Fewer mobile gripes contribute to 16% reduction in TIO complaints

17th Dec 2013

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.

The TIO also received fewer complaints about landline and internet services, resulting from a drop in reports about faulty services. Landline complaints decreased 9.2 per cent to 8,478 and internet complaints decreased 12.6 per cent to 7,690.

"This continuing decrease in complaints is encouraging, especially for mobile phone services," Ombudsman Simon Cohen said. "Complaints have decreased across all service types and across all the issues we track."

Victoria, South Australia, ACT and NSW were the states with the most complaints in proportion to their population. The TIO received 1.8 complaints per 1,000 Victorians, 1.7 per 1,000 South Australians and 1.6 per 1,000 ACT and New South Wales residents.

The TIO has also marked its 20th anniversary. Since opening its doors on 1 December 1993, the TIO has received more than 1.5 million consumer complaints. It is Australia’s busiest ombudsman, with thousands of consumers making contact each week.

"Our 20th anniversary is a milestone for the world’s first telecommunications ombudsman. For two decades we have provided speedy and accessible justice for consumers and telcos in a complex telecommunications environment," Mr Cohen said.