The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) and Exetel Pty Ltd have reached an agreement following mediation in proceedings brought by the service provider against the alternative dispute resolution scheme, the TIO announced today.
The proceedings related to 114 complaints about the service provider logged with the TIO by consumers. The service provider had sought compensation claiming the cases were misclassified by the TIO.
The matter was settled with no payments made by the TIO.
In effect from 1 July 2025
The TIO expects providers to thoroughly investigate privacy issues and be transparent with people about the results.
When someone’s information is wrong or shared without consent, it causes stress, anxiety and can put people at risk. People should also have easy access to their personal information.
Good industry practice encourages providers to listen to people’s privacy concerns and take action that addresses the cause and reassures the person affected.
The TIO’s Good Industry Practice Guide on Privacy covers:
In March 2020, we established a consumer panel to provide us with access to diverse consumer perspectives to inform our work.
The purpose of the Consumer Panel is to provide us with feedback about the individual and small business consumer experience of phone and internet services and products, and how we handle complaints.
The insights gained will also help us inform our members, internet and phone providers, about current consumer issues about dispute resolution.
A second version of Responding to Customers in Financial Hardship: Principles and Practices for Telecommunications Service Providers was released today following a consultative process including telecommunications industry and financial counselling representatives with the assistance of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), providing agreement on how the two parties will share information on compliance with consumer law and systemic issues.
The investigation reviewed the data from just over 8,000 financial hardship complaints received between July 2018 and March 2021. Most complaints were from consumers who said they were financially vulnerable or that their provider was not taking enough action to support consumers experiencing vulnerability.
The Independent Review into the Telecommunication Industry Ombudsman recommends the organisation strengthens its role investigating systemic issues within the telecommunications sector.
The Review, released today (15 December 2017), also reflects the current environment of dynamic change in policy, technology, consumer engagement and the social sphere of the telecommunications industry.
For consumers and small businesses in areas impacted by natural disasters, staying connected is important for your safety.
If you are in a bushfire or flood-affected area and have tried to fix your phone or internet issue with your telco but couldn't, contact us on 1800 046 686 or 03 8600 8308 or make a complaint online.
Our submission to CommsAlliance Review of NBN Access Transfer Code is available to download.