TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Security
  • More Topics
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • |
  • About
  • Contact
  • |
  • Connect with us
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research & Innovation
  • Security
  • Connect with TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

5G Evolution

5G Evolution

Ofcom fines EE £1m over complaints handling failures

Via Ofcom

Jul 3, 2015

Ofcom today fined EE £1,000,000 for failing to comply with Ofcom’s rules on handling customer complaints.

The investigation into EE (trading as 4GEE, Orange and T-Mobile) is part of Ofcom’s wider monitoring and enforcement programme to ensure communications providers are dealing with customer complaints appropriately and fairly.

Ofcom’s investigation found that, over the period investigated - from 22 July 2011 to 8 April 2014 - EE did not provide certain customers with accurate or adequate information about their right to take their complaint to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme.

EE failed to send out written notifications to a number of customers that should have referenced their right to take their complaint to ADR eight weeks after they first raised their complaint.

EE also failed to state in its Customer Complaints Code that, where relevant, customers could access its ADR scheme by requesting a ‘deadlock letter’.

A number of customers who had requested a ‘deadlock letter’ during this time were not sent them as required, and in some cases customers were told by EE that letters of this type were not issued.

In addition, between July 2011 and February 2014, EE sent paper bills to Orange customers and written notifications to Orange, 4GEE and T-Mobile customers that did not reference that they can use its ADR scheme for free.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

ADR is an important part of consumer protection. It allows customers to refer complaints that cannot be resolved with their provider to an independent body which can reach an impartial judgment.

Complaints can be taken to ADR if they remain unresolved after eight weeks or if a stalemate is reached (i.e ‘deadlock’) between the customer and the provider before eight weeks.

Access to ADR is free of charge to customers, and all communications providers offering services to individuals or small businesses with up to 10 employees must be a member of one of two approved ADR schemes.

The two ADR schemes are the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) and Ombudsman Services: Communications. EE is a member of CISAS.

Ensuring compliance

Ofcom requires all telecoms providers to have procedures in place that follow its approved Code of Practice for complaints handling.

Ofcom has taken steps to address EE’s failure to comply with these complaints handling obligations.

As a result of Ofcom’s investigation, EE has amended its Customer Complaints Code to include a correct reference of its obligation to issue a ‘deadlock letter’. EE has also amended the information provided on its paper bills and in its written notifications to make sure customers are informed that they may use ADR at no cost to themselves.

Ofcom has also decided to impose a financial penalty of £1,000,000 against EE as a result of its contravention. The penalty is payable to Ofcom and then passed on to HM Treasury. EE is required to pay the penalty within 20 working days of receiving the decision.

Claudio Pollack, Ofcom’s Consumer and Content Group Director, said: “It’s vital that customers can access all the information they need when they’re pursuing a complaint.

“Ofcom imposes strict rules on how providers must handle complaints and treats any breach of these rules very seriously. The fine imposed against EE takes account of the serious failings that occurred in the company’s complaints handling, and the extended period over which these took place.”

More information about ADR and a list of which scheme different communications providers belong to can be found here.

Related Topics
  • 4G LTE,
  • 5G Evolution,
  • Access Evolution,
  • Announcement,
  • Device Software & Apps,
  • Digital Platforms and Services,
  • Europe,
  • Mobile,
  • News,
  • Ofcom,
  • Tracker

More Like This

5G Evolution

Ericsson Mobility Report Business Review edition: 5G drives revenue growth

Feb 7, 2023

Private Networks

Picocom and Antevia Networks collaborate to provide new innovative 5G in-building solutions for enterprise private networks

Feb 7, 2023

5G Evolution

Nokia helps Telia Denmark achieve superior network performance

Feb 7, 2023

Access Evolution

What’s up with… Vodafone Idea, 5G revenues, smartphone sales

Feb 6, 2023

The Great Telco Debate

The Great Telco Debate 2022 highlights

Feb 3, 2023

This content extract was originally sourced from an external website (Ofcom) and is the copyright of the external website owner. TelecomTV is not responsible for the content of external websites. Legal Notices

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

0:46

The Cloud Native Telco Summit returns this September!

8:32

Azita Arvani on Being a Female Leader at Rakuten Symphony

16:19

AT&T Amy Zwarico on securing telco applications in the public cloud

1:44

Join us for the greatest industry debate of the year!

TelecomTV
Company
  • About Us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
Our Brands
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • Great Telco Debate
  • TelecomTV Events
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070
Connect With Us
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal Notices
  • Help

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media.

© Decisive Media Limited 2023. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).