Search

Complaints as a proportion of telcos’ services in operation (SIO) dropped a further 15 per cent in the September quarter, according to the Telecommunications Complaints in Context report, released today.

The result for all participating providers, 5.5 complaints per 10,000 SIO, has decreased 15.4 per cent when compared to April-June 2015 (6.5) and 20.3 per cent when compared to July-September 2014 (6.9).

All industry participants’ complaints per 10,000 SIO decreased in the period. Telstra recorded its lowest result to date at 5.5.

See ACCAN's release: Retail registration scheme a must for Aussie Telcos

The telecommunications sector does not have a registration, authorisation, or licensing scheme for service providers that sell directly to consumers. Providers should be required to demonstrate they can satisfy the minimum capabilities required to deliver such an essential service to consumers in Australia. 

Complaints we receive about charges include claims that a consumer has been charged:

This important reform will ensure family violence victim survivors are protected in their dealings with their telco. For the telcos, an enforceable industry standard will give them certainty about the appropriate way to help customers experiencing family violence.

Quotes attributable to Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert:

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has welcomed the Australian Communications and Media Authority's (ACMA) direction to Sure Telecom Pty Ltd to comply with the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code.

The ACMA's investigation, which was commenced after advice from the TIO about possible non-compliance based on a TIO systemic investigation, found Sure Telecom had breached 19 clauses of the TCP Code.

The TIO spoke about publishing its systemic investigation report recommending stronger consumer protections through government-made regulation and a registration scheme for telcos. The TIO also shared insights from its Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (TCP) Review submission that pushed for 30 changes to the current code. Panel members were supportive of the TIO’s recommendations for essential consumer protections.

Minister for Communications, the Hon. Michelle Rowland today announced a new Standard to be made by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. According to the new rules, telcos will be required to meet minimum standards for communication with customers during an outage, a move that the TIO called for in the wake of the Optus outage last year.

Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said, “Telecommunication services are essential services – and when there is an outage, it’s imperative that customers receive timely and relevant information about their circumstances.”

Complaints we receive involving financial hardship include claims a telco:

Complaints we receive involving connection and disconnection of services include claims that:

Consumers who have experienced issues with streaming the FIFA World Cup using an Optus Sport subscription, should talk to Optus to resolve their complaint.

As the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman remit is to consider phone or internet services, it is unable to manage complaints about content, such as streaming services purchased through apps stores.