Well not NDTV directly but there is a program airing on NDTV Imagine titled “Guess The Celebrity” from a company Gold Safe which is probably the biggest rip off that I have encountered on the TV till date. The show itself is very simple, a celebrity’s face is shown partially and viewers (participants) are required to call and identify the celebrity and if they answer correctly they will win Rs. 90,000 (yes the lure of easy money always works).
Looks easy right, but beware of anything that looks too good to be true which is certainly the case with Gold Safe’s Guess The Celebrity. First the callers have to dial a number 5664464 (even SMS works) but the call rates are like Rs. 12 each minute (more than ISD). Next the caller is put on hold and never ever gets through (this on a live show) and you can be put on hold for anything from 50 minutes to more. Even more perplexing is that all this while a multitude of callers keep calling in but never ever guess the celebrity correctly. On both the days I saw the show, the celebrities were Preity Zinta and Katrina Kaif, but not a single caller got them correct. Surprising right considering our entire nation literally hero worships its celebrities.
Not surprisingly I searched on Google and found a number of complaints regarding the show and the gist of it was that the real callers never ever get through but are always put on hold (thereby shelling out exorbitant mobile bills) and the “fake” callers are from Gold Safe itself who will call using different names/aliases and never ever give the correct answer. The short end of it, the viewers are scammed out of their hard earned money with the lure of winning Rs. 90,000 on a single telephone call which never ever gets connected.
Gold Safe I don’t know, but NDTV I do know and probably every Indian does. I certainly did not expect this from NDTV (never mind its Gold Safe the program is still airing on NDTV Imagine). Social justice like in the case of Jessica Lal are one thing, but if your own viewers are getting scammed and in your own backyard and nothing is done about it, then NDTV is just as good as the scammers and cheaters it talks about fighting.
PS – I will email NDTV with a link to this blog post at response@ndtvimagine.com, lets see what comes out of it. If anyone knows details about India’s TV Watchdog to whom we can report such instances then please share the details or report so that others are warned and Gold Safe is investigated.
I am not surprised that such scams are happening in broad daylight now; only that NDTV should stoop to such low levels to shore up their revenues.
Everyone knows that the SMS companies and Mobile Network operators pay commissions for business generated. What the companies fail to disclose (being private ltd. and out of purview of public auditors) is how much and under what terms.
Also, gone are the days when 'Auditors' of good repute would audit the game-shows on TV. After the PWC scandal and 100's of auditor failures across the globe (Hello Enron!), can we ever trust a person who wears a suit, works in a corporate tower and claims to have your best interest in his heart?
So true. Justice is just a catchword especially for TRP. Wonder if all the Jessica Lal and other such social justice causes by NDTV too were only for the TRP ratings.
I thought i m the only victim for that program.I waited for a long time but never got connected to the line and as you said to a live show.
You are not the only one. Till now I've not come across a single person who can say he has been connected and given an opportunity to answer. They are just put on hold and billed Rs. 12 every minute.
Its sad but NDTV has not responded to my emails or queries. It seems they are happy to be having the show on their network and cheating their viewers. Never expected this from NDTV but it seems the lure of money is more important.
Gold safe is fake PLEASE DO NOT CALL THEIR NUMBER AND WASTE YOUR MONEY WHEN YOU CALL AN IVR WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION AND IF THERE ARE LOT OF PEOPLE CALLING THEN YOU WILL GET THRU AND BE IN WAITING LOUNGE BUT IF THEY ARE NO PEOPLE CALLING THEN THE IVR WILL NEVER ACCEPCT YOUR ANSWER AND YOU WILL END UP PAYING AROUND 48 RUPEES AND DISCONNECT. AND JUST INCASE IF YOUR CALL GETS CONNECTED THEN IT WILL BE AFTER A MINIMUM OF 10 MINS AND WILL BE DISCONNECTED BY AN ANSWER THAT YOUR NOT IN NETWORK AREA. PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CALLED THEM THEN I AM SORRY ABOUT THE MONEY YOU LOST BUT IF YOU HAVEN’T THEN BE WISE AND DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AND PRECIOUS MONEY ON THIS GAME THIS IS TOTALLY FAKE. I HAVE TRIED THIS.
I WAIT FOR 24.30 MIN
HOW ZEE ALLOWED TO RUN A FAKE PROGRAM AND MOBILE COMPANY ALLOW TO INCREASE CALL RATE ALL ARE BLUDY BICH MOTHER FUCKER
GOV. SHOULD TAKE ACTION…………
Iwas won 15000rs at 25 january 2010 but the nmoney is not give it to me,so please take action to goldsafe tv program. Jayant patil mobil-09329662830, 09229254108
Unfortunately it is impossible to take any action. I’ve written numerous times to all concerned authorities but no one even bothers to respond. I guess ours is a society where the corrupt thrive.
hi,
i tried posting the complaint to http://www.ibfindia.com
http://ibfindia.com/onlineform.php
but i was not able to post my complaint.. don’t know why !! it always gave me error.. hope gold safe has not tied up with them too
It was a pleasure reading your comments re: Gold Safe.
I was not aware of the NDTV Scam but I am sure you know that the same show is televised on ZTV between 12 midnight and two in the morning. All your concerns are valid and true.
I am not an Indian citizen but I was born in India.
It really hurts me to see what Indians are doing to each other.
The whole society is corrupt to the deep core.
In my country, Canada, this kind of show would not even be dreamed of. If it were to go on air there will be a class action suite against, the TV Channel and every one else involved, within a few hours of the very first show. Here unfortunately we do not seem to have any recourse open.
I intend to write to the better business bureau and also to the Attorney General of India.
I, like yourself, know no other way to stop these immoral hawks that will sell their own mothers for money, from hurting innocent citizens of this country. One feels so so helpless.
There is just no way to fight them and they know this. So, they carry on without any moral compass what so ever.
Good luck to you.
Hello Kennith,
After reading your post I feel ahamed of myself for being born in India
it is a gr8 country for no doubt but these kind of acts ruine the entire respect for Indians . I have a plan for this and would request your help
can you mail me at my email ID please once you read my mail or can also call me at +91 9762530693
Regards
Aditya
as per there site this is a project of CellCast Interactive. and here is there address.
today i also checked that they show pre-recorded shows.. as i saw a show which i had seen some months back… which means people are calling on their number where as there is no live show going on…
Cellcast Interactive India Pvt Ltd.
4th Floor, Alfa Vista Tower 2,
1406/15, Chincholi Bunder, Behind Inorbit Mall,
Malad (W), Mumbai – 400 064,
Maharashtra, INDIA.
Tel: +91-22-4083 2100
Fax: +91-22-4083 2109
Email: info@cellcast.in
Can we do some thing for this kind of tv show
Don’t call such numbers 05664464 and don’t respond such TV game shows and NDTV Should stop this type of games I was Charged 108 Rs. only for 9 min and not got connected.
I Think ND TV Getting very very good amount from this game show producer
I saw the show, the celebrities yesterday were Preity Zinta and Saharukh Khan, but not a single caller got them correct. Surprising right considering our entire nation literally hero worships its celebrities.
Not surprisingly I searched on Google and found a number of complaints regarding the show and the gist of it was that the real callers never ever get through but are always put on hold (thereby shelling out exorbitant mobile bills) and the “fake” callers are from Gold Safe itself who will call using different names/aliases and never ever give the correct answer. The short end of it, the viewers are scammed out of their hard earned money with the lure of winning Rs. 50,000 on a single telephone call which never ever gets connected.
Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about it. I’ve tried contacting different TV channels and NDTV to no avail. Now many other channels have started similar programs including even regional channels in Telugu.
It is cheating but then there are no laws for the rich and powerful in India… only the poor have the laws of the land applicable to them.
Gold safe is fake PLEASE DO NOT CALL THEIR NUMBER AND WASTE YOUR MONEY WHEN YOU CALL AN IVR WILL ASK YOU A QUESTION AND IF THERE ARE LOT OF PEOPLE CALLING THEN YOU WILL GET THRU AND BE IN WAITING LOUNGE BUT IF THEY ARE NO PEOPLE CALLING THEN THE IVR WILL NEVER ACCEPCT YOUR ANSWER AND YOU WILL END UP PAYING AROUND 48 RUPEES AND DISCONNECT. AND JUST INCASE IF YOUR CALL GETS CONNECTED THEN IT WILL BE AFTER A MINIMUM OF 10 MINS AND WILL BE DISCONNECTED BY AN ANSWER THAT YOUR NOT IN NETWORK AREA. PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CALLED THEM THEN I AM SORRY ABOUT THE MONEY YOU LOST BUT IF YOU HAVEN’T THEN BE WISE AND DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AND PRECIOUS MONEY ON THIS GAME THIS IS TOTALLY FAKE. I HAVE TRIED THIS.