Open Letter to DD Admins [Reference Promotion of Fraudulent activities on DesiDime]

@aniey72 that’s against the tide and All the best from my side.

I agree with you bro..

no Politics pls

“@CrazyTroll ":http://www.desidime.com/users/...34 wrote:

@aniey72 that’s against the tide and All the best from my side.

Thanks for the best wishes… Motive is not to convince the vast population of DD… Rather its to make DD Admins to take the right decision and not to let this Fraud or lots of other similar Frauds being sponsored/promoted by DD.

"@no fpd":https://www.desidime.com/users...02 wrote:

no Politics pls

how is fraud ?? ..its launched in front of government

for those who thinks ..phone not possible in 251rs

here is answer of NALIN SAVARA from Quora
just pasting here

To decode how can this mobile be sold so cheap, here goes:

A friend, who was amongst the senior guys deciding strategy the the erstwhile Nokia once said:

“We want to distribute mobile phones even for free to people who meet specific criteria, because once they start using the mobile, the information we gain- especially the info we can use to show them targetted adverts is worth far more than what we would charge them for the same handset.”

I believe this may very well be the case with this Freedom 251 mobile phone too— that a person gets a phone almost for free (or very cheap)- and the company earns it’s money back by showing them adverts and mining their user data to sell them products.

It is also possible that the cheap price is only for an initial run- say of 100,000 or 50,000 mobile phones— and after that the customers would be charged higher prices, after the company has gained eyeballs and publicity.

This has been especially true of a particular phone running Google’s Android-One platform, which comes with 32 GB of internal storage, 13 MP back camera and 8 MP front camera and memory card and dual SIM— it is a great device and worth every paisa— however, the company recently released a V2 of the same device- which has 16 GB internal storage; a smaller screen and lesser front camera— selling for Rs.100/- less than the V1 model which had almost twice the specs of the latest V2 model. I found it sneaky- and bought 2 of the V1 model (which I obtained with great difficulty) for family- and it was worth it.

Lets see how the story unfolds and what happens next.

Wishing Mobile India all the best ahead!!!

@pratik8989 wrote:

how is fraud ?? ..its launched in front of government

for those who thinks ..phone not possible in 251rs

here is answer of NALIN SAVARA from Quora
just pasting here


To decode how can this mobile be sold so cheap, here goes:

A friend, who was amongst the senior guys deciding strategy the the erstwhile Nokia once said:

“We want to distribute mobile phones even for free to people who meet specific criteria, because once they start using the mobile, the information we gain- especially the info we can use to show them targetted adverts is worth far more than what we would charge them for the same handset.”

I believe this may very well be the case with this Freedom 251 mobile phone too— that a person gets a phone almost for free (or very cheap)- and the company earns it’s money back by showing them adverts and mining their user data to sell them products.

It is also possible that the cheap price is only for an initial run- say of 100,000 or 50,000 mobile phones— and after that the customers would be charged higher prices, after the company has gained eyeballs and publicity.

This has been especially true of a particular phone running Google’s Android-One platform, which comes with 32 GB of internal storage, 13 MP back camera and 8 MP front camera and memory card and dual SIM— it is a great device and worth every paisa— however, the company recently released a V2 of the same device- which has 16 GB internal storage; a smaller screen and lesser front camera— selling for Rs.100/- less than the V1 model which had almost twice the specs of the latest V2 model. I found it sneaky- and bought 2 of the V1 model (which I obtained with great difficulty) for family- and it was worth it.

Lets see how the story unfolds and what happens next.

Wishing Mobile India all the best ahead!!!

Thanks for this answer from Quora, but what is missing here is the background of Freedom 251. Before going so big in promotion (National level announcements), they should have atleast taken a proper marketing office atleast. Setting up a manufacturing plant after taking order?? Whom are they kidding.

Had this announcement came from Micromax or Spice or Some reputed player in industry, we could have trusted it. But here, some recent Grads from Amity University are pulling all these tricks from their One-Room Office, and we are blindly following/promoting it assuming it all true.

Regarding Launch in front of Prominent Government officials, it doesn’t put a genuineness stamp on this company. Any Government leader will be pleased to be guest at an event that is being launched on such a large scale. This was one of the biggest News to on National dailies…. But I am sure that, if I am allowed to talk to those Leaders for 15 minutes each with some researched facts, they won’t let their name being associated with this company. The biggest question is SUSTAINABILITY and FEASIBILITY??

You can’t create a company on Paper

@aniey72 wrote:

@no fpd wrote:

no Politics pls

I am open to any rational discussion on this. [But the condition is arguments should be Rational/justifiable… No blank acquisitions or Mud-slinging]

Iske alawa sirf English mein hi discussion ho, aisa bhi jaroori nahi hai… Hum hindi mein yeh discuss kar sakte hai.. Dhyaan sirf is baat ka rakhna hai ki discussion mein jo bhi bhasha istemaal ho, wo shisththa ke daayre mein rahe.

I really have not followed this hype much, but just check the below article and may provide some alternate insights?

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tech/demystified-ho...

And definitely DD not responsible for whats mentioned in the below thread (not sure about the authenticity but sure that Mr. Ravi doesn’t spam)

http://www.desidime.com/forums/dost-and-dimes/t...

PS: The promoters logic of market place didn’t convince me much either.

@ aniey72 – Did you try reading the news or atleast did some basic elementary research before opening up this thread?

There are many who are not buying the phone after reading comments/updates in that thread and thats what Desidime is about (Community and Information) and we are not stopping that in any way.

PS: We won’t be deleting this thread as its your point of view and you can also take it up with Times of India if you want… They are running a Full page ad today about Freedom251 (just fyi, so you come out of your virtual world)

I think it is unfair to vote down this thread….

As every person in the community has a right to expression and right to opinion

So coming back to what DD stands for

DD stands for a community…….

DD stands for being honest

DD will not knowingly promote unethical things (and thats why we created those trade rules… even when all of us were against it )

Coming to Freedom251

Who are you to proclaim that it is fraud

A. either you are an insider

OR

B. You are speaking without any basis

(Assumptions cant be a rationale for calling someone fraudulent )

Now why did DD promote it…. A there was a government official who had inaugurated …..currently we do not have any reason to beleive he is not honest

Similar to us BBC and other News reporters have acknowledged and not called it a scam

So our law says innocent until proven guilty and we are not bigger than the law for sure

This is my response and not a starting point of debate…. coz i said in my first line…. everyone has a right to their opinion

EDIT: If it was just about profits….. we could have made that a long time back…. but we choose to create a community instead Happy DesiDiming

@admin wrote:

@aniey72 – Did you try reading the news or atleast did some basic elementary research before opening up this thread?

There are many who are not buying the phone after reading comments/updates in that thread and thats what Desidime is about (Community and Information) and we are not stopping that in any way.

PS: We won’t be deleting this thread as its your point of view and you can also take it up with Times of India if you want… They are running a Full page ad today about Freedom251 (just fyi, so you come out of your virtual world)

Plz Update in Title of That Thread – Admin Edit – Be Careful Before Ordering Multiple Order 4 Friends and Family You may Not Receive any Money Back Neither Mobile -

"@admin":https://www.desidime.com/u.../1 wrote:

@ aniey72 - Did you try reading the news or atleast did some basic elementary research before opening up this thread? There are many who are not buying the phone after reading comments/updates in that thread and thats what Desidime is about (Community and Information) and we are not stopping that in any way. PS: We won't be deleting this thread as its your point of view and you can also take it up with Times of India if you want... They are running a Full page ad today about Freedom251 (just fyi, so you come out of your virtual world)

"@admin":https://www.desidime.com/u.../1 wrote:

@ aniey72 - Did you try reading the news or atleast did some basic elementary research before opening up this thread? There are many who are not buying the phone after reading comments/updates in that thread and thats what Desidime is about (Community and Information) and we are not stopping that in any way. PS: We won't be deleting this thread as its your point of view and you can also take it up with Times of India if you want... They are running a Full page ad today about Freedom251 (just fyi, so you come out of your virtual world)

@PaytmKaPoojari wrote:

@admin wrote:

@aniey72 – Did you try reading the news or atleast did some basic elementary research before opening up this thread?

There are many who are not buying the phone after reading comments/updates in that thread and thats what Desidime is about (Community and Information) and we are not stopping that in any way.

PS: We won’t be deleting this thread as its your point of view and you can also take it up with Times of India if you want… They are running a Full page ad today about Freedom251 (just fyi, so you come out of your virtual world)

Absurd logic and I need to be critical of the last point u make there. Running an ad on toi. If we dimers contribute all our dimes we will also afford to run a front page ad on their page. They are commercial organizations and since they are getting money they are promoting it. U comparing ur site to toi doesn’t make any sense in the world unless ringing bells is promoting u guys with some monetary incentives . And even u agree there have been people not buying this deal so what’s the use of keeping it on front page. I think its high time u invest in active moderators and improve the communication for the betterment of the community.

yes new moderators are required.

This is also promoted by the government of INDIA and you think that it’s unethical? Dayumm! *Glitches may be happen and happened many times on Flipkart while redmi 1s was on flash sale as well, it doesn’t mean desidime didn’t promote thier deal.

@VaibhavJain wrote:

This is also promoted by the government of INDIA and you think that it’s unethical? Dayumm! #IStantWithNigel

Do you have Proof ?

@Troll wrote:

@VaibhavJain wrote:

This is also promoted by the government of INDIA and you think that it’s unethical? Dayumm! #IStantWithNigel

Do you have Proof ?

@VaibhavJain wrote:

@Troll wrote:

@VaibhavJain wrote:

This is also promoted by the government of INDIA and you think that it’s unethical? Dayumm! #IStantWithNigel

Do you have Proof ?

take the rajasthan patrika copy of day before yesterday and stubble it as a proof bc.

Bro its not being promoted by govt of India. To promote something like that there should be a MoU and there is no such thing. Just that the someone related to GoI is inaugurating doesn’t mean GoI promotion.

Few years back when S M Krishna was the CM of Karnataka he had inaugurated one of these pryamid schemes (referral ponzi schemes) and as usual the company looted and left. No one questioned him as to why he was there in that inauguration.

@VaibhavJain wrote:

@Troll wrote:

@VaibhavJain wrote:

This is also promoted by the government of INDIA and you think that it’s unethical? Dayumm! #IStantWithNigel

Do you have Proof ?

take the rajasthan patrika copy of day before yesterday and stubble it as a proof bc.

Page number bata deta anyway couldnt find

http://epaper.patrika.com/723161/Rajasthan-Patr...

@VaibhavJain wrote:

@Troll wrote:

@VaibhavJain wrote:

This is also promoted by the government of INDIA and you think that it’s unethical? Dayumm! #IStantWithNigel

Do you have Proof ?

take the rajasthan patrika copy of day before yesterday and stubble it as a proof bc.

Tu ye Padh BC

http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/freedom-25...

Thanks a lot Anthrax for your kind response and presenting your views. In expectation to arrive at a constructive and positive end-result I am doing my best to respond to your post.

Coming to Freedom251
Who are you to proclaim that it is fraud
A. either you are an insider
OR
B. You are speaking without any basis
(Assumptions cant be a rationale for calling someone fraudulent )

I am sorry, for proclaiming it to be fraud in Black&White. But I guess many a times I also referred to them as seemingly Fraud. Right?
Also, at DesiDime, I have reasons for referring to them as “Fraud” as well. And that is to prevent thousands of DesiDime users to end up paying to this company. If I would have always said Seemingly Fraud, then quite possible, it might have qualified as “Not a strong reason to not-promote Freedom”.

So, I am not an Insider and not at all remotely related to Mobile manufacturing industry. But yes, I have done more research and reading on Online Communities and e-commerce than probably 99.9% of DesiDimers.

Coming to basis of calling BlueBells a Seemingly Fraud company is:
(1) Nothing on Ground to achieve such a big project- No manufacturing, No Office, No marketing, No sales and distribution channel.
(2) Doing all the things in logically incorrect manner. If they have such an excellent business plan, then why doesn’t they first setup their Office and Plant? So, its like “Selling something that DOESN’T EVEN EXIST now, not even in PROTOTYPE”. Isn’t it a reason strong enough to suspect them?
(3) Or otherwise, we can’t say anyone is genuine if they are not yet proven Fraud. Taking somebody’s money without having any product? That’s a fraud here. They have a Rs 250 crore plus project (manufacturing, direct selling, and tie-ups with marketplace providers etc etc).. Is it a joke to get it done by 1 IIT Alumnus and 3 Amity passouts with no noteworthy credentials ?? Still If they wish to do it, then first do all other B-2-B things, like tie-ups etc etc, then come to B-2-C to ask for Rs 290 from each customer. That’s the way to get customer’s trust and not to be called Fraud. But starting from B-2-C and asking for payment saying that ALL B-2-B things will done afterwards.. .What is this? A new way of doing business? No its clearly a Fraudulent way of doing business.

Now why did DD promote it…. A there was a government official who had inaugurated …..currently we do not have any reason to beleive he is not honest
Similar to us BBC and other News reporters have acknowledged and not called it a scam
So our law says innocent until proven guilty and we are not bigger than the law for sure

Regarding Media Coverage, Since last 25 years I can see newspaper advertisements talking about Job-offers, business opportunities etc etc (And all of them asking money upfront) and then delivering the promised product/service. So, have you seen these Newspaper agencies doing any investigation regarding the content/genuineness of these Advertisements? In today’s newspaper also there are more than 7 such advertisements here… So, Media appearance is again not a proof of genuinity.

PS: I am sharing a joke which I found just a little bit similar to the business model of this company. Intention of sharing is not to compare Blue-Bells word-by-word with characters of this joke. Its just to tell what I broadly feel about this company.

Father: “I want you to marry a girl of my choice”
Son: “I will choose my own bride!”
Father: “But the girl is Bill Gates’ daughter.”
Son: “Well, in that case…ok”

Next, the father approaches Bill Gates.

Father: “I have a husband for your daughter.”
Bill Gates: “But my daughter is too young to marry!”
Father: “But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank.”
Bill Gates: “Ah, in that case…ok”

Finally the father goes to see the president of the World Bank.

Father: “I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president.”
President: “But I already have more vice- presidents than I need!”
Father: “But this young man is Bill Gates’s son-in-law.”
President: “Ah, in that case…”

@aniey72 wrote:

Thanks a lot Anthrax for your kind response and presenting your views. In expectation to arrive at a constructive and positive end-result I am doing my best to respond to your post.

Coming to Freedom251
Who are you to proclaim that it is fraud
A. either you are an insider
OR
B. You are speaking without any basis
(Assumptions cant be a rationale for calling someone fraudulent )

I am sorry, for proclaiming it to be fraud in Black&White. But I guess many a times I also referred to them as seemingly Fraud. Right?
Also, at DesiDime, I have reasons for referring to them as “Fraud” as well. And that is to prevent thousands of DesiDime users to end up paying to this company. If I would have always said Seemingly Fraud, then quite possible, it might have qualified as “Not a strong reason to not-promote Freedom”.

So, I am not an Insider and not at all remotely related to Mobile manufacturing industry. But yes, I have done more research and reading on Online Communities and e-commerce than probably 99.9% of DesiDimers.

Coming to basis of calling BlueBells a Seemingly Fraud company is:
(1) Nothing on Ground to achieve such a big project- No manufacturing, No Office, No marketing, No sales and distribution channel.
(2) Doing all the things in logically incorrect manner. If they have such an excellent business plan, then why doesn’t they first setup their Office and Plant? So, its like “Selling something that DOESN’T EVEN EXIST now, not even in PROTOTYPE”. Isn’t it a reason strong enough to suspect them?
(3) Or otherwise, we can’t say anyone is genuine if they are not yet proven Fraud. Taking somebody’s money without having any product? That’s a fraud here. They have a Rs 250 crore plus project (manufacturing, direct selling, and tie-ups with marketplace providers etc etc).. Is it a joke to get it done by 1 IIT Alumnus and 3 Amity passouts with no noteworthy credentials ?? Still If they wish to do it, then first do all other B-2-B things, like tie-ups etc etc, then come to B-2-C to ask for Rs 290 from each customer. That’s the way to get customer’s trust and not to be called Fraud. But starting from B-2-C and asking for payment saying that ALL B-2-B things will done afterwards.. .What is this? A new way of doing business? No its clearly a Fraudulent way of doing business.

Now why did DD promote it…. A there was a government official who had inaugurated …..currently we do not have any reason to beleive he is not honest
Similar to us BBC and other News reporters have acknowledged and not called it a scam
So our law says innocent until proven guilty and we are not bigger than the law for sure

Regarding Media Coverage, Since last 25 years I can see newspaper advertisements talking about Job-offers, business opportunities etc etc (And all of them asking money upfront) and then delivering the promised product/service. So, have you seen these Newspaper agencies doing any investigation regarding the content/genuineness of these Advertisements? In today’s newspaper also there are more than 7 such advertisements here… So, Media appearance is again not a proof of genuinity.

your research is as good as a BBC research in my opinion both are a point of view…. and each one has the right to it

and again i have no clue or any reason to right now say what some ones business plan

So my contetion is not your letter… but you usage of word “fraudulent activities on DD”

you are accusing us of something which you yourself are now acknowledging was a mistake……

As to why show this information to user…. because every user has the right to that information… to buy or not to buy is the persons individual choice and not one which we can tell them

I personally feel how can they give such a cheap phone even the mobile covers now a days do not come under 200 yes unless you a dimmer i am pretty sure you may get it for even Rs 50/- but please give your opinions @bell_corp

The Freedom 251 looks like yet another iPhone clone, not only on the exterior (complete with the circular home button) but even the app icons appear like a rip-off of what’s found on iOS.
The phone also appears to be a rebranded version of another phone marketed in India by New Delhi-based Adcom. The Adcom Ikon 4 (listed on a number of online shopping sites) shares the same looks and specifications as the Ringing Bells Freedom 251, including the appearance of the Apple-like icons.
Freedom 251 handset will have a 4-inch WVGA (480×800) IPS display, 3.2 megapixel auto-focus rear camera, 0.3 megapixel front camera, 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB of internal storage with SD card support, 1450 mAh battery, and Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.
Adcom Ikon 4
Bookings for the phone will start from February 18 and will close on February 21 on freedom251.com. The deliveries, however, according to the company will be completed four months later – by June 30, 2016. The website was not fully functional the last time we checked.
The phone also looks nothing like the renders posted on the company’s website and on its social media accounts. The actual look of the phone, however, matches the image published on the full-page ads that appeared on Wednesday in national dailies.
Freedom 251 promotional image. The actual phone is an altogether different phone.
The image of the Indian flag on the rear of the phone is also not aesthetically appealing.

There are also doubts about the sustainability of the price model. IBNLive analysed the import costs of the components of the comparable Adcom Ikon 4 and the price of the components total to at least Rs 2546 (the Adcom Ikon 4 is priced at Rs 4081 on Flipkart). And the Freedom 251 is being advertised at a tenth of that cost. There’s also speculation abound that the price could possibly be marketing gimmick.
The phone will come with a standard warranty of 1 year. According to the company’s website, “this warranty of the product extends for a period of 12 months for the host unit, 6 months for battery and charger, and 3 months for earphone commencing from the date of purchase.”
The Freedom 251 was formally launched at an event in New Delhi by BJP MP Murli Manohar Joshi.
Currently, the other cheapest smartphones available in the market are priced around Rs 1,500. Last year, DataWind had announced that it is teaming up with Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Communications to launch the world’s most affordable smartphone, priced at Rs 999. The phone is yet to hit the market.
Established last year, Ringing Bells will start with the assembly of handsets in the first phase and aims at full indigenous development of the feature-rich smartphones.

OP! Meet official government personnel – @bell_corp
Tag him in all your future correspondence.

Agr krte ho har baat pe Shaqq!
.
.
.
To INDIAN ho tum

@VaibhavJain wrote:

This is also promoted by the government of INDIA and you think that it’s unethical? Dayumm! *Glitches may be happen and happened many times on Flipkart while redmi 1s was on flash sale as well, it doesn’t mean desidime didn’t promote thier deal.

Dear Vaibhav,

Thanks for taking your time to respond, and I guess you might have got the answer in other replies. Still I am collating them for your reference:

(1) This company is not promoted by Government of India. It was just the presence of some high ranked ministers there, who were invited as Guests (Not Promoters or Endorsers). Same has happened during launch of many other Fraud Schemes. Hope you might have heard about “Enron” or “Sradha Scam”

(2) Also, Newspaper advertisements are no proof of Genuineness. They are infact one of the most commonly exploited tools by Major Fraudsters.

(3) Here we (I along with some other dimers) are not questioning just the technical glitches on this company’s website. Rather we are questioning the basis for starting Sales and collecting Money just on the basis of Business-idea on Paper. They haven’t yet hired a single person or office or any other asset and have started their Big-Bang sale. What Assets do they hold to deliver the product?

(4) Last (but not least), Politeness while discussion will be very much appreciated. Stay Beautiful while discussions.

Best Regards

Edit: After @VaibhavJain response, 3-4 posts after this post:

@VaibhavJain wrote:

No time to read this much paragraph you wrote above 😂😂

@bell_corp