Why Cant We Turn Off Ncell Offer Messages? My Personal Experience with Constant Marketing Pop-ups
Nepal has two major telecom players: Nepal Telecom, which is government-owned, and Ncell, the privately-owned competitor. Both offer a range of services, but Ncell is often seen as the more aggressive when it comes to marketing. No matter how much Ncell has changed over the years—whether it’s ownership or pricing—one thing has stayed consistent: those endless marketing messages. And if you’re a user like me, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Why can’t we just turn them off?”
The Frustration of Endless Messages
I’ve been using Ncell for quite some time now. At first, I assumed these marketing messages were just part of the deal, something you had to tolerate as a customer. But as time passed, they became harder to ignore. It wasn’t just a few messages here and there—they seemed to come at just the right (or wrong) moments, especially when I was free or in the middle of something important.
Example of Ncell’s Offer message.
Example of Ncell’s Offer message.
Ever notice how these messages multiply when your balance is low? I did, and it started to feel like more than just a coincidence. After doing a little research, I found out that Ncell logs your activity on their network. When you make a call, send a text, or use mobile data, that’s when the marketing notifications hit. They’re well-timed, based on when you’re active, and they often promote services that don’t even seem useful.
Its not just me, check out the discussion here on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Nepal/comments/fcaflb/how_can_i_stop_ncell_from_spamming_me/
The DND Feature That Barely Works
I thought the solution would be simple: just use the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature. After all, it’s designed to stop these messages, right? But much like the infamous ‘troubleshoot’ feature on Windows, it’s there but doesn’t do much. No matter how many times I tried to activate it, the messages kept coming. I even reached out to Ncell’s customer service team and visited their center in person, only to be told that the messages are meant to “benefit users.” They also claimed that the feature to turn off these messages is beyond their control. Shockingly, even Ncell employees said they get bombarded with the same messages.
How Other Countries Handle It
In many parts of the world, strict regulations prevent telecom companies from bombarding users with unwanted marketing messages. For example, in the EU, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mandates that users must give explicit consent before receiving marketing communications. Countries like Australia and the U.S. have strict laws allowing users to easily opt out of such messages. These practices respect user preferences and data privacy, allowing people to have control over their phone experience.
If Ncell (and other companies in Nepal) followed similar international practices, we wouldn’t have to deal with these constant interruptions. Users should have the power to decide if and when they want to receive marketing messages, and the system should be transparent and easy to use.
The Pain of Blocking Messages
Another issue is that blocking these messages isn’t as straightforward as it should be. Many phones don’t allow you to block bulk messages directly. Instead, you have to block them by filtering keywords, which can result in other important messages being blocked unintentionally. It’s a clumsy, frustrating system, and it feels like we’re forced to deal with it on our own. As a result, users like me are left with no choice but to endure the constant interruptions.
Is There a Solution?
I wish I could end this post with a simple solution, but the truth is, we might just have to wait for Ncell (or any other telecom provider) to catch up with the times and give users real control over the messages they receive. Is switching to Nepal Telecom the only way to escape from it? Maybe, but even that might not be the perfect fix. In the meantime, it’s important to keep raising awareness, asking questions, and pushing for better user experiences. We deserve a bit more peace and less spam on our phones, don’t we?
