'Hello, are you looking to take a personal loan?'

It's happened to all of us at some time or other. You're attending an important meeting or running late for a social engagement and the phone rings.

"Hello sir, are you looking to take a personal loan?"

Or worse, you answer only to hear music playing at the other end of the line, because it's a call advertising ringtones from your cellphone service provider. AARRGH!

You can finally breathe a sigh of relief along with over 638 million other Indian mobile phone subscribers when the sun rises in the New Year.

Come January 1, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India [ Images ] will punish telemarketing companies that make unsolicited commercial calls or send SMSes.

The TRAI is set to impose a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh (Rs 250,000) on telemarketers who cross the line.

We'd like to hear from you -- write in to us with your most bizarre experiences of dealing with unsolicited calls and SMSes.

Drop us a line at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject line: 'My experience with telemarketers') and we'll publish the best responses right here on Rediff.com

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh