Customer Complaints
In December 2007 the TCF established a self-regulatory regime for managing customer complaints and dispute resolution.
The regime - the Telecommunication Dispute Resolution (TDR) service - is run by an independent third party provider, Dispute Resolution Services Ltd.
The TCF does not get involved in complaints or dispute resolution between customers and their telecommunications service providers.
Who can use the Telecommunication Dispute Resolution Service
The Telecommunication Dispute Resolution (TDR) service is available to residential and small business (less than 20 full-time employees) customers of telecommunications companies that are members of the TDR scheme. Those customers can lodge a complaint directly with the TDR.
What types of complaints the TDR can assist with
The TDR can assist with complaints about most products and services, including pre-pay mobile phones, as well as charges for those products and services (but not the pricing itself) from any telecommunication company that is part of the TDR Scheme.
Complaints not handled by the TDR
There are some types of complaints that the TDR cannot consider. These include:
- Complaints about how a company has set its pricing (except where what is billed differs from pricing indicated during the sales process).
- Equipment the company does not support.
- Network coverage (except where the network coverage differs from the available coverage indicated during the sales process).
- Services such as 111 calls, Yellow Pages advertising and domain names.
- Any issues covered under the Privacy Act.
- Claims for compensation for indirect loss (ie lost time/wages spent dealing with a complaint).
The TDR will inform you whether your complaint is covered by the Scheme.
What customers must do before contacting the TDR
Before lodging a complaint with TDR, the customer must have first lodged the complaint with their telecommunications service provider.
If the customer has reached the end of the telecommunications company’s complaints process; and their complaint has not been resolved, or it has been six weeks or more since contact was first made, and the customer doesn’t have a satisfactory resolution, they can lodge a complaint directly with the TDR.
- Telecommunication Dispute Resolution
- Website: www.tdr.org.nz
- Free Phone: 0508 98 98 98
Customers who's service provider is not a member of the TDR
Customers whose telecommunications service provider are not members of the TDR scheme, should lodge their complaint directly with their service provider; and if not satisfied with the complaint resolution may choose to lodge a complaint with the NZ Disputes Tribunal.