Arbitration proceedings in the telecommunications industry increase sharply

This is shown in the 2015 annual report of Ombudscom, which was published on Tuesday. In total, around 6450 people turned to the mediation service in 2015. This corresponds to around 537 customers per month. The number of actual conciliation proceedings increased significantly for the first time in five years. As in previous years, the main cause of complaint was the unwanted conclusion of contracts by telephone. They accounted for more than a quarter of all complaints. Ombudsman Oliver Sidler was quoted in the press release as saying that older people were often contacted by telephone by telecom providers with the intention of switching to a different contract. "In the complaints, they often expressed their disbelief at the providers' poaching practices." They were not comprehensively informed about a possible change of provider and the duration of the contract.

Treacherous value-added services

The second most frequent complaint was about billing. These included complaints about discounts included in the subscription that were not taken into account on the bill, complaints about the payment deadline, newly charged fees for the paper bill, and other ambiguities regarding the bill. Many complaints were also received about value-added services. The stricter regulations on price disclosure from July 1, 2015, and in particular the requirement that the purchase or activation of a subscription must be additionally confirmed, have not led to a drop in complaints, writes Ombudscom. The official telecommunications arbitration board provided for by the Telecommunications Act mediates in civil disputes between customers and telecommunications and value-added service providers on behalf of the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM). (SDA)