TIO gets more clout to deal with big $$$ complaints

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) needs to be given more teeth, including the power to penalise telcos financially for complaints resolution, according to a peak consumer body. The TIO continues to receive hundreds of thousands of complaints each year from irate consumers of telecoms and broadband services.

Complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman have dropped over the last three quarters, suggesting that the TIO's 'Connect Resolve' campaign of early 2009 has made an impact.

Australia's peak telecoms users gripe body has slammed the latest complaints figures released by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), which show that consumer  complaints for the first quarter of 2011 surged by 31%, easily eclipsing the previous record. Vodafone in particular and the other two major mobile providers were fingered as the chief culprits.

The peak telecoms consumer body in Australia, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has hit out at the richest telecoms players as a fresh round of consumer complaints numbers were made public today by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).

The ACMA is to conduct a formal inquiry into customer service and complaints handling in the telecommunications industry in response to what it says is a growing volume of complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

At at time when complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman are escalating, at least one major ISP - iiNet - is the subject of fewer complaints.

Written by: David Swan | Published in: MobilityDespite an overall decrease in complaints, more users than ever are dissatisfied with their mobile phone service according to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

Industry bodies have been quick to comment on the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman's report highlighting a five percent reduction in complaints overall and a 70 percent reduction in complaints about mobile services, but have largely ignored an 86 percent increase in issues relating to financial over-commitment regarding mobile services.

Communications Alliance has responded to the alarming increase in complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman by saying it demonstrates that the new Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code should be implemented as soon as possible.