Repair delays

The TIO is often approached in relation to the repair of faults, with complainants seeking the TIO's assistance in expediting repairs.

The Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) and the Universal Service Obligation (USO) set minimum standards for phone companies in relation to the repair of standard telephone services. Where phone companies are still meeting these standards, the TIO will not, as a general rule, take up complaints about repair delays. An exception is where the complainant indicates they require access to a service for medical reasons and/or where Telstra, as the Universal Service Provider, is not meeting its obligations to provider an interim or alternative service within the timeframes set down by the USO.

Where a provider is not meeting the minimum timeframes set down by the CSG and/or the USO, the TIO will usually investigate. In raising a formal complaint, the TIO expects a provider to explain the reason for the delay and to give at least an estimated time for the repair. The TIO will also confirm the complainant's entitlement to receive CSG rebates and explore the possibility of providing an interim or alternative service - even where the USO does not apply. However, the TIO's ability to expedite repairs is limited as it is ultimately up to telephone companies to determine how their resources are allocated.

Claims for compensation for business loss incurred as a result of fault repair delays are handled in the same manner as other compensation claims. Refer to Compensation for business loss.

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