In 2006 ANACOM received around 17,300 complaints from the general public and from users of electronic communications and postal services. These were generally about relationships with the providers of these services or about the functioning of the market.
The total volume of complaints for the year increased by 361% compared to 2005. This increase is partly explained by the introduction of Decree Law 156/2005 of 15 September, which set up the complaints book system. In fact complaints of this type made up around 70% of all complaints received by ANACOM in 2006.
While the electronic communication sector gave rise to 75% of complaints, there was a sharp rise in the number of complaints about the postal sector. In this case, the increase also results from the introduction of the complaint book system, with 95% of the complaints about this sector being made in this way.
Of those that were submitted directly to ANACOM (excluding complaint books), the largest number related to the Internet access service, followed by the telephone service at a fixed location and the distribution of television by cable service, with the lowest number being about the mobile telephone service. The complaints referred to a range of issues, including contract conditions, billing, local loop unbundling, fault causing service interruption and service installation.
In the postal sector the majority of complaints referred to the delivery of correspondence, most significantly about delays in delivery, mail going astray, damage to contents and customer services.
In the complaint books, there were more complaints about the distribution of television by cable service and the Internet access service, in particular about the quality of customer and technical support services, billing and equipment. In the postal sector, customer service also gave rise to the largest number of complaints received.
As well as the complaints received in 2006, around 6,600 requests of information were received; of these 82% were by phone, 14% in writing and 4% in person. Here too, the vast majority of requests referred to the electronic communications sector (94%).
See also:
- Over 17 thousand complaints made to ANACOM in 2006 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=475911
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- Requirement for complaint book provision https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=318385
- Statements and clarifications https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=263229
