TIO annual report 2007/08

Case studies

Landline - disability

The complaint

Jenny has trouble gripping a handset for long periods and so she signed up for a landline service that offered a disability handset with SMS function. She discovered that she could not send SMS messages as she had a silent phone number.

Although the provider said it had told Jenny when the phone was installed that SMS was not available from silent phone numbers due to technical and privacy reasons, she denied being informed.

She said she would need the SMS function and a silent line as she had an abusive ex-husband who had made threatening calls. Jenny also asked for help with a $700 phone bill that was incurred by her schizophrenic son on her account.

TIO response

The provider confirmed to the TIO that SMS messages could not be sent from silent lines as the receiving phone service needed a number in order to respond. The TIO recommended to Jenny that she buy a pre-paid mobile service in order to send SMS, and also ensure her son did not incur unpayable bills on her behalf.

The outcome

The provider said even if it were possible to develop telephone networks that allowed SMS services with silent lines, it was under no obligation to provide a customer with one. As a gesture of goodwill, the provider offered Jenny a credit of $250 towards a pre-paid mobile that could be used to send SMS messages. It said the $700 phone bill was in fact $469 and arranged a $30 a week payment plan for the outstanding debt. The TIO believed these outcomes were a fair and reasonable compromise and recommended that Jenny accept the offer, which she did.

> NEXT. Case studies - mobile premium services