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ACCAN often hears stories from consumers spending hours waiting and trying to resolve problems with telcos (eg on the phone, in shops, or via chat windows). We know that all this time has a value to consumers but what is the cost?
A new report released from ACCAN provides advice on how to estimate the cost of consumer wait time.
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ACCAN often hears stories from consumers spending hours waiting and trying to resolve problems with telcos (eg on the phone, in shops, or via chat windows). We know that all this time has a value to consumers but what is the cost?
A new report released today from ACCAN provides advice on how to estimate the cost of consumer wait time.
Read more: Please hold: costing telco customer wait times
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At ACCAN's national conference, ACCANect 2019, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from experts from across the telco industry, including Delia Rickard - Deputy Chair of the ACCC, Nerida O'Loughlin – Chair of the ACMA and Judi Jones - Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
These three organisation protect and enforce telco consumer safeguards in Australia. While they each handle different aspects of telco consumer protection, together they work towards safeguarding Australian telco consumers.
Read more: ACCANect 2019 Sneak Peek – ACCC, ACMA, and TIO on reliability
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Download: 
ACCAN Magazine - Issue 32 Winter 201911.65 MB
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ACCAN Magazine Issue 32 - Winter 2019 - Accessible Version50.56 KB
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Last week the communications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, announced the registration of a new version of the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code.
What does this mean for telecommunications consumers?
The Code is important because it contains rules that govern the life cycle of the customer’s relationship with their telco. From the telco’s advertising, to sales and contract/service agreements, through to customer service and billing, and switching telcos. It also covers rules about what telcos have to do to if customers have difficulty paying their bills, how they handle credit and debt management, and financial hardship.
The Code has been around since 2007, and this is its second major revision.
Read more: TCP Code update – Consumer safeguard remains flawed
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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has called for greater reliability safeguards after data from the ACMA shows unreliable telco services are driving hundreds of thousands of complaints.
In a report released this morning, the ACMA revealed that 448,470 complaints were filed by unhappy telco consumers in the quarter to December 2018. Taking into account the number of telco services in operation across the country, this equals 108 complaints per 10,000 services – a 10.2 per cent increase since the previous quarter.
Read more: Telco complaints demonstrate need for right to reliability
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The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is investigating options for internal reform in the wake of recommendations from the Consumer Safeguards Review Part A: Complaints handling and consumer redress. The first part of this investigation relates to possible changes to the TIO Constitution to reform the structure and selection of its Board. ACCAN’s response to the TIO Option Paper proposed a number of changes to enhance the independence of the TIO Board and strengthen the consumer perspective in Board matters.
Read more: Response to TIO Options Paper: Possible Amendments to Constitution
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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.
Read more: Draft Industry Guidance Note - Authorised Representatives and Advocates.
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The revised Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) Code fails to adequately protect telco consumers, according to consumer groups.
Despite consultation with the telco industry and regulator, consumer groups including ACCAN, Consumer Action Law Centre, WEstjustice, Financial Counselling Australia, Financial and Consumer Rights Council, Financial Rights Legal Centre, Money Mob, and HK Training and Consultancy, consider that the new TCP Code does not provide strong enough consumer protections.
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Australia’s peak communications consumer advocacy group, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has today announced the seven successful projects that it will fund through the 2019 Round of the ACCAN Grants Program.
The ACCAN Grants Program funds projects to undertake research on telecommunications issues, represent telecommunications consumers, and create educational tools which empower consumers to understand telecommunications products and services and make decisions in their own interests.
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WESNET (Women's Services Network) Incorporated
Grant round: 2019
Amount: $49,807
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WEstjustice
Grant Round: 2019
Amount awarded: $50,000
Read more: Newly-Arrived Consumers Telecommunications Advocacy Project