1. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 1
www.consumer-voice.org
Vol. XIV, Issue VIII AUGUST 2013 Rs 50
www.consumer-voice.org
2.
3. COMPARATIVE TESTs
Shaving Creams: In Search of
the Smoothest One
Smartphones: Which One Is
Yours?
Pinch by One Pinch of Salt:
Not all Brands are Made Equal
08
16
27
LEGAL MATTERS
Misleading Ads: Despite Court
Orders against Unfair Practice
THIS IS IT
Apps that Keep a Tab on
Expenses
37
40
Contents
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
The Himalayas Need You to Travel34
SPYGLASS
Legal Snapshot:
Miscellaneous46
5. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 5
CONSUMER'S VOICE
Business-Class Food Can Be Rotten
We occasionally hear
about railway pas-
sengers being served stale or
unhygienic food during long
journeys, and this is some-
thing that every Indian ought
to be ashamed of. Despite all
our economic growth and our
widely acknowledged profi-
ciency in the field of informa-
tion technology and communications, we have not
been able to develop a modern, hygienic and com-
fortable system of mass transportation.
The truth is that even the condition of our
airlines is not that good when it comes to the quality
of food being served. Recently I had an extremely bad
experience in one of our leading airlines. I was taking
the late evening flight from Mumbai to Delhi. I had
a lot of luggage with me. After weighing my baggage,
the man at the airline’s counter at the airport said that
I had to pay Rs 8,500 extra for the excess baggage.
‘What if I upgrade to the business class?’ I asked.
‘Will I have to pay lesser then?’
The man at the counter made some calculations
and said, ‘The upgrade to business class will cost you
Rs 2,500. But you will still have to pay Rs 6000 as
excess baggage.’
This made more sense; an upgrade to business
class would cost me the same amount while
offering the benefits of a free dinner in the plane,
a more comfortable seat, and priority check-in and
disembarkation. I took the business class option.
Inside the plane, I was awarded the first row (much
more legroom and quite comfortable compared to the
congested rows of the seats at back). So far, so good.
Few minutes after takeoff the airhostess asked me
about my meal preferences.
‘I will have vegetarian,’ I said. She handed me a
nicely packaged food tray. At the first sight of it, the
food seemed appetizing enough. But the moment the
first morsel entered my mouth, I realized something
was wrong. The food did not taste as good as it looked.
The person sitting next to me in the business class, an
executive with a multinational company, also seemed
to realize that something was wrong.
‘I am not eating it,’ he said grumpily, in a voice
loud enough for the airhostess to hear.
‘Anything wrong, sir?’ the airhostess turned
towards us.
‘This food does not taste right,’ I said.
‘You can actually smell the salad,’ the person next
to me in the business class said. ‘It stinks.’
‘Is it possible that the salad is stale?’ I asked.
‘My apologies if the food does not seem good,’ the
airhostess seemed genuinely contrite. ‘But we only
serve what we get from the airline. Perhaps there was
a mistake in processing the order.’
‘Please take this food away,’ I said. ‘I can’t afford
to spoil my health with stale food.’
I was feeling furious, but there was no way of
venting the anger when one is mile-high in the air.
You risk being branded as a criminal even if you raise
your voice slightly inside the plane.
The person next to me also politely returned the
meal. After that the airhostess tried to compensate
us by serving cans of cold drink and some packaged
biscuits. But she could do nothing to change the low
opinion that had now been formed in my mind about
the quality of food being served in airlines operating
in India. You can eat the food being served in our
airlines and in railways only at self-risk. It is better to
eat at a roadside stall than in our airlines.
Anoop Verma
6. 6 •
IN THE NEWS
Nine pharma companies fined Rs 2,500 crore for overcharging
Nine pharmaceutical companies have been fined
Rs 2,500 crore by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing
Authority (NPPA) for overcharging customers on
Doxofylline. Among these companies are Ranbaxy, Dr.
Reddy's Lab, Glenmark, Cipla and Cadilla. The asthma
drug was being sold in the range of Rs 80–Rs 110 per
strip.
Consumer court directs travel agency to pay compensation
A consumer court in Madurai has directed a private travel agency to pay Rs 74,800 to a Singapore-
based NRI lawyer for not providing him a travel ticket after taking money from him. Concluding that the
travel agency was responsible for deficiency of service, the court directed it to pay Rs 44,800 (which the
petitioner had spent for his return journey), Rs 25,000 as compensation for causing anxiety, and Rs 5,000
towards cost of the case.
The petitioner submitted that he had booked a to-and-fro travel ticket to London from Singapore. He
was to leave Singapore on 5 December 2008 and return from London on 18 December 2008. He paid Rs
62,750 for the tickets to the travel agency.
However, as the travel agents gave the ticket for 5 November 2008 instead of December, he could not
proceed to London. Later they gave a ticket for the next day, but did not give the return ticket, following
which he had to take another flight paying Rs 44,800.
Price printed in red gets men to buy: Survey
New research from the Said Business School, University of Oxford, claims that not only do men and
women ‘read’ advertisements differently, their perceptions of price are also affected differently by the
use of colour.
‘Are Men Seduced by Red? The Effect of Red Versus Black Prices on Price Perceptions’ by Nancy
M Puccinelli, Rajesh Chandrashekaran, Dhruv Grewal and Rajneesh Suri, published in The Journal of
Retailing, argues that men tend not to process advertisements deeply. Instead, they quickly pick up on
‘clues’ in the advertisement that they use as shortcuts to decision-making.
In a series of experiments conducted using graduate students in a US university, the researchers
discovered that men perceived prices printed in red to be offering greater value than those printed
in black. That men tend to read advertisements only superficially was emphasised by their inaccurate
recall of prices when questioned after having seen an ad. According to the researchers, it is because of
this poor memory that men rely on clues such as colour to indicate value.
In contrast, women were not affected at all by the colour in which the price was printed, and
afterwards recalled the prices with much greater accuracy than the men.
‘Unless they know or care enough about the product to engage properly with the ad, they can be
easily convinced that they are getting a bargain, just by printing the price in red. This is useful for
retailers to know, of course, and rather confirms the myth that men, in general, just aren’t very good at
shopping,’ said Nancy Puccinelli, Fellow in Consumer Marketing, Said Business School, University of
Oxford.
7. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 7
IN THE NEWS
Tata Communications Payment
Solutions Ltd (TCPSL) launches the
Indicash network of white label ATMs
Last year, the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) had allowed corporate/non-bank
entities to set up white label ATMs to
increase the penetration of ATMs in the
country. TCPSL, among others, had bagged
a license for the same.
The first Indicash ATM was inaugurated
at Chandrapada, a rural village in Thane
District, Maharashtra. TCPSL plans to
deploy 15,000 Indicash ATMs in three
years. Nearly 67 per cent of the ATMs will
be deployed in semi-urban and rural areas, and the balance in metro and urban markets.
TCPSL will engage with national and regional banks to support its rollout plans. Thus, the company
has tied up with Federal Bank, which has been designated as a sponsor bank to take care of cash operations,
dispute resolutions and regulatory reporting. The Indicash ATMs will be owned, operated and guarded by
TCPSL.
The ATMs will accept all domestic debit cards with the first five transactions a month being free, in
line with RBI regulations for use of ‘other bank ATMs’.
White label ATMs function just as any other bank-run ATM. As the ATM network expands, more
and more people will have easy access to cash as any customer with an ATM card can access
IT & Telecom
Telecom
TRAI issues Telecommunication Tariff (Fifty Fifth Amendment) Order, 2013, in respect of national
roaming: Roaming tariffs are taken out of forbearance and upper limits for roaming tariffs have been
prescribed for both incoming and outgoing calls and SMS. This is a step towards a roaming-free regime,
which will benefit consumers.
(Source: TRAI)
Broadcasting, Cable and DTH
TRAI releases draft amendments to the interconnection regulations applicable for digital addressable
cable TV systems (DAS) and tariff order applicable for all addressable system: This will pave the way for
easy availability of desired channels to consumers since the ‘must provide’ condition for broadcasters has
been relaxed. Now agreements between MSOs and broadcasters can be finalized which was not happening
because of this issue, resulting in MSOs not providing the desired channels to consumers.
(Source: TRAI)
Information Technology
AKASH-IV: Technical specs for Akash IV have been finalized by the empowered committee and
these will include Bluetooth, 4G, Android 4.2.1 operating system, wi-fi, improved battery life, 1GB RAM
and 4GB internal memory.
(Source: DEIT)
8. 8 •
Shaving Creams
In Search of the Smoothest One
Clean-shaven or bearded, or that salt-and-pepper look, men across the world are divided into
the ones who shave and the ones who do not. Among the ones who shave, there are some
who complain about ‘having’ to shave—calling it a chore that gives them razor bumps and
dry skin, and irritates them in front of the mirror. On the other hand are the ones who smiling
shave everyday and presumably enjoy the experience – feeling their skin softer, cleaner and
smoother, soaking in the refreshing fragrance and the few minutes with oneself in front of the
mirror. Of course, the experience of liking or not liking to shave is primarily determined by the
toiletries, especially the razor, the shaving cream and the shaving brush.
H
ere, we chose to identify the most
used, the most sold and probably the
most common shaving creams across
India to find out which one is the best
‘experience giver’ and tested them on
various parameters. We compared all of them to check
their mood-emulsifying ability through fragrance and
froth, their beard-softening talents, as also the aspect
of friendliness with the skin.
We put them under the scanner to see if their
range of characteristics are as per the applicable
Indian Standard and also if all their claims written on
the packs – weight, ingredients and other properties –
are only claims or the truth.
comparative test
9. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 9
Interestingly, we did not find any alarming results,
not many disputable claims, and no health hazards
while testing the shaving creams. Frankly, our first
reaction was: ‘now what will make this test story
interesting?’ Then realization set in – brands are
adhering to the Standard and are keeping consumers’
interests paramount. (Perhaps it is time to raise the
Standard, then?)
WHAT’S A SHAVING CREAM?
Our testing team zeroed in on a simple definition:
Shaving creams are a category of male-oriented
toiletry product that is used prior to the shaving to
wet and soften the beard. The rich foam it produces
helps to hold the facial hair erect for cutting. Shaving
creams are basically soaps composed of sodium and
potassium stearate, mixed with water and glycerol to
give a creamy texture. As per Indian Standards, there
are two types of shaving creams: Type 1 – lather and
Type 2 – brushless.
Here we have tested only the Type 1 – lather-
based creams.
DOES CREAM MATTER?
If you have (under compulsion) ever shaved
without a shaving cream, then you would know how
much it matters. It not only makes shaving easier and
enhances the experience, it is also an essential hygiene
commodity as it prevents the skin from bursting into
rashes and protects it from getting cuts while shaving.
More importantly, the good shaving creams help in
retaining the natural tone of your complexion while a
bad one can directly influence your confidence levels
(here is not the best place to discuss how).
THE TEST
This test programme for comparative testing
(CT), like all our test programmes, is based on
relevant national standards (IS: 9740 in this case)
and other related standards. We tested, assessed and
evaluated 10 most popular brands of shaving creams
(lather type) available in retail markets. Given here
are the test parameters with the performance/results
of each brand.
Which One’s Value for Your Money?
There is a significant variation in the
maximum retail prices of all shaving creams.
Among the brands we tested, Vi-John and
Godrej cost cheapest – at Rs 32 for 125 grams
and Rs 35 for 100 grams, respectively. The
other brands, including the top three, cost
anything between Rs 55 and Rs 63 for 70 grams
(with schemes giving 18–30 grams extra). If
you are looking to economize, you may buy two
packs of higher quantity (125 grams) of Vi-
John, as against one tube for most of the brands
(weighing 70–90 grams) except Godrej.
KEY FINDINGS
• All brands had more fatty substance than
the minimum specified requirement (30
per cent). Yardley had 41.7 per cent TFS,
followed by Super Max with 40.09 per cent.
Old Spice had the lowest TFS among the
lot, but with 31.28 per cent it too complied
with the minimum mark.
• Yardley generated the highest quantity of
lather (390ml initially and 330ml after five
minutes), followed by Wild Stone (380ml
and 330ml). Palmolive generated the lowest
lather but stayed well above the minimum
standard limit.
• Park Avenue had 33.08 per cent water
content and Yardley 34.85 per cent. Vi-
John with 49.96 per cent followed by
Old Spice with 46.71 per cent had the
maximum percentage of water – still, these
are way below the allowed limit (about 60
per cent).
CONSUMER VOICE VERDICT
Overall Best
Yardley has performed well in terms of
overall performance and key test parameters
including total fatty substance (TFS), lathering
and water content, and hence has bagged the
Rank 1 position.
Best in Sensory Tests
In the sensory users’ tests, Wild Stone and
Super Max are rated on the top; they are closely
followed by the best brand Yardley.
Shaving Creams
10. 10 •
Rank 1 2 3 4
Brand Wt.
%
Yardley
Pic
Wild Stone
Pic
SuperMax Pic Axe Denim
Pic
Parameters
MRP (Rs) 57 55 55 63
Pack weight
(in grams)
91* (70+21) 70 100* (70+30) 78* (60+18)
Unit price/10
grams
6.26 7.85 5.5 8.0
Subjective
sensory test
14 10.74 11.37 11.13 10.1
Total fatty
substance
(TFS)
20 19.856 18.43 19.09 15.246
Lathering
power
20 20.00 19.79 16.74 17.71
Water content 5 4.815 4.876 3.903 4.461
Heavy metals 4 3.93 3.94 3.95 3.96
Net weight
(actual vs
claimed)
4 3.99 3.2 3.99 3.98
Packaging and
marking
8 7.4 7.4 7.4 7.4
*Extra creams as promotion scheme
comparative test
12. 12 •
Performance of the shaving
cream is related to the quality of
the shaving brush. The brushes
made of natural hair (animals)
are long-lasting and make rich
lather as compared to synthetic
(nylon) hair brushes. Salons
and smaller barber shops always use natural
(animal) hair brushes because synthetic hair
brushes tend to harden in the long run and
often expand when used with warm water, the
warm water being normally recommended for
a smooth shave with enough lather.
Total Fatty Substance (TFS)
The smoothness of the shave depends on the
moisturizing and lather-producing ability of the
shaving cream. The lathering and moisturizing
potential, in turn, depends much on the ‘total fatty
substance’ in the cream as well as the balance of water
quantity. Indian Standard has stipulated that a cream
must have at least 30 per cent fatty substance.
Interestingly, all brands had more fatty substance
than the minimum requirement. Yardley had 41.7
per cent TFS, followed by Super Max with 40.09
per cent. Old Spice had the lowest TFS among the
lot, but with 31.28 per cent it too complied with the
minimum mark.
Lathering Power
The foam or lather that a shaving cream generates
makes for a better experience while shaving. A
shaving cream is essentially soap, so good lathering
power is essential. The national standard stip-ulates
that there be at least 100 millilitres of lather whipped
up by a shaving cream (in a measuring cylinder for a
fixed quantity).
Whiletesting,allbrandsachievedfarmorethanthe
minimum requirement. Yardley generated the highest
quantity of lather (390ml initially and 330ml after five
minutes), followed by Wild Stone (380ml and 330ml).
Palmolive generated the lowest lather but managed to
remain well above the minimum standard limit.
Total Fatty Substance
Brand Result (%)
Yardley 41.7
Wild Stone 38.72
Super Max 40.09
Axe Denim 32.02
Park Avenue 36.9
Godrej 35.97
Dettol 37.22
Old Spice 31.28
Vi-John 33.42
Palmolive 35.31
comparative test
13. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 13
Water Content
A shaving cream that has high water content is
easy to judge even in regular use. The cream will be
less compact and if you put it on your finger, it will
start to lose its form because of high water content in
it. Besides, with high water content you will need to
apply more cream to work up a reasonably rich lather.
The national standards stipulate that water content
should not be more than 60 per cent of the total mass
of the cream.
The tests proved that all brands do much better
than the laid-down standards. Park Avenue had just
33.08 per cent water and Yardley 34.85 per cent.
Vi-John with 49.96 per cent followed by Old Spice
with 46.71 per cent had the maximum percentage of
water. While these are way below the allowed limit,
lower water content is an indicator of high active
ingredients.
Packaging
As per Indian Standard, shaving creams should
be packed in collapsible aluminium tubes. However,
these are no longer packed in aluminium tubes;
rather, these now come in better tubes that are made
of multilayer PVC-like material – just like that for
toothpastes. This material is quite flexible and easily
collapsible – you press the tube and get as much cream
as you need.
All the tested brands have scored equal points on
this parameter.
Marking/Labelling
The minimal content on the packet of the tube
may include:
a) Name and type of shaving cream
b) Manufacturer’s name and/or his recognized
trademark, if any
c) Net mass of the material in tube
d) Batch number in code or otherwise
e) Any other requirement as prescribed by the
statutory authorities
f) Instruction for use
g) ISI certification mark
h) Best before date
i) Instructions on usage and storage
Most of the above-mentioned content is there in
our pack samples but, a) no brand has any ‘standard
mark’, b) none excluding Park Avenue and Old Spice
has instructions for use, and c) none mention the
appropriate storage conditions.
Net Weight
Well, all brands give you as much as they claim
to be giving you, at least in terms of quantity. Some
even give you more.
As per The Legal Metrology (Packaged
Commodities) Rules, 2011, the maximum permissible
error for shaving creams up to 50gm is 1gm and up
to 100 gm is 2gm. All the brands except Wild Stone
have net weight well within the permissible limits.
The net weight of each sample was measured
and the divergence from claims was calculated in
percentage terms.
SENSORY TESTS
These tests were conducted involving selected
members (regular users of shaving creams) to assess
consumers’ preferences. Each panel member was
given three different samples and made familiar
Lathering Power
Brand
Initial (ml)
A
After 5
minutes (ml)
B
Yardley 390 330
Wild Stone 380 330
Super Max 330 275
Axe Denim 350 290
Park Avenue 320 255
Godrej 310 265
Dettol 270 255
Old Spice 340 285
Vi-John 290 215
Palmolive 250 200
All the tested brands are almost free of
heavy metals (can be harmful for skin) and free
from caustic alkali (can cause irritation and
rashes on skin). All brands also comply with
the required limits for microbiological counts.
Shaving Creams
14. 14 •
with the right way to use these. The shaving
creams were duly masked and coded to avoid any
biasness.
Members used warm water and best brushes for
application of the cream and used the samples like
any another consumer would use these on a daily
basis. Post experiencing the creams, the panellists
gave comments on the various attributes including
fragrance, consistency, lathering action, softening
quality, after-application feel and irritation.
The testing team noted the critical observations
and calculated and rated the mean values on a
percentage scale.
No Deterioration or Coarseness
To check whether the tube is resistible to
corrosion and deterioration in normal storage
and use conditions, the shaving cream is
examined visually by extruding part of the
contents. Next, the internal surface of the tube
is examined after slitting it open and removing
the remaining contents.
For the skin scratch test, a small quantity of
shaving cream is taken between the fingers and
rubbed to see if it shows any coarse particulars.
Alternately, the cream is spread across a piece
of butter paper, which is then checked for
scratches.
All tested brands meet these vital
parameters.
Stability means the shaving cream should
not segregate or physically deteriorate during
normal condition of storage and use.
Consistency requires the shaving cream
to be in the form of a thick emulsion with
soft texture and steady consistency. It shall be
white, off-white/cream, or pigmented, and of a
uniform colour.
Homogeneity requires the shaving cream
to be able to extrude from the collapsible tube
at 27 °C (± 2 °C permitted) in the form of a
homogeneous mass with the application of
normal force starting from the crimped end of
the tube.
All the brands score equal points on these
three parameters.
SENSORY SCORES
Brand Score out of 12
Yardley 10.74
Wild Stone 11.37
Super Max 11.13
Axe Denim 10.1
Park Avenue 8.49
Godrej 9.15
Dettol 9.6
Old Spice 9.5
Vi-John 10.12
Palmolive 8.99
comparative test
16. 16 •
Smartphones
Which One Is Yours?
Just over a decade ago, it was an exceptional wireless device that could make and receive calls
and send a few text messages by connecting through an invisible and unknown spectrum.
Today, the standard mobile phone supports a wide variety of other services such as text
messaging, MMS, email, Internet access, short-range wireless communications through
infrared, Bluetooth and WiFi, business applications, gaming, photography, videography…
almost any task that was once done by another digital gadget.
L
ooking at the number of mobile phone
‘applications’ that are being made every
day, it seems that owning one such smart
device will soon become a necessity, if
not a synchronized part of the body. Here,
in an effort to help you in identifying the better
and the best smartphones available in the market
within the medium price range, we are sharing the
comparative test findings on GSM smartphones
tested by International Consumer Research and
Testing (ICRT).
The tests conducted on the phones were quite
diverse as far as functionality was concerned. Some
phone models under test were very basic as compared
to the ones with comprehensive functionalities like
LTE, HSPA+, GPS and HD camcorder. [LTE: long-
termevolution;HSPA:highspeedpacketaccess;GPS:
global positioning satellite; HD: high definition]
The brands and their models were chosen from
the detailed test report covering a large number of
brands, keeping in consideration their availability
and sales in India. The test parameters cover more
comparative test
17. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 17
than 60 observations/tests and verifications. While
the majority of tests/observations was based on the
verification of the facilities/features, the comparative
ratings were assigned on a 1–5 grade scale for the
selected test parameters where comparable results
were possible/obtained.
PHYSICAL ASPECTS
Rain test
An artificial raining appliance was used to give an
even rain distribution simulating the actual rain effect
on the mobile phone. During the test, phones were
laid horizontally on a rotary table and were showered
with water for five minutes. The functions of the
phone were assessed immediately and subsequently
after one, two and three days.
All the models were found to be functioning and
scored full marks except for LG and HTC (One XL
& Desire X), which were on a slightly lower side.
Volume and weight
Length, width and height of each phone were
measured physically and volume was calculated.
HTC (One XL) has the highest volume and a
comparatively lower weight, while HTC (Desire X)
is the smallest phone among all the brands tested.
Shock resistance
Durability against mechanical shocks – falls,
slides, etc. – was tested by throwing the phones in
different angles from a height of 80cm.
All brands performed quite satisfactorily and
were rated on a scale of 5. HTC (Desire X) was
found on the lower side and scored only 1.5/5.
Scratch test
The scratch resistance of the phones’ displays and
their bodies was examined by a hardness test pencil.
This pencil is equipped with a spiral spring and a
carbide ball tip of 1mm diameter. Ratings were given
after scratching the body and display of phone with
five different loads and looking at the permanent
scratches.
The Nokia Asha models (305, 306) were not at
par so far as scratch on display was concerned.
GENERAL CONVENIENCE
Visual interface – display, keyboard, keypad and
touchscreen
A smartphone’s visual interface is a very important
factor for proper picture quality and in combination
with a touchscreen, which is important for proper
usability. The display plays the role of a PC monitor
and also doubles up as the keypad for accessing
all applications – even to make a call. Therefore,
the screen size should be optimal in size for better
visibility and interactivity, but should not be so big
that it compromises on the phone’s portability. The
display should also be equally effectual in sunlight
and outdoors.
These demands are very challenging and need
several investigations. The display quality, size and
convenience in use of touchscreen were investigated
by several measurements and rating was given on a
scale of 5.
Motorola (Razr Maxx) and HTC (One XL) were
given full scores for their visual interface.
Display size (in cm²)
The bigger the display, the more information
is visible with the same character size. Also, for
navigation purposes – where maps are displayed – the
size of the screen is vital. Hence, a larger display size
was rated better.
The screen size of the sample phones varied from
39mm × 65mm (Nokia Asha 305 and Nokia Asha
306) to 58mm × 103mm (HTC One XL).
THE VERDICT
Allthemodelsfromallthebrandsperformed
quite satisfactorily in terms of the transmission
and reception, which is a basic function of the
mobile phone.
In terms of the overall test performance –
where comparative ratings were possible – HTC
(ONE XL) performed on the top followed by
Nokia 603, Sony (Xperia Miro) and Motorola
(RAZR Maxx). Nokia’s other models – Asha
305 and Asha 306 – got lower grading due to
certain key test parameters.
Smartphones
18. 18 •
BRAND Motorola RAZR
Maxx XT910
HTC
One XL
Nokia
603
Sony Xperia
Miro ST23i
HTC Desire X
QUICK
ANALYSIS
Big smartphone
with a huge and
very good display,
and convenient
handling
Nearly all
convenience
ratings are on a
good level
Battery running
times are very
good
Measurements
like speech
quality are on a
very high level
Recommended
It was tested with
Android 4.0.4
and supports LTE
Nearly all
convenience
ratings are on a
good, especially
the display quality
Battery running
times are on an
average level
Recommended
The convenience
ratings suffer due
to small buttons
Screen is
too small for
convenient
Internet or email
use
Like for all
Symbian phones,
the Google
support is weak
At the beginning
of the test we
had problems
in charging the
device
Both A and B
models seemed
to have battery
contact problems
The test shows
that the device
is an average
Android model
No headphones
are delivered
A sparsely
equipped
smartphone (for
example, it does
not provide a
compass)
Almost all
convenience
ratings are on a
good level
Two models were
damaged in the
tumbling drum in
the same way
PROS
Good battery
performance
Good RF
sensitivity
Good camera
video quality
Good for GPS
navigation
Typical good
Android menu
Good display
quality
Good touchscreen
convenience
Fast data
transmission via
LTE possible
Good camera
video quality
Good sound
quality of music
player (earphones
delivered)
Good for GPS
navigation
Very good display
and touchscreen
convenience
Typical good
Android menu
Fast upload speed
HSUPA
Good sound
quality of music
player (earphones
delivered)
Good onboard
GPS navigation
but not suitable
for off-road use
Good basic phone
operation
Good RF
sensitivity
Good keypad or
touchscreen
Typically good
Android menu
Good sound
quality of music
player (earphones
delivered)
Good display
quality
Good touchscreen
convenience
CONS
Weak battery
performance
Poor manual
Poor camera
picture quality
Shutter delay
more than 1
second
Poor camera
picture quality
Seriously
damaged in
tumbling test
comparative test
19. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 19
Sony Xperia Tipo
Dual ST21i2
Alcatel
One Touch
991D SMART
Huawei Ascend
G300
LG
Optimus L3 Dual
SIM E405
Nokia
Asha 305 Dual
SIM
Nokia
Asha 306
It is similar to the
former tested code
984 Sony Xperia
Tipo except for its
dual SIM function
Battery times are
slightly shorter
than for code 984
There are two
SIM card slots –
one for 2G and
another for 3G
Reaction of
touchscreen is
slow
Display is not
optimal
Sound of
headphones and
camera quality
are not up to the
mark
The device
offers neither
any backup app
nor any backup
software
Music player
does not play the
tested files in the
correct order
Sound quality of
earphone is poor
Sound quality
during video
recording is poor
Not
Recommended
The convenience
ratings suffer due
to poor display
resolution of 240
x 320 pixels
Camera and
camcorder quality
is poor
HSUPA is not
supported
Phone is
delivered without
earphones or a
headset
Not
Recommended
It offers Nokia
Maps but cannot
determine the
position via GPS
Brand’s website
makes misleading
claim on GPS
Resistive
touchscreen is bad
Picture and video
records serve a
poor quality
Not
Recommended
This device offers
Nokia Maps and
can show the
rough location
only via WiFi
Brand’s website
makes misleading
claim on GPS
Resistive touch
screen is bad
Picture and video
records serve a
poor quality
Not
Recommended
Good keypad
or touchscreen
convenience
Typically good
Android menu
Fast upload speed
HSUPA
Typical good
Android menu
handling and
structure
Good Android
menu handling
and structure
Good keypad
or touchscreen
convenience
Typical good
Android menu
handling and
structure
Poor camera
picture and video
quality
Weak battery
Poor picture and
video quality
Long shutter
delay
Poor sound
Zero internal
storage capacity
Poor recording
and poor
earphones sound
quality
Poor display
quality
Poor camera
picture and video
quality
No camera flash
Poor camera
picture and video
quality
Poor music player
Poor display
quality
Shutter delay
more than 1
second
Poor camera
picture and video
quality
Poor music player
Poor display
quality
Shutter delay
more than 1
second
Smartphones
20. 20 •
FEATURES
Brand
Motorola
RAZR Maxx
XT910
HTC
One XL
Nokia
603
Sony Xperia
Miro ST23i
HTC Desire X
OS Android 4.0.4 Android 4.0.4 Nokia Belle Android 4.0.4
Android 4.0.4
Display
resolution
(dots per inch)
259 318 212 165 237
Camera
resolution
(megapixels)
8 8 5 5 5
Camera flash
Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Accessible
internal
storage
8GB 24.4GB 1.57GB 2GB 1.09GB
Dual SIM
No No No No No
Display and
keypad
Capacitive
touchscreen
Capacitive
touchscreen
Capacitive
touchscreen
Capacitive
touchscreen
Capacitive
touchscreen
Camcorder
with HD
resolution
Yes Yes Yes No No
PRICE (IN
RS)
25,000 24,800 12,000 13,000 15,500
Characteristics of a Smartphone
• display area > 18cm²
• display resolution > 240 x 320 pixels
• data transfer speed: UMTS and Wi-Fi
• Email client and HTML browser
• Full keyboard (physical keyboard or keys or
on screen)
• All multimedia phones’ criteria
comparative test
21. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 21
GENERAL PERFORMANCE
Battery
Powerconsumptionwascalculatedinconsideration
of the nominal battery capacity for endless call mode,
and the time was noted for each brand.
Motorola (RAZR Maxx) ran for longest time in
battery backup (for 16.5 hours), while Sony (Xperia
Tipo) shut earliest (in only 7.4 hours).
Charging time
The charging time was measured in real charging
mode. The charging indicators (LEDs or battery
symbols) were checked every 15 minutes until the
device displayed that its battery was completely
charged. Lower charging time was considered to be
better.
Nokia (603) and Huawei charged in the lowest
time (120 minutes), while Motorola (RAZR Maxx)
took the longest time (270 minutes).
CAMERA AND CAMCORDER FUNCTION
The camera functions were judged for the
following:
Resolution
All phones having a camera resolution of > 2
megapixels were tested as a camera phone. Motorola
and HTC (One XL) have the highest resolution of
8 megapixels.
TO LOOK AT
Sony Xperia
Tipo Dual
ST21i2
Alcatel
One Touch
991D SMART
Huawei
G300
ASCEND
LG
Optimus L3
Dual SIM E40
Nokia
Asha 305 Dual
SIM
Nokia
Asha 306
Android 4.0.4 Android 2.3.6 Android 2.3.6 Android 2.3.6 Series 40 Asha Series 40 Asha
181 147 235 125 156 156
3 5 5 3 2 2
No Yes Yes No No No
2.2GB
None; external
SD card
necessary
2.1GB
1GB
None None
Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
Capacitive
touchscreen
Capacitive
touchscreen
Capacitive
touch screen
Capacitive
touchscreen
Resistive
touchscreen
Resistive
touchscreen
Yes No No No No No
8,000 9,000 8,000 6,799 4,300 3,850
Smartphones
22. 22 •
Flash
Almost half of the brands had flash facility for
better picture quality in low light and/or in dark. The
exceptions were LG, Nokia (all models) and Sony
(Xperia Tipo).
Picture quality
All evaluations of the picture quality were
performed after transferring the photos to the personal
computer (PC). For all tests the cameras were set to
wide zoom mode and to full automatic function, and
ratings were given out of 5 based on the quality of
images.
HTC (One XL) was found to have the excellent
image quality hence was given 4.5/5
Video quality
In studio light conditions a video scene with the
mobile phone on a tripod was recorded within an area
of about 2 x 2 metres; the camcorder was set to wide,
recording from a 3 meters’ distance. Quality aspects
like exposure, contrast, sharpness and colour quality
were rated directly via the mobile phone as well as via
a high-quality monitor after transmission to a PC.
HTC (One XL) and Motorola were seen to have
the best video quality, with scores of 4.5 and 4,
respectively.
Transferring images and videos to computer
The transfer possibilities to storage locations
like personal computers were evaluated. Various
aspects like mandatory installation of software on
the computer and the maximum possible upload data
were checked. Ratings were given depending
on which brands were most convenient and
simple to use.
HTC (One XL) was the most convenient
and simple to use while transferring data.
MUSIC FUNCTION
Music function was tested on the phones that had
an inbuilt music player. Various parameters including
media playback formats, music player convenience,
music transfer, sound quality of the music player
and maximum sound pressure level (SPL) were
evaluated.
Motorola (5/5) was given the highest score
as it was found to be more reliable in the above-
mentioned parameters.
OPERATIONS
The basic operation is investigated from lab
experts according to the following functions:
Telephone calls
The basic operation of a mobile phone (calling)
is investigated from lab expertise. Ratings were given
based on judgements on the parameters listed below
• receiving a call
• dialling phone numbers
• dialling from the phonebook
• dialling from speed dial or from the caller list
• quality of display of the dialling process
• display indications while calling
All the brands performed satisfactorily in calling
functions. Motorola and HTC (One XL) performed
on the top and hence were given full scores.
comparative test
23. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 23
SMS convenience
The following parameters were judged by experts
while checking for convenience in using the SMS
facility
• Is SMS content visible on display immediately
after receiving (privacy) keypad and display not
locked?
• Is archiving of SMS possible?
• Is sorting of SMS possible?
• Deleting a group of SMS
• Writing text, names and addresses (with special
characters), answering, deleting
• Writing test text and measuring time
Most of the brands performed well except for
Nokia (Asha 305 and 306), which were on the
lower side because of smaller buttons and absence
of button space.
Internet and Web browsing convenience
Most of the mobile phones offer possibilities to
surf the Internet. Due to the restricted display size and
resolution compared to the regular personal computer,
new user interface tools like touchscreen operation
with multi-finger touch are necessary. Hence, Internet
access for most phones is limited to emails and social
media websites like YouTube and Facebook, with
little scope for full Internet browsing.
Experts used the phones to access the following
websites:
• www.irctc.com for Indian railway timetable and
form filling
• www.youtube.com to check playback of a video
– partly redirected to m.youtube.de (missing flash
player)
• www.googlemail.com for Web mail account
(including login, reading and writing emails,
viewing PDF and JPEG attachments)
• www.wikipedia.org with search of a name,
indication and reading of the resulting page
• YouTube, Facebook and Twitter – by apps if
possible (if not via browser)
HTC One XL (5.5) followed by HTC Desire
X (4.5) performed on top, while LG E405 stood
lowest.
GPS antenna
The navigation possibilities of smartphones differ
in software, software version and concept. These
components majorly influence the overall quality.
Various GPS functions were tested on phones
claiming to have GPS facility.
Only the Nokia Asha series (305 and 306) did
not provide this facility.
The tests of GSM smartphones were conducted by International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT), based in Europe. ICRT
is an association of 37 consumer organizations from 33 countries, including Consumer VOICE. It aims to promote cooperation in
consumer research and testing among its members and other organizations concerned with consumer matters.
Smartphones
25. • 25• 25
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CONSUMER VOICE AUGUST 2013
27. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 27
Pinch by One Pinch of Salt
How Much Is the Sodium and Iodine?
When was the last time that your day ended without tasting salt? While you start scanning
your memory and think of days spent without the world’s oldest-known food additive, let us
chalk down some essentials that you must know about your salt. Also presented are a few
facts that we dug out after thorough research and stringent testing of popular salt brands,
one of which is certainly in your kitchen.
P
rimarily all brands were tested for sodium
chloride and iodine content. Though
most of them fared fine in the tests,
some did surprise us with both better and
worse results. While reading the results,
do go through the standards set for all categories of
salts to find out how close or far is your salt brand to
benchmarks and if it is better than the brands you
have ignored.
Standards for Iodized Salt
As per Food Safety and Standards (Food Product
– Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011,
iodized salt means a crystalline salt, white or pale,
pink or light grey in colour, free from contamination
with clay, grit and other extraneous adulterants and
impurities.
It shall conform to the following standards:
• Moisture not more than 6.0 per cent by weight of
the undried sample
• Sodium chloride (NaCl) not less than 96.0 per
cent by weight on dry basis
• Matter insoluble in water not more than 1.0 per
cent by weight on dry basis
comparative test
28. 28 •
• Matter soluble in water other than sodium
chloride not more than 3.0 per cent by weight on
dry basis
It should have iodine content:
• Not less than 30 parts per million on dry weight
basis at manufacture level
• Not less than 15 parts per million on dry weight
basis and distribution channel including retail
Also, the total matter insoluble in water – where
an anti-caking agent has been added – should not
exceed 2.2 per cent. Sodium chloride content on dry
basis should not be less than 97.0 per cent by weight.
Standards for Low Sodium Salt
It is a specially formulated salt that provides lower
sodium than ordinary salt by partial replacement of
sodium chloride with potassium, magnesium and
calcium compounds. It is generally consumed by
people with symptoms of hypertension and high
blood pressure.
There are no specifications for low sodium salt in
Food Safety and Standards (Food Product – Standards
and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011. Hence it is
being sold as ‘proprietary food’.
Standards for Iron-Fortified Salt
As per Food Safety and Standards (Food Product
– Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011,
iron-fortified common salt means a crystalline solid,
white or pale, pink or light grey in colour, free from
visible contamination with clay and other extraneous
adulterants and impurities.
It shall conform to the following standards:
• Moisture not more than 5.0 per cent by weight
• Water-insoluble matter not more than 1.0 per
cent on dry weight basis
• NaCl not less than 96.5 per cent by weight on dry
weight basis
• Matter insoluble in dilute HCl not more than
3.0 per cent by weight on dry weight basis (to be
determined by the method specified in IS 253-
1970)
• Matter soluble in water other than NaCl not more
than 2.5 per cent on dry weight basis
• Iron (Fe) content 850–1,100 parts per million
• Phosphorous as inorganic (PO4) 1,500–2,000
parts per million
• Sulphate as (SO4) not more than 1.1 per cent by
weight
• Magnesium as (Mg) water soluble not more than
0.10 per cent by weight
• pH value in 5 per cent aqueous solution 2 to 3.5
The total matter insoluble in water where an anti-
caking agent has been added shall not exceed 2.2 per
cent on dry weight basis.
And the Test
Consumer Voice randomly bought packets of salt
brands available across retail shops in Delhi and
NCR markets. These packets were sent to an NABL-
accredited laboratory to see if they conformed to the
set standards and also provided what they claimed.
Results and Analysis: Highlights
Catch is the only brand that failed the sodium
chloride test. It did not have the legally required
The ‘iodine’ in salt
Iodine is a trace mineral that makes thyroid
hormones, which are essential for normal
growth and development of human body.
About 70–80 per cent of iodine is found in
the thyroid gland in the neck and the rest is
distributed throughout the body, particularly in
the muscles and blood.
If our body does not have enough iodine,
hypothyroidism – low thyroid hormone levels –
can be developed. Symptoms of hypothyroidism
include sluggishness or fatigue, weight gain, dry
skin, and sensitivity to temperature changes. In
infants and children, hypothyroidism can affect
physical and mental development. Some people
with hypothyroidism develop an extremely
large thyroid, known as goitre.
Deficiency of iodine can cause diseases
like mental retardation, goitre and cretinism.
Iodized salt has proven to be the most effective
means of providing one with consistent levels
of iodine capable of eliminating these terrible
diseases.
As per the notification dated 27 May 2005
of the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA)
Rules, 1955, there is ban on the sale of non-
iodized salt for human consumption.
comparative test
29. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 29
quantity – 97 per cent – of sodium chloride.
While we were discussing whether a lesser
quantity of sodium chloride should be that
big an issue, the results of the iodine test left
us more surprised. Rajdhani, one of the most
popular brands in retail stores, had failed the
test.
The iodine content in Rajdhani salt was a
mere 11.2 ppm (mg/kg), but legally it should
have been more than 15 ppm.
Results and Analysis: Highlights
Catch is the only brand that failed the
sodium chloride test. It did not have the legally
required quantity – 97 per cent – of sodium
chloride.
While we were discussing whether a
lesser quantity of sodium chloride should be that big
an issue, the results of the iodine test left us more
surprised. Rajdhani, one of the most popular brands
in retail stores, had failed the test.
BRANDS TESTED
Iodized Salt Low-Sodium Salt Iodine and Iron-Fortified Salt
Aashirvaad
Catch
Good Health
I-Shakti
Nirma
Patanjali
Rajdhani
Reliance (two labels: Pure Salt
and Select)
Tata Salt
Ujala
Saffola Salt Plus
Tata Salt Lite
Tata Salt Plus (Iron + Iodine)
Best Buy: Nirma
The cheapest and the best salt costs a mere Rs 10, the lowest among all brands. Nirma
topped laboratory testing in terms of sodium chloride and iodine content.
Bad Buy: Rajdhani
At Rs 16, Rajdhani failed in laboratory testing in iodine content. It had only 11.2 ppm
of iodine – lesser than the legally required 15 ppm. The brand, however, passed in the test
for sodium chloride content.
The iodine content in Rajdhani salt was a mere
11.2 ppm (mg/kg), but legally it should have been
more than 15 ppm.
Salt
30. 30 •
Iodine and Iron-Fortified Salt
Tata Salt Plus (iron + iodine) is the only double fortified salt available in Delhi and NCR
markets. It passed laboratory tests for sodium chloride (more than 96.5 per cent) and iodine
(more than 15 ppm) content. In nutrition information on the label, it claims to have 850
ppm iron (legally it is required to be 850–1,100 ppm).
MRP: Rs 20 per one-kilogram pack
Brands → Tata
Salt
I-Shakti Ujala Reliance
Pure
Reliance
Select
Sodium
Chloride
(percentage)
99.69 99.94 99.96 99.94 99.63
Iodine
(ppm)
32.8 33.9 30.7 30.2 43.4
Net Weight (in
kg)
1 1 1 1 1
MRP (in Rs) 16 14 14 16 16
Sodium Chloride Percentage, Iodine Content, Weight and Price of Iodized Salt Brands
Brands → Tata Salt Lite Saffola Salt Plus
*Salt Percentage (Claimed) 84.40 89.73
Salt Percentage (Found) 87.24 89.02
Iodine Claimed (ppm) Not less than 15 30
Iodine Found (ppm) 38.1 46.6
MRP (in Rs) 25 21
Net Weight (in kg) 1 1
Salt percentage, Iodine Content, MRP and Net Weight of Low-Sodium Salt brands
*Converted from sodium; 1 gram sodium equals to 2.542 grams salt
comparative test
31. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 31
Aashirvaad Catch Nirma Good
Health
Patanjali Rajdhani
99.12 88.39 99.89 99.39 99.49 99.96
32.8 34.9 96.3 30.7 30.7 11.2
1 0.200 1 1 1 1
16 25 10 16 12 16
Get Your Salt Act Together – Too Much Is Too Bad
I
f Gandhi could see what we have done with
the liberty to manufacture and consume salt
ourselves, he may, well, regret walking naked
for 240 miles leading to the Salt Satyagraha
protesting against the British monopoly on salt.
Is it because it is so cheap and so easily available that
we are consuming it in much (too, too much) more
quantity than is required, without second thoughts?
Or is it sheer innocence/ignorance?
In New York City, restaurants have voluntarily
offered to reduce salt content in food. In England,
the government has started a mandatory traffic light
system that warns consumers about salt content
in all packaged foods. The salt content is shown in
symbols – specifically red, amber and green, where
green means low quantity of salt and red means high.
World Health Organization (WHO) has already set
a global target of 10 per cent relative reduction in
population-level salt intake over the next five years
and 30 per cent reduction by 2025. In India, the salt
talk has just begun, and low-sodium salts have made
their first appearances on retail shelves.
How much is too much?
If you eat three meals a day and also munch on
packed salty snacks as well as peck on those street-
side delicacies and quick-delivery junk foods, you are
certainly over-consuming salt and could already be an
undiagnosed victim of hypertension – if not of other
worse forms of diseases that over-intake of salt can
cause.
The secondary research done while writing this
article suggests that we will soon see social campaigns
urging people to ‘consume less salt’ – just along the
lines of ‘burn less fuel’. Most of us do not realize that
the amount of salt we consume – mostly without
realizing that we are eating salt – is putting our health
at risk. Quite strange, isn’t it, that an element whose
primary purpose is merely to preserve the flavour of
the food is being consumed by the body almost every
time one eats something!
Being a main source of sodium, a small amount of
salt is very important for good health. Yes, strictly in
‘small’ amounts, as it helps in maintaining the correct
volume of circulating blood and tissue fluids in the
Salt
32. 32 •
body. But when consumed in large amounts, salt
makes this ‘correct volume’ its first victim. Actually,
when the salt levels are too high in the body, kidneys
cannot keep up and let salt enter one’s bloodstream
and creates hypertension in the body. Too much salt
in the blood also causes water retention as salt draws
more water into the blood. This further raises the
blood pressure.
Recommended daily requirements of sodium/salt
World Health Organization recommends less than
five grams (about one teaspoon) of salt per person
per day. National Institute of Nutrition (NIN),
Hyderabad, has recommended daily intake of sodium
for both genders as per age groups.
Salt is basically 40 per cent sodium and 60 per cent
chloride. The sodium portion of salt is associated with
high blood pressure. The adequate intake for sodium
is 1,500 milligrams for adults. Experts recommend
that adults should consume less than six grams of
salt, which include all salt and sodium consumed,
including that used in cooking and at the table.
Recommended daily intake of sodium (as per
National Institute of Nutrition)
Group Sodium
(Gram/Day)
Salt*(Gram/
Day)
Men 2.092 5.318
Women 1.902 4.835
Infants (0–6
months)
0.407 1.035
Children (1
year–3 years)
0.589 1.497
Children (4
year–6 years)
1.005 2.555
*Converted from sodium; one gram of sodium equals
2.542 grams of salt
Salt–Sodium Conversions
• ¼ teaspoon of salt = 500milligrams of
sodium
• ½ teaspoon of salt = 1,000milligrams of
sodium
• ¾ teaspoon of salt = 1,500milligrams of
sodium
• 1 teaspoon of salt = 2,000 milligrams of
sodium
In India, daily salt consumption ranges
from less than 5 grams to 30 grams in different
states, with almost 40 per cent of families
consuming 10 grams.
Source: National Institute of Nutrition,
Hyderabad
comparative test
33. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 33
How less is too less?
If too much salt is lost, the level of fluid in the
blood drops and causes hyponatremia – a condition
that occurs when the sodium in your blood falls below
the normal range of 135–145 milliequivalent per litre
(mEq/L). In severe cases, low sodium levels in the
body can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting
and dizziness, and in extreme cases, which is a rarity,
coma and death.
The body loses salt only through urine and
perspiration as well as vomiting and diarrhoea; hence,
a sudden severe salt loss is very unlikely to happen.
Moreover, our diets contain more than the required
quantities of salt. The only time abnormal salt loss
may occur is when someone has acute gastroenteritis
(causing vomiting and diarrhoea), severe sweating, or
water intoxication (from drinking too much water).
You can—no, must
Did you know that one of the easiest, most reliable
ways to make food taste richer is to add a bit more
than the required quantity of salt? Therefore, most of
the salt comes from prepared foods – like readymade
breads, canned and frozen food, ready-to-eat breakfast
cereals and cheese – as well as restaurants, dhabas and
roadside chaat and golgappa walas. How about eating
more at home and meeting the chef at restaurant to
say you eat less salt?
Switching to low-sodium salts can be the first
move towards cutting down the daily sodium intake,
but it cannot be the only option, said Dr K Damayanti,
senior research associate, National Institute of
Nutrition (NIN), in conversation with Consumer
Voice. She explained that most low-sodium salts
had just 15 per cent lesser sodium than table salt – a
marginal difference. Moreover, sometimes people use
low-sodium salt in little more than the usual measure
to make up for the less salty taste.
Commenting on double fortified salt, Dr
Damayanti said that double fortified salt was useful
for daily consumption to tackle common nutritional
problems like anaemia and iodine deficiency.
However, salt alone cannot increase haemoglobin
levels and is not for therapeutic purposes. Yet, regular
consumption of iron-fortified salt helps to maintain
iron levels.
Salt around you
Salt is just there, right before you. Hence, it
is on you to decide whether you want to eat it or
not. Keep your eyes and decision-making mind
charged up when you see:
a) Processed and prepared foods. Many
processed and convenience foods, preserved
foods and sun-dried foods as well as canned
foods contribute to higher intakes of salt.
b) Natural diets. Sodium content in natural
diets in general will be about 300mg–400 mg
a day. Cereals, pulses, vegetables, milk and
animal and sea foods are the major sources
of sodium.
c) Salt in the kitchen and at the table. Why is
it also called table salt when it should not
be eaten at the table? Do not sprinkle just
because it is there.
Alternatives
Lemon is an interesting alternative to salt.
Ask an old, experienced woman and she will tell
which flavouring herbs and spices work well. Low
sodium salt is compromising, yet an alternative.
It does have a bitter aftertaste, especially when
heated, and so is not recommended for cooking.
Some companies add L-lysine, a common amino
acid, to mask or neutralize the bitter taste.
Sodium-free substitutes contain 100 per cent
potassium chloride, while ‘lite’ salts replace up
to half of the table salt with potassium chloride.
More that you may do to keep a check
• Develop a taste for foods without salt or those
that are low in salt.
• Restrict intake of preserved and processed
foods like papads, pickles, sauces, salted
biscuits, chips, nuts and cheese.
• Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits to get your
intake of adequate potassium.
• Read labels on food to check salt contents.
• Check salt contents in cooking sauces such as
soy sauce and ready-mix seasonings as some
of these are very high in salt.
• Eat more at home.
Salt
34. 34 •
The Himalayas Need You to Travel
Thanks to our television channels we have been able to see the power of our much-needed
monsoons. All of us have been moved by the unfolding scenes in Uttarakhand and we want
to do something. Many of you will be giving directly – money or things or time. I would like to
suggest another way to contribute – by helping to support livelihoods in the region.
Gouthami, CEO and co-founder, Travel Another India
‘Give a family a fish and you feed them for a day.
Teach them to fish and you feed them a lifetime.’
E
very time there is a disaster, there is a
lot of attention to the immediate losses
that people face – to life, to property.
The images that come out of the region
are always heartrending. Whether it was
the Kutch earthquake in 2001, the tsunami that
devastated the Coramandel Coast in 2004, or whether
it comes to the annual floods in Assam, the cyclones
that ravage our coast annually, or the droughts that
affect royal Rajasthan – the focus is on the immediate.
Very little attention and effort goes into dealing with
what happens in the long term; how do people come
out of their tragedy; how do they revive the work that
they were doing before the disaster struck.
In Rajasthan, a large part of livelihoods in the
desert villages is from cattle. I have been invited into
homes and offered milk while water was scarce. The
cattle to human ratio in those villages is 3:1. So when
there is a drought, it is not enough to help people
survive – they need their cattle to survive as well.
The bond between the people and their cattle is best
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
35. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 35
brought out in their daily struggle for water. Women
will go long distance to fetch water for their families
as well as their cattle. Any effort to help these families
during a drought cannot exclude the cattle.
Even As the Floods Come
India is a disaster-prone country. The disaster map
of India is quite scary to look at. Yet, life continues
because it must. We are a resilient people and over
the centuries we have become better at mitigating
the risks that these disasters pose. Look close at the
livelihoods pattern in any part of our country and it
is always varied.
A poor or lower middle-class rural family in
India does not depend on one income source. They
will move from one to the other through the year
so as to make ends meet. In urban parlance, they
are spreading their risk. The more the options they
have, the better they are likely to make their ends
meet. And tourism is one such important and well-
paying option in much of India. It is very seasonal
and influenced by the most far-fetched scenarios. So
it is very high-risk for those who are involved in it.
A bomb blast in Mumbai is enough to halve foreign
visitors to Goa. The plague in Surat was enough to
affect tourism all over India.
Yet, for many people involved at the lower end
of it, there is no option. Think of the guides, taxi
drivers, porters, boatsmen, craftspeople, small business
owners, mule owners, etc.
The Himalayan range that stretches from
Kashmir and Ladakh in the north of India to the
easternmost tip of the country, across 12 states, is one
of the hubs of tourism in India. The impact of the
‘Himalayan tsunami’ has been in about four districts
in Uttarakhand, but the impact on livelihoods is
being felt in about five states! The losses have been
huge and the debates around whether they could
have been prevented will go on. However, we can
make sure that the rest of the Himalayas do not suffer
because of this.
The entire state of Uttarakhand is NOT
underwater or swept away. The flash flood has affected
a few areas – Badrinath, Kedarnath region, parts of
Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh. It is mostly the remote
rural areas that have been affected. Popular tourist
destinations like Mussoorie, Dhanaulti, Nainital and
Ranikhet are fine.
There are two distinct regions in Uttarakhand:
to The Himalayas
36. 36 •
Kumaon and Garhwal. It is pockets of Garhwal
(Badrinath, Kedarnath and Uttarkashi) that have
been ravaged by the floods, with small rural pockets
in Pithoragarh in Kumaon being affected too. Use
Google Earth to check out where the affected regions
are. The capital city Dehradun is about 200 kilometres
away from the disaster area.
It is perfectly safe to travel to
tourist destinations – there is just
no need to unnecessarily cancel
vacations planned there. Livelihoods
there are at stake. Your hotel/
guesthouse in Kumaon will give you
all the information you need.
You need to take the usual normal
precautions that you always take
while travelling in the mountains –
check weather forecasts, check routes
and check local conditions with your
hotel.
While there has been some
damage in the Kinnaur region
of Himachal Pradesh, the higher
plateaus of Spiti and Ladakh are fine. Again, don’t
cancel your vacations there – you will hurt livelihoods
badly.
‘Business here has suffered immensely as the
entire state has been labelled as a disaster zone. The
truth is that roads are functional and schools are
open. Life is as normal as it gets. Small businesses
and service providers are the ones who have taken a
major hit in this unaffected area. Please spread the
message that to travel to our parts is completely safe.
All of us need some tourists coming our way!’ pleads
Ashish Arora of The Himalayan
Village, Sonapani.
The Himalayas are a tourist
haven during the summer months
and usually in the monsoons as well.
Uttarakhand is the most accessible
state from Delhi – so tourism does
provide a large chunk of income to
this state. You will extend help for a
much longer term and with dignity
to the affected people by supporting
their livelihoods when you do not
cancel your travel to the region. For
each job supported in the tourism
sector, more than three jobs get
supported in other allied sectors.
Finally, none of us wants the
tragedy of one region to become a tragedy for a
larger region.
Travel Another India works with rural communities
to set up accessible destinations that make you, your hosts
and the earth happy.
You need to take
the usual normal
precautions that you
always take while
travelling in the
mountains – check
weather forecasts,
check routes and check
local conditions with
your hotel.
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
37. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 37
Misleading Ads
Despite Court Orders against Unfair Practice
A few days ago, a traffic cop stopped a friend’s car and asked him to produce his driving
license to challlan him for ‘forgetting’ to wear the seatbelt. The gentlemen requested the cop
to let him go as he had violated the law by mistake and promised to never do that again. He
was sure that the interest of the police was in stopping offences rather than making money
from fines. Indeed, the cop smiled and allowed him to go with a warning to remember his
promise to abide by the law.
N
ow, what would you have thought of
the cop if he had said this: ‘You can
break the law as many times as you
want as long as you pay the fine.’
Absurd, isn’t it? Well, that is how it
is happening – in another context, though – across
many courts in India.
In cases of misleading ads, the court often terms
these as ‘unfair practice’ under Consumer Protection
Act and orders a compensation for the misled party.
The judgement, however, is only limited to the
compensation. The court does not ask the ad to be
removed or discontinued and does not warn or set
any future condition for the advertiser. No landmark
judgement and no benchmark decisions have been
made as far as cases of misleading ads are concerned.
Compensation is paid to the complainant as per
court orders, but the same ad continues to mislead
other people. In some cases, especially the ones against
beauty clinics or slimming and weight-loss centres
that promise to change your looks in a few weeks,
the owners or the representatives of the company do
legal matters
38. 38 •
not even appear in the court. The ex-parte decisions/
judgementsaremadeandtheconvictedpartiesareonly
made to compensate the complainant. Apparently,
this is exactly what these companies
want. They do not want to answer
any question. They do not want to
comment upon the content of their
ads – they know it is incorrect and do
not want to admit the same in court.
Hence, they prefer to pay a fine to
one of the thousands they dupe and
continue with business as usual.
In cases where consumer courts do
ask the advertiser to stop their ads,
the order is not implemented and
consumer redressal forums have
neither power nor resources to keep
check on such practices.
Just the Other Day
On 5 April 2013, the Supreme
Court pronounced a judgement in
the Bhanwar Kanwar versus RK
Gupta and Others case.
The case was about Neeraj Clinic
Private Limited, located in Rishikesh,
Uttarakhand. The clinic had been making big claims
in its ads in the Hindi daily Jansatta (an ad dated 8
August 1993 is proof in this case). In these ads, the
clinic claimed to have fully cured the patients who
suffered from fits (epileptic seizure) through their
ayurvedic treatment. The treatment was done by one
Dr RKGupta.
The brief facts in the case before the National
Commission are described here. The complainant’s
son Prashant had fits during high fever and lured by
the said ads, he contacted the clinic for treatment.
Dr Gupta gave medicines assuring that they were
a unique ayurvedic formula with a combination
of hundreds of herbs. After consumption of the
medicines, the condition of the
child worsened. The fits became
regular and now occurred even
when the child did not have fever.
The complainant got the medicines
tested and found that the medicines
were not any herbal combination
but an allopathic prescription drug
called selgin, which is not meant to
be given to children.
Moreover, the doctor was
not authorized to prescribe any
allopathic medicine as he was
not registered with any medical
council. No registration number
was provided by the treating doctor
at any stage during the proceedings
before the National Commission.
The medicines were sent for a
laboratory test to Shri Ram Institute
for Industrial Research, New Delhi,
to verify the above findings.
National Commission held Dr
RK Gupta guilty for unfair trade practice by giving
false and misleading ads and slapped a compensation
of five lakh rupees, of which half the amount (Rs 2.50
lakh) was to be given to the consumer welfare fund.
The complainant took the matter to Supreme
Court requesting enhancement of compensation. The
Supreme Court enhanced the compensation from
five lakh rupees to fifteen lakh rupees and directed it
to be paid only to the consumer, thereby quashing the
commission’s order that half the amount be given to
consumer welfare fund.
A Missing Point
In the above case, the consumer
hadwonandthequackwaspenalized.
However, the orders of the National
Commission or even the Supreme
Court missed a significant point:
none of them directed the clinic to
stop advertising in the future. Yes,
the court did say that they engaged
in unfair practice, but it failed to
make an order that would put an
Apparently, this is
exactly what these
companies want.
They do not want
to comment upon
the content of their
ads – they know it is
incorrect and do not
want to admit the same
in court. Hence, they
prefer to pay a fine to
one of the thousands
they dupe and continue
with business as usual.
legal matters
39. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 39
end to that unfair practice.
This is where we need to raise a voice. Yes,
compensation is important, but we cannot let such
quacks or any business – be it a next-door beauty
clinic or a global brand – to continue to mock a
system by paying billions for misleading ads and then
getting away with the same by paying a few hundred
thousand bucks as compensation.
ASCI without Paws and Jaws
Many of us know about a self-regulatory body
called Advertising Standards Council of India
(ASCI), which has adopted a ‘Code for Self-
Regulation in Advertising’. It is a commitment
to honest advertising and fair competition in the
marketplace. It says that it stands
fortheprotectionofthelegitimate
interests of consumers and all
concerned with advertising –
advertisers, media, agencies and
others who help in the creation
or placement of advertisements.
The council keeps making
recommendations to advertisers
and also has a huge list of banned
ads. While many of its respective
partners as well as the major cor-
porate groups respect and adhere
to its guidelines, many others
turn a blind eye to it and, unfor-
tunately, ASCI cannot do anything about it as it
is an autonomous body without any backing of the
government.
Here, it becomes important for welfare
organizations to ensure that fair and meaningful
judgements are made against the misleading
advertisers wherein they not only get penalized but
their unfair business or at least their misleading ads
get dumped as well. Maybe an amendment in the
‘unfair practices’ clause in Consumer Protection
Act will help. Also, it is time that the smart and
aware consumer, who understands that a particular
ad is misleading, starts pointing (if required, poking)
a finger at the makers and promoters of misleading
advertisements.
And now the good news: Supreme Court
stands by consumers in electricity matters.
Here is the latest judgement by the Supreme
Court in electricity matters, empowering the
consumer forums and allowing them to handle all
cases related to power companies as far as matters
relating to deficiency in services are concerned.
InUPPowerCorporationLtdandOthersversus
Anis Ahmad with other eight cases, judgement
dated July 1, 2013, the Supreme Court held:
1. Sections 173, 174 and 175 do not bar the
consumer forums from adjudicating the
electricity matters as far as deficiency in services
is concerned. Section 3 of the Consumer
Protection Act provides an additional remedy
to the consumers.
2. In case of inconsistency between the Electricity
Act 2003 and the Consumer Protection Act
1986, the provisions of Consumer Protection
Act will prevail where issue of deficiency in
services is concerned.
3. Electricity matters are covered under Consumer
Protection Act and consumer courts can now
hear all issues except for theft and misuse
matters.
4. Assessment made by the assessment officer
under Section 126 of the Act (unauthorized
use of electricity) can be challenged before the
special courts/authority constituted under the
Electricity Act under Section 127 of their Act.
Misleading Ads
40. 40 •
Apps that Keep a Tab on Expenses
When a smart software developer learnt that mostly mothers, wives and girlfriends as well as
loyal accountants managed most of the expenses of most people in most parts of the world,
he worked upon the idea of automating this ‘expense’ business. Thus, another smartphone
app was born.
Here’s a list of some popular apps that can manage your regular finances and save you significant time and,
of course, the hassle of counting money in the wallet and checking balance in the bank account.
All of these apps:
• are free to download
• are available for multiple OS, Android being one of them
• can track all kinds of expenses, preferably liabilities and recoveries
• save/export/import data to other devices and/or the cloud
• are easy to use by the layman
While the detailed features of all the applications are given below, Consumer Voice recommends
HELLO EXPENSE for non-travellers. This app is simplest in terms of usability and intelligent enough
for complex budgeting.
For more detailed expense management MONEYWISE is Consumer Voice’s recommendation. It
is an easy-to-use app and does not require going through the tiring process of registering online and
remembering yet another login ID and password for another website.
this is it
41. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 41
EXPENSE MANAGER
Developed by: Bishinews
OS: Android
With clear and large buttons, this app provides easy usability and also helps in creating a list of
vendors and expense categories. It keeps track of income vis-à-vis expenses on weekly, monthly and
yearly basis. Alerts for due payments and screenshots of receipts and multiple accounts management as
well as multiple currencies’ calculations make expense management a lot easier.
Supported features
• Tracking expenses and incomes by week, month and year as well as by categories
• Multiple accounts in multiple currencies
• Schedule the payments and recurring payments
• Take a picture of receipt
• Payment alerts
• Budget by day, week, month and year
• Search and reports
• Import and export account activities
in CSV for desktop software
• Dropbox and SD card backup
• Customize expense categories, payer/
payee, payment methods, date format,
white or black background, button
style, etc.
• Account transfer
• Convenient tools such as calculator,
currency converter, tip calculator,
sales tax calculator and credit card
calculator
• Internet is required to retrieve currency exchange rate
• Camera permission is used to take picture of receipt
• All data can be saved on your phone or your Dropbox account
EXPENSIFY*
Developed by: Expensify
OS: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Palm
It is most suited for frequent travellers and credit/
debit card users. It recognises credit cards from all major
banks. You first need to register your card's online ID
and password to allow the app to make transactions, and
thereon it automatically imports your expenses paid as it
retrieves account information automatically.
*Expensify is currently not optimized for tablets.
Expenses apps
42. 42 •
MONEYWISE
Developed by: Handy North
OS: Android
It combines a modest design
with an influential functionality.
The app operates with Google's
Android 4.x design standards
whichcreatesacleanandintuitive
interface that's a pleasure to use.
Using Moneywise is simple.
Fill description and select a
category, like cash or credit,
projects and expense accounts.
Add a tag (private or work) just
like the way you want and type in
the amount.
Features
• User-friendly and easy to use
• Does not require Internet
access, there is no registration
• Multiple accounts/multiple budgets
• Weekly, biweekly and monthly budget
• Filter by categories and tags
• View by day/week/month/year
• Monitor account balances
• Mark transactions as cleared by the bank
• Change start date of budget months
• Export a backup of all data as email or to Dropbox
• Backup to SD card/export as CSV for Excel import/export as HTML
• Multiple currencies
• Easily configurable (date format, currency, text size)
Use Expensify on your device
• To log expenses
• Even better, Smart Scan will read your receipt images, fill out the expense details, and create a new
expense (or attach to an automatically imported bank/card transaction)
• Organize expenses with custom categories, tags, comments, and consolidate everything into reports
• Track mileage expenses via GPS or odometer entry, and add time or other billable expenses
• Sync your credit cards/bank accounts with Expensify to track expenses as they happen, without filling
out information manually
this is it
43. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 43
TOSHL FINANCE EXPENSE TRACKER
Developed by: Toshl
OS: Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows Phone, BlackBerry
With its clean and simple interface, all you need to do is set up a free account and set the default
currency. Then fix a one-time daily, weekly or monthly budget along with the date from which the budget
starts, and keep adding all your expenses
with relevant tags.
Features
• Tracks expenses and incomes
• Versatile budgeting
• Reminder for bills
• Family bills planning
• Loan repayment reminders
• Works with any currency
• Tracks travel budgets
• Syncs with multiple devices
• Manages multiple accounts
• Visualizes finances with infographics
• Exports reports into PDF, Excel, Google Docs and CSV
HELLO EXPENSE
Developed by: Alan L
OS: Android
The application welcomes you by greeting with a plain black-and-white form that has a small handful
of fields like date, expense amount and category, and any memo or tags you wish to add. If you need
advanced functions like chart generation, receipt capturing or multiple account support, you'll want
something more robust than Hello Expense. But if quick, basic recording and exporting is all that's on
your agenda, Hello Expense's simplicity is an asset you're bound to cherish.
Features
• Expenses/income management
• Custom category and currency
• Multi-currency and mileage
• View by category, day, week, or month
• Category pie chart
• Line graphs
• CSV, QIF export
• Backup/restore
• Bluetooth sync (beta)
– Hemant Upadhyay and Sapna Saini
Expenses apps
44. 44 •
Readers' Page
I have a group connection of 8–10 postpaid numbers of Vodafone. In December I had officially
mailed for reduction in credit limit of each connection mentioning the desired credit limits,
in order to minimize risk of misuse due to abnormally high and arbitrary credit limits set
unilaterally by the company. As per terms of closed user group (CUG), I am responsible for all
outstandings in my group. Despite my request, the company has doubled the credit limits since
then. What is the remedy?
In March my wife’s number in the same CUG showed GPRS charges of more than Rs 10,000,
with Rs 4,000 charged on a single day. GPRS is scarcely used and the previous month’s charges
were within Rs 100. Against request, Vodafone has refused to provide specific URLs and
usage time, and duration details stating that as per current specification they provide bills in
a standard format and there is no process where they can capture website and URL details.
Further, in December against credit limit of Rs 7,000 I requested Rs 2,000. Now it is Rs 17,000
and the inflated bill is Rs 12,000. What is the remedy?
Naveen Goenka
This is regarding a network problem with Tata Indicom connection. After 46 days of suffering
and continuous complaints to the company, I came to know that my town had been switched
off under some galaxy project of the company and I could not get network anymore. Am I
supposed to suffer for the company’s decision to discontinue services in my area?
Can the company provide me with another network connection on the same number, with
same balance/credit left in the number?
Sunil Kumar Choudhary
Consumer
Complaint
Consumer
Complaint
Consumer
Voice
Consumer
Voice
There are no regulations that make it mandatory for the service provider to increase
or decrease credit limit at the request of the customer. Similarly, there are no specific
regulations that require the service provider to capture website and URL details and
usage time, and furnish these to the customer.
You may send a written complaint regarding inflated bills to the appellate authority of
your circle (address, email, etc., are given on the bill as well as the Vodafone website).
You may narrate your problem including any documents in support of it as well as
docket number of any complaint lodged with customer care. Expect a reply within
seven days/resolution within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with the solution offered
by the company, then you may move the consumer court as the amounts involved
are fairly large.
Since you are not getting the network you can ask the company for mobile number
portability (MNP) by sending an SMS to 1900 in this format: PORT<space><your
mobile number>.
45. CONSUMER VOICE august 2013 • 45
Readers' Page
A mail cc’ed to Consumer Voice does it all
On 23 April, Anupama Purohit had complained to American Express about some vouchers that she
had received from them in return for points on her AMEX card.
All the vouchers were found to be invalid when she used them to buy an air ticket on Indigo airlines’
website. She also had to pay more for the ticket as she had to buy it with cash after two days.
She believed that she had been issued fraudulent vouchers for the points that she had earned through
incurring expenditure on her AMEX credit card. She kept following up with AMEX staff but could not
get a concrete response for 10 days.
Ms Purohit re-sent her complaint mail and this time marked Consumer Voice in carbon copy (CC).
This is what we heard from her on the same day:
Thank you for your assistance.
Today morning, almost immediately after I sent them that mail (in which you were copied), AMEX replied
with a resolution. Not only have they sent me the said vouchers, they have also refunded the difference amount I
paid for my ticket on Indigo.
It is amazing with even a CC to your office can work wonders... perhaps there is hope for the Indian
customer!
p.s.: Earlier too, I had been assisted by Consumer Voice to take on MakeMyTrip.com and had won my case
against them for fraudulent usage of my credit card.
We appreciate American Express’s quick revert and the regard it has for its consumers.
SUCCESS STORY
I took PNB Metlife policy five years ago and paid Rs 50,000 yearly and Rs 250,000 in total.
I surrendered the policy on 29 April 2013, the day it got matured. To my surprise, I received
only Rs 224,314. Leave alone the expected raise, I did not even get a simple interest or bonus
and lost money instead.
I wish to know:
1. Why I have been paid such a less amount?
2. Have I been cheated by the company as insurance agents had lured me into buying this
policy and created a bright picture of potential benefits?
Insurance companies make you sign a bundle of ‘terms and conditions’ papers that are just not
readable, but you are told they are just a formality—only to realize the mistake at the time of
maturity.
Triloknath Sreewasthawa
Consumer
Complaint
Consumer
Voice
We presume you have read the terms and conditions of the policy documents given by
the insurance company and if there is any provision for deduction from the matured
amount on some grounds. We cannot comment on the reasons of the deductions
without going through the terms and conditions of the policy. If you feel that the
deduction is in violation of policy, then you can send representation to grievance
redressal/customer care officer of the company.
46. 46 •
SPYGLASS
(1) No court fee is payable for filing a complaint as required in civil suit.
Sapient Corp Employees Provident Fund Trust v HDFC Bank Ltd, 1 (2011) CPJ 53 (NC)
(2) Once respondent had become owner of vehicle, appellants had no business to sell vehicle to third
party after issuance of ‘no objection’ certificate.
Libra Leasing Ltd v Gurmeet Singh, 1 (2013) CPJ 16 (NC)
(3) The insurance starts the moment the cheque is accepted.
LIC of India v CP Sinha, 1 (2013) CPJ 109 (NC)
(4) Interest should be just and reasonable – i.e., neither too high to give undue enrichment to
complainant nor too low/token so as to deprive complainant to his legitimate claim.
Guranna v Jeetendra, 1 (2013) CPJ 249 (NC)
(5) Manufacturing defect: The mere fact that the vehicle was taken to service station for one or two
times does not ipso facto prove manufacturing defect.
Sukhvinder Singh v Classic Automobile, 1 (2013) CPJ 47 (NC)
(6) Railway administration was well within its right to allocate reserved berths to other passengers who
sought berths.
Northern Railway v Amar Bhushan Verma, 1 (2013) CPJ 143 (NC)
(7) Personal injury
Right of legal heir to claim compensation: In a complaint for compensation for medical negligence,
right to sue survive in legal heirs who would be entitled to compensation.
Malnad Hospital and Institute of OSSSC v HC Eranna, 1(2013) CPJ 253
Theft of goods: Failure to check entry of unauthorized person in reserved compartment amounts to
negligence as the railway passenger has right to have his person and property protected by railway
during journey. When the complainant gave report to railway police it did not try to find out as to
what happened to article. Therefore the complainant was given compensation of Rs 72,000 towards
loss of value of goods.
Southern Central Railway v Suchi Singh, III (2012) CPJ 27 (AP SC DRC)
Compensation – quantum of compensation in medical negligence: Complainant should not value
claim which is highly overvalued. Compensation for medical negligence or deficiency in treatment
has to be commensurate with resultant loss and injury to the patient or his heirs.
Ramesh Kumar Sihan Hans @ Ramesh Kumar v Goyal Eye Institute, II (2012) CPJ 676
(NC)
LEGAL SNAPSHOT: MISCELLANEOUS
47.
48. BFSI & I
RNI No: 72366/99
Postal Regd. No. DL/(S)-01/3262/2012-14
Published on 2nd
of Every Month
Posted on 3rd
& 4th
of Every Month
