[13 July 2015]
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and the National Consumer Commission (NCC) have joined forces to improve how they handle consumer complaints in the telecoms sector.
Clear Responsibilities for Different Issues
A signed agreement outlines which types of complaints each organization will address:
- NCC: Handles issues related to contracts, misleading information (misrepresentation), deceptive marketing (bait marketing), faulty devices (handsets), and call limits.
- ICASA: Focuses on data-related concerns, international roaming charges, pricing disputes, network quality, and call service problems.
Efficient Complaint Referral System
The agreement aims to establish a clear system for classifying and directing complaints to the appropriate agency within three months of the agreement’s signing. While the exact date isn’t provided, based on the publication date in the government gazette (July 10, 2015), this timeframe likely fell around October 10, 2015.
REFERRAL OF COMPLAINTS
The Commission and the Authority will develop a common framework, within three (3) months of the signing of this MOA, within which referral of complaints between the two regulatory agencies will take place.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPLAINTS
The Commission and the Authority will develop a common framework, within three (3) months of the signing; of this MOA, for classification of consumer complaints in the ICT sector.
While this is a positive development, it’s too early to say definitively how effective it will be in protecting consumers.