subscribers to retain their existing mobile telephone number when they move from one Access Provider to another irrespective of the mobile technology or from one cellular mobile technology to another of the same Access Provider, in a licensed service area.  The facility of retention of existing mobile telephone number despite moving to a new telecom service provider helps in increasing competition between the service providers and acts as a catalyst for the service providers to improve their quality of service.”

These days, I can see a lot of people carrying SIMs of other networks just because it has low-priced call rates.  Here in Hyderabad, TATA DoCoMo entering the market with second pulse rate made a huge impact.  Dual SIM mobiles have got sudden demand and everyone has got two SIMs, one DoCoMo SIM and one their good old number.

Now with MNP going operational, things will change a lot and there will be a huge competition between the mobile operators to retain their customers as the customer can change their operator if service is not good or others offering a low tariff, which TRAI thinks will intensify the competition thus by making mobile communication so cheap.

TATA DoCoMo’s one second pulse rate made a revolution in the cellular industry and intensified the competition between the service providers to a level that now every one has to offer one second pulse billing to retain their customers.  Mobile calling charges have come down to 50 paise per minute.  Roaming charges are also coming down these days.

Download a copy of Mobile Number Portability Press Release in PDF form here.

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As per RBI’s circular, with effect from April 1st, 2009, you can use any ATM in India for money withdrawal, account balance, or printing mini statement for FREE irrespective of your card issuing bank.  RBI issued instructions at the beginning of this year to all the banks not to levy more than Rs.20 per transaction done by other bank’s account holder.  For example, if you are an ICICI Bank account holder and if you are using ICICI ATM card to withdraw money from an SBI ATM, you will be charged a maximum of Rs.20 per transaction.  This will be in effect till March 31, 2009 and from April 1st, irrespective of your bank account, you can use your ATM card to do the above transactions at any bank’s ATM for free.

I am really happy to see this.  Before this, if I am going to a new place, carrying all my bank cards was necessary because I would not know which ATM I can find first.  As the charges have come down to Rs. 20 lately, I have been using other bank’s ATMs frequently because I am not worried about Rs.20 as I can find other bank’s ATMs in my colony in just few steps.  Now, even this Rs. 20 per transaction charge is going to be taken off from day after tomorrow and I can simply walk into any ATM and withdraw the money

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Being in the field of transcription for the last four years, associated with a company or a home-based transcription provider, I wanted to write a review about this field.  I get inquiries about medical transcription training and future prospects in Orkut and other forums where I participate.  This article can help the people whether or not to choose this field.  This review is limited to choosing medical transcription as a career in India, especially Hyderabad, and not in foreign countries.

I started my career as a medical transcriptionist in the year 2004.  At that time I was in the field of express cargo and logistics and there were frequent transfers to anywhere in India.  At that time, it was necessary for me to be in Hyderabad because of my education and my brother’s.  So, I started looking at other opportunities where I can get good salary, less stress, and somewhat interesting job.  At that time, medical transcription was catching up and heard good things about it.  So, I took the test, succeeded, and joined for transcription training.  Within a year or so, I was able to make the salary, which I was earning in my previous job.

It was good.  It has improved my English, communication skills, and presentation skills.  Being a Telugu medium student, it was so difficult for me to express my thoughts in good English.

After working hard for three years, I started realizing that there is little growth in this field.  Unlike other fields, it is difficult to reach higher levels.  At the same time, it is also easy to reach if you have exceptional listening skills.  There are three levels in this field, medical transcriptionist, proofreader, and quality analyst.  Becoming proofreader is very hard.  It requires exceptional listening skills, which everyone may not have and lot of transcriptionists end up at the stage of medical transcriptionist itself.  90-95% people leave their job after few years realizing that their pay is not going to rise.  A senior transcriptionist can earn anywhere from 10-15 thousands and proofreaders can earn anywhere from 15-25.  QAs will earn 5-10K more.  But, these salaries will become stagnant and one would get easily frustrated.  If you start your career lately in MT and realize after three or four years that your salary is not rising at the phase you thought, you certainly want to leave this field, but at that time you will also find that you have become “age barred” for other fields.  So, while choosing it as a career, think about it twice.  As soon as you realize that your skills are just limited to MT, then leave it as soon as possible and jump into another field.

Pros:

• Education and age are no bar in this field.  You just need to pass out a general English test.  That’s all!
• You will get chance to improve you written and spoken English skills, which are mandatory to succeed in any job.
• You will get an immense knowledge related to health, which is going to help you throughout your life.
• Flexible working hours, which is a hard-to-find thing in any other job.
• Low stressful job.
• You can work from home.  There are lot of companies ready to provide you work to do from home.
• Getting job in another company is just two or three days matter.
• You can walk into any MT company at anytime to see if they have openings and almost all companies will be ready to take the MTs/Proofers/QAs throughout the year, which you cannot see in any other job.

Cons:

• As stated above, pay hikes are limited, which is the main thing 90-95% people leaving this job after working for few years.
• Few MTs cannot progress towards the next level, proofreader, because of poor listening skills, which is not going to be improved with hard work.
• This experience will not help you get a job in any other industry.
• Wearing headphones, listening to voice, and typing keys for a prolonged period of time may cause significant health issues.

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