ANACOM receives over 15 thousand complaints in first half

During the first half of 2008, ANACOM received 15,257 complaints, 229 requests for information, 55 petitions, 18 suggestions and 90 other types of communications, totalling 15,649 written requests.

Compared with the same period of 2007, the overall volume of complaints received during the first half of 2008 (15,257) corresponds to an increase of around 49%. Complaints which had been entered in complaint books, received pursuant to Decree-Law no. 156/2005 of 15 September, made up 69% of the total volume of complaints received by this Authority.

The majority of complaints focused on the communications sector, totalling 11,880 - both in terms of complaints addressed directly to ANACOM (4,334 out of a total of 4,685) or entered in complaint books (7,546 out of a total of 10,572). In annual terms, the number of complaints in the first half grew by 47%.

The sector attracting the second largest number of complaints was the postal sector with 3,077 complaints, 28% more than in the same period of 2007.

Within the Electronic Communications sector, taking the total number of complaints per 1,000 customers, the Internet access service emerges as the one that gave rise to the most complaints during the first half of 2008, with 2.73 complaints per thousand customers, followed by the telephone service at a fixed location, with 1.16, and the VoIP service with 1.10 complaints per thousand customers.

Looking at the issues giving rise to complaints about the electronic communications sector, it can be reported that in terms of complaints entered in complaint books, there was a preponderance of issues relating to equipment, customer service, technical support and billing; in terms of complaints addressed directly to ANACOM, most complaints arose due to contractual issues and billing, followed closely by issues related to technical support, cancellation and initial connection of service.

In the postal sector, the largest number of complaints referred to the correspondence service and, in terms of complaints addressed directly to the regulator, the situations giving rise to most complaints were those of delayed delivery and loss of items. In terms of complaints entered in complaint books, which corresponded to about 97% of the total volume of complaints in this sector, the vast majority of situations giving rise to complaints arose due to problems associated with customer service.

With respect to requests for information recorded during the six-month period, 229, the majority referred to the communications sector, with the other sectors having a residual character.

As regards requests received by the public attendance services of ANACOM, 4,238 requests were recorded, made up of 3,919 complaints, 318 requests for information and one suggestion. The vast majority of requests were by telephone and focused on the communications sector, particularly the telephone service at a fixed location.

Consult:

Relatório do 1.º Semestre de 2008 http://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=659179