Faults

This category generally relates to complaints about delays in rectifying ongoing or intermittent faults. It also incorporates missed appointments by service technicians, the erroneous disconnection of services and changes in coverage or availability of a service. Fault issues increased by 47% during 2008/09, and represent 11.5% of total complaint issues.

Complaints in this category often require the TIO to consider the applicability of the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG).

The CSG Standard is administered by the ACMA and confers performance obligations on providers of standard telephone services. The CSG sets time limits and other standards for rectification of faults, connections and appointments. The CSG entitles customers to a set scale of compensation payments if the standards are not met. To view or download a fact sheet on the CSG, please visit www.acma.gov.au.

Common complaints by consumers about faults were:

• they experienced an equipment fault for a non-CSG service (mobile or internet). Mobile handset faults formed a significant proportion of the types of complaints in this category
• their mobile service or internet service was fully unworkable
• their standard telephone service was fully unworkable
• they experienced drop outs on their internet or mobile service
• they experienced coverage difficulties with their mobile or internet service
• the data speed for their internet or mobile service was slow.

Fault issues by category

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