8 in 10 mobile subscribers face dark patterns in telecom sector; bait-and-switch, nagging top complaints: Survey
India's
rapidly expanding telecom sector is facing growing consumer trust concerns,
with more than eight in 10 mobile subscribers reporting exposure to deceptive
"dark patterns" while using telecom services, according to a
nationwide LocalCircles survey. The findings come as the country's 5G
subscriber base continues to expand and digital consumption surges,
underscoring the need for stronger consumer protection in the sector.
The
survey, which received over 74,000 responses from mobile users across 341
districts, found that 81% of respondents had encountered at least one dark
pattern while interacting with telecom operators. LocalCircles has called on
the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Central Consumer
Protection Authority (CCPA) to strengthen enforcement, arguing that existing
guidelines have done little to curb such practices.
Bait-and-switch,
nagging top consumer complaints
Bait-and-switch
emerged as the most common grievance, with 79% of respondents saying telecom
operators advertised recharge plans or offers with specific prices or benefits
that were either unavailable at the time of purchase or replaced with costlier
alternatives. Close behind was "nagging", reported by 78% of users
who said they were repeatedly bombarded with notifications, pop-ups and
messages urging them to recharge, upgrade plans or install applications despite
dismissing previous prompts
The survey also found that 59% of respondents experienced
drip pricing, where the final amount charged exceeded the advertised price
because of undisclosed processing or convenience fees. Another 53% reported
subscription traps, where services sold as one-time purchases were converted
into recurring paid subscriptions, while half of the respondents encountered
forced action, requiring them to purchase additional services or share
unnecessary personal information to complete transactions.
Complaints
span Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea
According
to LocalCircles, consumers reported dark patterns across the platforms of
Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. The complaints ranged from
recharge plans offering lower benefits than advertised and hidden changes to
plan features to recurring subscription charges and difficulties in cancelling
promotional offers. The report also cited Airtel's decision to restrict hotspot
usage on certain "Unlimited 5G" plans as an example of a
forced-action dark pattern.
Courtesy: Fortune India
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