15 November 2023
Complaints from phone and internet consumers decreased 16.5 per cent in the last financial year ending 30 June 2023. In this period, consumers and small business made 66,388 complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, highlighted in the Annual Report 2022—23.
Complaints decreased by 10.6 percent compared to the previous quarter, and 20.4 percent compared to the same time last year. Complaints across all service types were down compared to the previous quarter. Internet complaints did not decrease at the same rate as other service types, decreasing only by 6 percent. All issues in the top ten except inadequate fault testing decreased compared to the previous quarter.
Telstra made up a proportion of 41.1 percent of all complaints, similar to the previous quarter. The proportion of complaints about Optus decreased from 27.3 percent to 24.9 percent compared to the previous quarter. Increases in complaints were recorded against Tangerine Telecom, Southern Phone and Uniti Retail.
The top three phone and internet problems faced by First Nations consumers and people who speak a language other than English are reflected in the national complaints picture – problems with customer service, problems with a bill and providers not doing what they say will do.
Nationally, the top five LGAs with the highest complaints were Brisbane (437), Gold Coast (263), Wyndham (226), Moreton Bay (208) and Central Coast (176).
Unresolved complaints are complaints or enquiry-referrals that the consumer tells us were not resolved after TIO referred them to the telco. Complaints that come back to the TIO as unresolved have increased 19.3 percent compared to the previous quarter. Telstra (41.6%), Optus (24.0%), Vodafone (7.4%) and Uniti Retail (3.1%) were the providers with the most unresolved complaints.
Escalated complaints are a subset of unresolved complaints that proceed to dispute resolution. Some unresolved complaints are not escalated since they are resolved before assigned to a case officer. Complaints that are escalated to dispute resolution have decreased 9.1 percent compared to the previous quarter, but increased by 6.2 percent compared to the same time last year.
The total financial outcome returned to residential consumers for the period was $484,884 and $205,209 returned to small businesses. Of the complaints that proceeded to dispute resolution, 56 percent of cases were closed within 60 days.
This section explains the finer points of our data and defines the terms we use in our reports.
Issues in complaints are recorded based on six broad categories that follow the lifecycle of a consumer’s relationship with their phone or internet provider. A single complaint can have more than one issue.
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