The TIO received 23,367 complaints in the December quarter 2004, a 9.5 per cent increase on the September quarter.

Of these 10,353 (44.3 per cent) were related to landline services, 9,560 (40.9 per cent) were related to mobile services and 3,454 (14.80 per cent) were related to internet services.

Complaints about mobile services increased at the expense of the other two services, moving from 35.8 per cent of total complaints in the September quarter to 40.9 per cent.

Billing

The increase in billing complaints in the December quarter was more modest than that of the previous quarter where the rise in all three services was greater than the total complaints increase. Landline billing complaints rose 3.7 per cent, internet billing complaints rose 7.1 per cent and mobiles 19.5 per cent.

In landline services, the most significant billing complaint increase was in international data calls. Complaints rose by 107.5 per cent, from 530 to 1100.

In internet services, complaint numbers remained relatively consistent with previous quarters. A total of 39.3 per cent (48.5 per cent - Sept quarter) of all internet billing complaints related to dial-up services, 52.7 per cent (43.8 per cent) for xDSL and 4.0 per cent (5.4 per cent) for cable.

Mobile billing complaints have increased every quarter for the calendar year of 2004. CDMA complaints accounted for 30.3 per cent (21.2 per cent) of complaints with GSM complaints comprising 69.5 per cent (78.7 per cent).

Customer Service

The December 2004 quarter was a mixed bag in terms of customer service complaints. Mobile complaints increased by an astonishing 40.6 per cent, internet by a more moderate 12.4 per cent while landline complaints fell by 2.6 per cent.

The 40.6 per cent increase in mobile complaints follows a 37.3 per cent rise in the September quarter.

63.8 per cent (71.0 per cent - Sept quarter) of mobile customer service complaints relate to GSM services, with the remainder CDMA services.

In landline services, a large reduction in the Failure to Action Request category (from 749 to 605) was offset by slight increases in the Inadequate/Incorrect Advice, No Response to Correspondence and Wait Time categories.

Credit Control

Internet credit control complaints remained relatively static, while landline recorded a six per cent decrease. Mobile credit control complaints recorded more significant increases in most categories.

With internet services, the Debt Recovery category remains the greatest source of credit control complaints, accounting for 42.3 per cent (52 of 123). A total of 43.9 per cent of all internet credit control complaints related to dial up services (45.4 per cent Sept 2004) and 48.8 per cent for xDSL (48.8 per cent September 2004).

With landline services, there were reasonable decreases recorded in the Payment Arrangement category (complaints fell from 249 to 200) and the Debt Recovery category (complaints dropped from 747 to 669).

Mobile credit control complaint numbers continued their climb, recording an 17.9 per cent increase. CDMA complaints accounted for 19.7 per cent (17.1 per cent Sept 2004), with GSM recording 80.3 per cent (82.9 per cent Sept 2004).

The greatest source of complaint was Debt Recovery N/A GSM, which recorded 663 complaints (an increase of 100 complaints, or 17.8 per cent from the September 2004 quarter).

ACIF Code Breaches

The TIO recorded 1725 code breaches for the December 2004 quarter, an increase of 550 (or 46.8 per cent) from the September quarter.

570 Potential and 40 Confirmed breaches were logged against code signatories with 1017 Possible and 98 Established breaches being recorded against non-signatories.

The Billing Code accounted for the greatest number of breaches at 21.3 per cent (367) of all code breaches reported. The TIO also noted a significant increase in the number of Mobile Number Portability Code breaches, which rose from 27 to 58, a 92.6 per cent increase.

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