In the first quarter of 2024, ANACOM registered around 25.2 thousand written complaints against communications service providers, 11% or 3 thousand fewer than in the same period in 2023. This decrease is mainly due to a 22% drop in complaints about electronic communications, to 15.8 thousand complaints.
On the other hand, complaints about postal services increased by 15% compared to the same period last year, with 9.4 thousand complaints (37% of all complaints).
NOS was responsible for 38% of complaints in the sector and was the most complained about operator in Q1, both in absolute and relative terms. It received a total of 5.9 thousand complaints, with an indicator of 2 complaints per thousand customers. MEO was the operator with the lowest number of complaints in the sector (0.8 complaints per thousand subscribers) and the provider that saw the greatest reduction in the volume of complaints in the 1st quarter of the year, registering 4.1 thousand complaints (26% of the total), 33% less than in the same period last year. VODAFONE registered 1.4 complaints per thousand customers, for a total of 5.3 thousand complaints (34% of the sector’s total), 27% less than in the same period last year.
The most commonly complained about problems were late or poor repair of service faults and loss of fixed internet access, both of which accounted for 2 thousand complaints (12% of the total). The increase in the price of the service was the reason for the largest decrease in all the most complained about service providers compared to the same period last year.
In the 1st quarter of 2024, the district of Setubal had the highest complaint rate for electronic communications services, with around 20 complaints per 10 thousand inhabitants, and Bragança was the district with the fewest complaints, with 4 complaints per 10 thousand inhabitants. For postal services, the district of Faro had the highest complaint rate, with around 14 complaints per 10 thousand inhabitants, while Bragança had the lowest, with 2 complaints per 10 thousand inhabitants.
CTT responsible for 83% of postal complaints
In the 1st quarter of 2024, the postal sector was responsible for around 9.4 thousand complaints. With 7.8 thousand complaints (83% of the total for the sector), CTT was the most important company in terms of the number of complaints registered by ANACOM. This figure represents an increase of 13% compared to the same period in 2023, but reflects a quarterly decrease compared to the previous period. DPD accounted for 8% of the registered complaints (around 800 complaints) and recorded the largest increase in the period under review (+32%). The group of other, less complained-about postal operators accounted for around 9% of the sector’s complaints and also saw an increase in complaints over the period (up 17%).
In the postal sector, the most common complaint was failure to attempt home delivery, which accounted for 20% of all complaints in the sector. The complaint that rose the most in the 1st quarter was staff behaviour, which accounted for 5% of all postal complaints and increased by 2 percentage points in the quarter.
Consult:
- Interactive report on complaints about communications services - 1st quarter 2024https://www.anacom-consumidor.pt/reclamacoes-no-sector-das-comunicacoes
