A large >200 page consultation document has been published by OFCOM which makes proposals to ease problems resulting from voice and broadband communications services being switched from one provider to another.
Two key problems are identified. The first relates to the difficulties that consumers may face when they wish to make a switch. If the transfer is not handled efficiently they may find themselves either left without a service or being liable to make payments to both providers. 130,000 customers annually are stated to have faced one or other of these problems.
A second problem (which OFCOM estimate affected 520,000 users in the past year) relates to a practice known as 'slamming'. Often perpetrated by unscrupulous sales staff seeking to boost their commission based earnings, this sees consumers being switched to a new provider without their knowledge or consent.
The paper presents a number of options but the provisional preference is for a regime where responsibility for transfers lies with the 'gaining' provider but that, in order to minimise the risk of slamming, an independent verification service should be established with the remit to obtain confirmation from the customer that they wish to change provider.
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