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{{Short description|Indian company}}
{{COI|date=March 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Ringing Bells company
| logo =
| type = [[Private company limited by shares|Private]]
| founded = {{start date and age|2015|09|16|df=y}} in [[Noida]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]
| founders = Mohit Goel ([[Managing Director]])
| area_served = [[India]]
| key_people = Mohit Goel ([[Managing director]])
Ashok Chaddha (President)
| industry = [[Telecommunications]], [[Consumer electronics]]
| products = [[Mobile phone]]s <br /> [[Smartphone]]s <br /> [[LED]]s<br /> Accessories
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| location = [[Noida]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]
| homepage = {{URL|http://ringingbells.co.in|Ringing Bells}} (defunct)
}}

'''Ringing Bells Private Limited''' was a company based in [[Noida]] ([[India]]), registered on 16 September 2015.<ref name="dna-date">{{cite web | url=http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report-here-s-what-we-know-about-ringing-bells-the-company-behind-the-rs-500-smartphone-2178421 | title=Here's what we know about Ringing Bells--the company behind the Rs 251 smartphone | publisher=[[Daily News and Analysis|Daily News and Analysis (DNA)]] | date=2016-02-16 | accessdate=2016-02-18}}</ref><ref>Registration date, status, and the company CIN (U32204DL2015PTC285276) are for Indian companies obtained by running a query from the [[Ministry of Corporate Affairs|Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)]] page http://www.mca.gov.in/DCAPortalWeb/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710014658/http://www.mca.gov.in/DCAPortalWeb/ |date=10 July 2015 }}</ref> It was later described as a "[[ponzi scheme]]".<ref>{{cite news |title=Freedom 251 is a ponzi scam: BJP MP Kirit Somaiya |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/freedom-251-is-a-ponzi-scam-bjp-mp-kirit-somaiya/ |work=The Indian Express |agency=Indian Express |date=20 February 2016 |language=en}}</ref>

== Freedom 251 ==
{{main|Freedom 251}}
The [[company]] attracted attention when it announced the Freedom 251, a [[3G]]-based [[smartphone]], at a price of [[rupee|₹]] 251 which makes it the world's cheapest smartphone.
Ringing Bells MD, Mohit Goel, claimed on 16 December 2016 that the company has already delivered 70,000 phones and the remaining phones would be delivered soon.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://tech.firstpost.com/amp/news-analysis/70000-freedom-251-smartphones-delivered-to-customers-clarifies-ringing-bells-md-mohit-goel-353301.html|title=Ringing Bells to import first 50 lakh phones: Govt. official|last=Bhargava|first=Yuthika|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-03-14|language=en}}</ref>

==Controversies==
===Scam allegations===
There are suggestions that the Freedom 251 sale is a scam.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/here-s-why-the-freedom-251-might-be-the-scammiest-scam-of-2016_-250897.html|title=Here's Why The Freedom 251 Might Be The Scammiest Scam Of 2016|date=18 February 2016|website=indiatimes.com}}</ref> It is alleged that the phone looks like a Chinese phone with the original brand label covered with [[correction fluid|whitener]]. The icons shown on screen shots are copied from Apple's [[iPhone]]. MP [[Kirit Somaiya]] describes the offer as a "huge scam" and has asked the government of [[Uttar Pradesh]] to investigate.<ref>[http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/freedom-251-is-a-ponzi-scam-bjp-mp-kirit-somaiya/ "Freedom 251 is a ponzi scam: BJP MP Kirit Somaiya", ''Indian Express'', 20 February 2016]. Accessed 22 February 2016</ref>

As a result of these concerns, the payment gateway facilitator PayUBiz decided to withhold payment to Ringing Bells until the items were dispatched. In response, Ringing Bells stated that they would accept payment by cash-on-delivery for those customers who had placed orders but had been unable to make payment through the payment gateway before the offer closed.<ref>Tech Desk, [http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/ringing-bells-freedom-251-cash-on-delivery/ "Ringing Bells Freedom 251 now has cash on delivery option"], ''Indian Express'', 26 February 2016.</ref>

Ringing Bells has also been accused of fraud and non-payment of dues by its customer services provider Cyfuture.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/noida-based-bpo-cyfuture-files-police-complaint-against-ringing-bells/articleshow/51159346.cms|title=Noida-based BPO Cyfuture files police complaint against Ringing Bells|first=Danish|last=Khan|date=27 February 2016|newspaper=The Economic Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tech/freedom-251-maker-ringing-bells-now-accused-of-cheating-and-fraud-by-its-customer-service-provider-1208076.html|title=News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates|website=News18|access-date=9 March 2016|archive-date=15 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315131044/http://www.ibnlive.com/news/tech/freedom-251-maker-ringing-bells-now-accused-of-cheating-and-fraud-by-its-customer-service-provider-1208076.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/current/corporate/freedom-251-maker-ringing-bells-accused-of-fraud/story/229627.html|title=Freedom 251-maker Ringing Bells accused of fraud by its customer service provider|website=www.businesstoday.in|date=26 February 2016 }}</ref>

===Arrest of Mohit Goel===
Goel was detained on 24 February 2017 over fraud allegations, after the owner of Ghaziabad-based Ayam Enterprises filed an FIR alleging that Ringing Bells "defrauded" it of Rs. 16 lakhs.<ref name="goelrekt">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/tech/freedom-251-phone-ringing-bells-director-mohit-goel-detained-for-fraud/story-2IeBHycnvwkG5lYwx0XbPK.html|title=Mohit Goel, director of company that made Freedom 251 phones, detained for fraud|date=23 February 2017|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|accessdate=25 February 2017}}</ref><ref name="Vatsa">{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ringing-bells-freedom-251-cheapest-phone-maker-is-class-viii-fail-4542590/|title='Cheapest phone' maker Mohit Goel is Class VIII fail: Cops|last=Vatsa|first=Aditi|date=25 February 2017|work=[[The Indian Express]]|accessdate=25 February 2017}}</ref> Mohit Goel has been arrested on allegations of fraud. Several analysts have described the phone as a "[[ponzi scheme]]".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39074037|title=India police arrest 'world's cheapest smartphone' firm boss|date=2017-02-24|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-03-14|language=en-GB}}</ref> Goel was again arrested by the Delhi Police on 10 June 2018 for allegedly extorting money in lieu of settling a rape case.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/worlds-cheapest-smartphone-freedom-251-maker-ringing-bells-founder-mohit-goel-arrested-by-police/1200709/|title=World's cheapest smartphone 'Freedom 251' maker Ringing Bells founder Mohit Goel arrested by police|date=2018-06-10|work=The Financial Express|access-date=2018-06-10|language=en-US}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Corruption in India}}
{{Scams and confidence tricks}}

[[Category:Companies based in Noida]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 2015]]
[[Category:21st-century scandals]]
[[Category:Cover-ups]]
[[Category:Pyramid and Ponzi schemes]]
[[Category:Confidence tricks]]
[[Category:Corporate scandals]]
[[Category:Criminal investigation]]
[[Category:Deception]]
[[Category:Financial scandals]]
[[Category:Scandals in India]]
[[Category:2015 establishments in Uttar Pradesh]]

Ringing Bells Private Limited - Revision history

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