This is a complaint towards an Indian Real Estate website called MagicBricks.com http://www.magicbricks.com/. Since last night (Saturday 15/Sep) my wife started getting some sms related to some property. She deleted it considering it was one of the usual spam SMS that do the rounds.

This morning, Sunday 16/Sep, she started getting increasing number of calls / sms related to some unknown property on sale. When she asked the callers we found out that it was hosted on MagicBricks.com.

I searched the website and found the entry. We first tried to call the website's registered office number. There was no answer. I then contacted thei live help and their pathetic support is copied below.

What really irritated me was their insistence that this was a public website and anyone can register. I said that even the most technically backward website which has cell number registration has a process where the cell is sent an SMS with a registration / confirmation code. The recipient needs to authorize / permit usage. This can even be found on sms received from popular chat software like Yahoo / Rediff, etc.

Apparently this concept is very alien to MagicBricks. Next was when I wanted to talk to someone senior!! They refused to give me the name of their MD or any other senior!! How great is that!! I was finally given a name and number of a person called Sanjeev Kumar (it took me 15 mins to establish his designation). I was told that I will get a callback! Which never happened.

I repeatedly called this person and finally when he obliged by answering the call, he was a pathetic Manager! He kept apologizing and said he would get back. I had to explain to him that I am not interested in knowing what went wrong in this technologically challenged company. My Sunday was ruined and my intention is to ruin it for a Senior Person from MagicBricks.com. It was as simple as that.

Finally this person starts groveling and says that he is from an Outsource company which caters to Times Group which is hosting MagicBricks.com and that he is no adequately empowered, etc. He said that he would escalate this to Times Group and followup for resolution.

Tanu – Support Staff - 01244005688 - Registered number on website and hence not masking this number.
Nidhi – Support Staff
0-99XXXXXXXX – sanjeev kumar – Process Manager – switched off 1.46 pm 16/Sep MD: ???

Transcript of the chat with MagicBricks support. Please wait for a site operator to respond. You are now chatting with 'magicsupport'
magicsupport: Hello & Welcome to Magicbricks Live Help. How can I help you?
you: Please see PROPERTYID=1592537
you: The contact details belong to some other person who is getting harrassed with your nonsense sms and calls
magicsupport: Please wait
magicsupport: This Id is posted by you?
you: obviously not!!
magicsupport: Alrite
you: I have wasted 1 hour trying to search this crap on your website to find out where the hell is number posted
magicsupport: We regret for the inconvenience caused to you
you: Where can I call your MD?
magicsupport: I am de-activating this property Id
magicsupport: You will not receive any calls now
you: I need his/her number right now
magicsupport: This is public website
magicsupport: Anyone can input their properties
you: can you understand english?
you: this website is your property
magicsupport: Can you please provide your contact no?
you: if you cannot control why people enter, please shut it down immediately
you: its the number given on this stupid PROPERTY ID=1592537
you: can you call me right now?
magicsupport: We will arrange a call back for you
you: now
magicsupport: Yes
you: Can you pls give me the number of your MD? OR I m going to the police station right now
magicsupport: Please provide your contact no as the no given in Id is not responding
you: Which number are you trying?
magicsupport: 0982XXXXXXX.
you: The phone is next to me
you: don't you have STD?
you: if you are not in Mumbai
magicsupport: Please wait
you: waiting for sanjeev's call
magicsupport: Sure
you: now
you: he is not picking up his cell
magicsupport: Yes he will call you up within 10 minutes
you: will see
magicsupport: We will arrange a call back for you
you: now
you: i don't have the whole day to waste on your crappy company
magicsupport: I request you to please wait for 10 minutes
magicsupport: He will call you
you: Does anyone work in this company?
magicsupport: Yes sir
you: It does not look like that at all
magicsupport: Its not like that
you: never mind
you: I am just writing to Times Of India/ HT / Economic Times and will be going to he police after that
you: I just got 2 more calls from people who have seen this listing on your website
magicsupport: We request you to kindly wait
magicsupport: We will definitely arrange a call back for you
you: Do you think I am here to deal ONLY with your company???
magicsupport: I really apologize for the inconvenience caused to you

P.S. I never got a callback. I had to call the person.

I demand that MagicBricks suspend this SMS facility until they figure out such a seriously complex technology!! So that others are not similarly harassed. I am also tempted to charge them for mental harassment and cost due to waste of cell airtime when I was busy speaking to their 'Supervisor'!!!

What is your view/recommendation?

Regards,

Kini