Displaying items by tag: Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)

The three months between October and December 2020 showed a drop in complaints rates for Australia’s telecommunications service providers to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), according to the telecoms industry peak body Communications Alliance.

Consumer complaints to Australia’s telcos increased by 7.8 complaints per 10,000 Services- in Operation (SIOs) for three months of the July-September 2020 quarter, an increase over the previous quarter’s ratio of 7.4.

New Zealand’s competition regulator, The Commerce Commission is moving to address concerns over increasing consumer complaints about the country’s telecommunications companies.

Complaints about phone and Internet services by small businesses have grown overall for the third consecutive quarter, with residential consumers and small businesses lodging 34,476 complaints in the three months between July and September — an increase of 3.4% on the previous quarter — and the third consecutive quarter of incremental growth in overall complaints.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) have inked a new agreement setting out how they will work together on ensuring compliance with consumer law and their approach to the resolution of systemic issues in the telecommunications industry.

A new approach to collaboration and information sharing on compliance, enforcement and systemic issues in the telecoms sector has been forged by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), aimed at delivering better outcomes for phone and Internet consumers and providers.

Australia’s telecommunications regulator ACMA is taking action in the Federal Court against Sydney-based telco Red Telecom and its sole director Nicholas Kontaxis for alleged failure to comply with decisions of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).

The Australian Government has come under fire from the Institute of Public Affairs over its response to the digital platforms inquiry, with the institute condemning the Government for a “disgraceful attack” on free speech.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has taken action against Sydney-based telco Infinity Telecom for breaching industry rules requiring them to have mandatory information for consumers available on their website.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s decision to take enforcement action against telco BVivid over misleading telemarketing practices about transitioning to the NBN.

The Communications Alliance, Australia’s peak body for the telecommunications industry, has condemned the behaviour of a small number of service providers found to be engaged in “misleading sales practices”.

Mobile services have fared best with a low rate of consumer complaints in stark contrast to voice only services delivered by telcos over the NBN which had the highest rate of complaints over a six month period last year, according to a report by the telecommunications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has launched a new brand, logo and website with Ombudsman Judi Jones saying the new website makes it easier for consumers and small businesses to make a new complaint, update an existing complaint, understand what is involved and the next steps in the process.

The latest report by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman showing significant falls in complaints volumes about landline, mobile and Internet services does not represent “job done” by any means, according to the  telecommunications industry lobby group, Communications Alliance.

Telecommunications consumer interest lobby group ACCAN says the overall fall in complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman over the last six months indicates that consumers are broadly benefitting from action taken by the telco industry regulator – but lamented the fact that “tens of thousands of consumers have experienced unreliable telco services”.

Complaints by Australian telecommunications users about landline, mobile and Internet services fell in the last six months of 2018 by 27.7% to 60,998 compared to the corresponding six month period in 2017.

Australia’s telecommunications industry is pushing for stricter rules around credit assessment and selling practices to provide greater protection for Australian communications consumers.

Australian consumers are reporting having their bank accounts drained by fraudsters and their email inboxes accessed in the latest scam involving theft of mobile numbers, according to the newly published report on fraud from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

The rate of consumer complaints in Australia about telecommunications services fell further in the most recent quarter – generating the best results seen since 2015.

Telecommunications industry lobby group Communications Alliance has cautioned against Australian Government recommendations that could threaten the TIO’s independence by placing the ombudsman under the control of ACMA but welcomed the Government’s decision to “retain” the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.