In a strange turn of events, Dale Bhagwagar, one of the most known publicists in India, has encountered a frustrating roadblock with the Truecaller app, the widely-used caller identification app. Dale, renowned for his high-profile clientele and influential media presence, has found himself unable to display his real name on the platform in its various sections, leading to a series of email exchanges with Truecaller’s support team.
Sharing his plight on social media, Dale described the issue about his name change, and mentioned that he contacted Truecaller’s support team to correct his name on the app after some miscreant changed his name and made it incorrect. To get things rectified, he even paid Truecaller and subscribed to its Truecaller Premium, the paid service, so that he could make the desired changes without facing further problems and issues.
But to his dismay, despite subscribing to Truecaller’s Premium services, Dale was met with technical difficulties and a persistent error message (422:2), preventing him from making the necessary changes in the ‘Name’, ‘Company’ as well as ‘Bio’ sections of Truecaller.
The initial response from Truecaller suggested that Dale update his profile through the app, assuring that changes would be reflected within 24 hours. However, this method proved ineffective for the PR expert and his problem persisted.
A subsequent response from Truecaller’s support, sent by a representative named Amy, astonishingly revealed that the system does not permit the use of the name “Dale” due to privacy constraints, suggesting instead that he use the initial of his second name.
Dale Bhagwagar, insisting on the legitimacy of his name, has offered to provide a copy of his official identification documents such as his Aadhaar Card or Passport to verify his identity. He has emphasized the importance of having his correct name displayed, citing his reputation and the potential impact on his professional credibility.
Dale is one of India’s most significant publicists. “For me to lose my real name on Truecaller will be a shame,” Dale wrote in his appeal to the support team, he revealed on his social media.
Despite his efforts and the offer to verify his identity through official documents, Dale’s plea has so far been met with resistance from Truecaller’s systems including automated chat systems. The situation remains unresolved, leaving one of India’s leading PR figures battling to reclaim his name on a platform relied upon by millions for accurate caller identification.
Dale Bhagwagar is one of India’s leading publicists and is widely recognized as Bollywood’s only PR guru. With 38 years of experience in news media, Dale is celebrated as the Father of Bollywood PR and the pioneer of Music PR in India.
His PR agency, Dale Bhagwagar Media Group, has managed PR for over 300 celebrities, including Hrithik Roshan, Shilpa Shetty and Priyanka Chopra, as well as over 30 films, including the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Don and the Farhan Akhtar-starrer Rock On. Dale has also handled crisis management for 20 contestants of Bigg Boss and has guided 21 students in their theses and dissertations on mass communications and PR.
As Dale’s story with Truecaller unfolds, it highlights a significant challenge in the digital age – the struggle to maintain one’s identity against rigid algorithms and automated systems. Whether Truecaller will accommodate Dale’s request remains to be seen as his struggle for identity on the Truecaller app has just begun.