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Between January and December 2018, residential consumers and small businesses made 1,729 complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman about misleading conduct involving services delivered over the NBN.
The investigation into misleading telemarketing practices found high pressure sales tactics are being used to commit consumers and small businesses to phone and internet contracts they don’t want, don’t need, or can’t afford. The impact of these tactics is particularly felt by some older consumers who don’t use the internet at home.
The Board of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Limited today announced the appointment of Ms Judi Jones as the new Ombudsman.
Ms Jones will assume responsibilities in March 2016 and will succeed Mr Simon Cohen, who has taken up a senior role with the Victorian Government.
In making the announcement, Ms Patricia Faulkner AO, the Chair of the Board of the TIO, noted Ms Jones’ extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, management and the law and welcomed her to the role.
You can view and download our submission to Treasury in response to the ACCC Digital Platform Inquiry Final Paper via the link below:
During this time, we have worked with residential consumers, small businesses, and providers to resolve individual complaints as quickly as possible. We have also closely monitored the impact of the pandemic on phone and internet complaints.
We have seen telecommunications providers respond to a surge in customer demand and customer contacts – while managing the impacts on their own businesses from government restrictions and lockdowns.
A number of important developments involving the TIO have occurred recently. The first is the continuing reduction in the number of complaints by consumers about the services provided by telecommunications operators. This is to be welcomed, particularly if the reduction is for the right reasons.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), Simon Cohen, has cited credit management issues as a key problem area for the telecommunications industry, after the busiest quarter for new TIO complaints on record.
In the latest edition of TIO Talks, Mr Cohen reports on credit management issues where there was an 11.4 per cent increase in new complaints between January and March 2011.
This quarterly increase comes on the back of a 36 per cent increase in credit management issues last financial year.
This section explains the finer points of our data and defines the terms we use in our reports.
Complaints
Where we talk about complaints, these: