Recently, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has seen a trend of consumers reporting that they received an automated “robocall” telling them their internet and landline services will be disconnected due to the National Broadband Network.
Here’s one example of the automated call:
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) received 197,682 new complaints in 2010-11, an increase of almost 18 per cent on the previous year.
The 2011 TIO Annual Report, released online today, attributes the rise to mobile phone service faults and increased smart phones use.
“The record number of complaints made to the TIO is disappointing. Customers who have complained to us have been frustrated not only by mobile telephone problems, but also by deficient customer service and complaint handling,” Ombudsman Simon Cohen said.
Complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman decreased 16 per cent in July-September 2013, according to the latest issue of TIO Talks, released today.
The TIO recorded 35,756 new complaints. It has been almost six years since so few complaints were received in a quarter.
Complaints about mobile services decreased 19.9 per cent to 19,176. It’s the first quarter in more than three years that mobile complaints have dropped to less than 20,000. Complaints about coverage, the most common mobile user complaint, decreased 41 per cent to 4,068.
Between July 2020 and March 2022, the TIO received over 63,000 complaints about mobile services. While overall complaint numbers declined in that period, the proportion of mobile complaints increased. Complaint numbers about misleading conduct by a telco and unsuitable payment options were higher for mobile services than for internet, landline and multiple services combined.
Since July 2016, the proportion of complaints from small businesses to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has steadily increased. At the end of the last financial year that proportion was 14.7 per cent with more than 19,000 complaints from small businesses about their phone and internet services. Many of these were complex, difficult to resolve and had a significant impact on small businesses.
The investigation into the causes of these complaints found:
Peter joins the Board as a Director with Consumer Experience, replacing Gerard Brody who resigned on 15 August 2024.
The full report can be downloaded here: Loss of telephone numbers during migration to the NBN
What is the SIP Regime?
The SIP regime came into effect on 1 July 2020. Its purpose is to support the Universal Service Guarantee, which aims to ensure people across Australia have access to broadband and voice services.
What is a Statutory Infrastructure Provider (SIP)
A SIP is a carrier designated for a particular area under the SIP rules. These rules set out key obligations for the SIP to connect and supply services at minimum speed.