The peak body for the telecommunications industry, Communications Alliance, has conducted a preliminary consultation on a Draft Industry Guidance Note about appointment of Authorised Representatives and Advocates. Authorised representatives are usually lawyers, financial counsellors or family members of customers who need assistance managing their telco affairs.
The Draft Guidance Note provides recommendations about how telcos should go about authorising representatives who act on behalf customers.
Communications Alliance will be consulting further on the Guidance Note in September 2019.
In our written feedback, ACCAN proposed that substantial adjustments be made to improve the efficiency and fairness of the authorisation process.
ACCAN’s feedback proposed that the Guidance Note be amended to include the following elements to improve the efficiency and fairness of the authorisation process:
- Emphasise the need to comply with the authorisation process outlined in the ACCC/ASIC Debt Collection Guideline, noting that the TCP Code requires RSPs to comply with this guideline
- Recommend use of a standardised authorisation form similar to the Authority Form already developed by Financial Counsellors Australia (FCA) in consultation with other industries and Communications Alliance
- Recommend a simplification of the authorisation process for legal representatives
Download: 
Draft Industry Guidance Note - Authorised Representatives and Advocates89.62 KB
Download: 
Draft Industry Guidance Note - Authorised Representatives and Advocates527.56 KB