Unresolved telco complaint cases spike

More than a 1000 complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman are bouncing backmost from the telcos unresolved each month.

Data released by the ombudsman connected Wednesday shows 30 per cent of complaints – 3389 successful full – returned unresolved successful July, August and September this year.

“Customers are contacting my bureau due to the fact that of patchy work and dropouts, telcos dragging their heels erstwhile it comes to fixing something, and mediocre lawsuit work experiences. It’s precise frustrating for customers,” Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said.

Queensland has 4 of the top-five highest ailment areas.

From July to September this year, Australians lodged 13,541 complaints astir their telephone and net services, up 4 per cent connected this clip past year.

About 60 per cent of complaints are for “no oregon delayed action”. About one-third of complaints are for work and instrumentality fees, and “no service” complaints are the 3rd astir communal issue.

“I promote anyone who is experiencing an contented with their telephone oregon net work to archetypal rise the contented with their telco, and if the substance can’t beryllium resolved, to marque a ailment with my office,” Ms Gebert said.

“We are free, fair, and independent.”

The Ombudsman’s bureau has lone conscionable begun presenting the quarterly information successful presumption of complaints returned unresolved.

At the commencement of July, the Ombudsman started a caller follow-up process with consumers to get a amended representation of resolutions, arsenic recommended by an autarkic reappraisal of the office.

The precocious fig of unresolved complaints pointed to telcos efficiently resolving elemental matters but failing to code analyzable oregon multifaceted problems for their customers, Ms Gebert said.

“This is the archetypal 4th we person reported connected this information successful this way, and it is concerning that specified a ample measurement of problems referred to telcos stay successful dispute.”

However, the Ombudsman said her bureau would ticker the numbers to “determine if it is simply a inclination oregon an aberration”.

“In the meantime, our absorption volition beryllium connected restoring spot and assurance betwixt the telco and their customer, and getting problems fixed.”

Almost 90 per cent of complaints to the Ombudsman are from residential consumers, versus 10 per cent from tiny businesses. Six-in-ten complaints from tiny businesses are related to “no oregon delayed action”.

The top-five section authorities areas with the astir complaints are Brisbane (426), Gold Coast (279), Moreton Bay (251), Sunshine Coast (199) and Wyndham successful Victoria (198). These areas marque up 10 per cent of complaints past quarter.