The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is closely monitoring a practice by some telemarketers that can mislead consumers into transferring their services to a new service provider, TIO Talks reports today.

Consumers have complained to the Ombudsman about telemarketers who represent themselves as acting on behalf of a large provider. The consumers say they unwittingly transfer their services to a company that in some cases they had never heard of.

Other issues highlighted in TIO Talks include:

• July – September complaint statistics: new complaints stabilised in the first quarter of 2011-12. The TIO received 51,196 new complaints, an increase of 0.8 per cent compared to the previous quarter.
• Financial hardship: some of the measures needed to prevent unaffordable debt, and to identify and deal fairly with consumers who are in hardship. 
• Tips for consumers to avoid unexpectedly high bills over the holiday season.

TIO Talks is available in PDF or HTML format at www.tio.com.au/publications/blog