In the 2nd quarter of 2024, ANACOM registered 23.2 thousand written complaints against communications service providers, 9% less than in the same period of 2023. This decrease was driven by an 18% drop in complaints about electronic communications, to 14.2 thousand, as complaints about postal services rose again, by 10% year-on-year, to 9 thousand complaints.
In terms of complaints related to electronic communications, NOS was the operator with the most complaints this quarter, both in absolute and relative terms, with 5.4 thousand complaints, down 11% year-on-year, and 1.9 complaints per thousand subscribers. This operator is responsible for 38% of complaints in the sector.
This is followed by Vodafone, the operator with the highest reduction in complaints, 23%, with 4.9 thousand complaints and 1.3 complaints per thousand customers. This operator is responsible for 34% of complaints in the sector.
MEO was the provider with the lowest number of complaints in the sector, with 3,500 complaints, 25% of the sector total, or 0.7 complaints per thousand customers. MEO’s complaints fell by 21% year-on-year.
In the first six months of the year, there were 48.4 thousand complaints about communications services, 11% fewer than in the same period last year. Of these, 30 thousand complaints related to electronic communications (62% of the total), 20% less than in the same period last year. Postal services accounted for 18.4 thousand complaints, 12% more than in the same period last year and 38% of the total.
The distribution of complaints between operators remains the same in the six-month analysis, with NOS again the operator with the highest number of complaints in absolute terms and per thousand customers, followed by Vodafone and MEO, which remains the least complained about operator.
Faults in fixed Internet access were the most common reason for complaints by users of electronic communications services, accounting for 1.76 thousand complaints (12% of the total for the sector) in the 2nd quarter of the year, and was also the most common reason in the 1st half of the year, with 3.7 thousand complaints in that period.
The other most commonly cited reasons were late or no resolution of complaints, late or poor repair of services, and difficulties in exercising the right to cancel contracts freely.
Rising number of complaints about postal services
Of the 9 thousand complaints about postal services registered in the 2nd quarter of 2024, CTT was responsible for 7.6 thousand (85% of the total), an increase by 9% compared to the same period in 2023.
DPD is responsible for 7% of complaints and is the 2nd most complained about postal operator. It received 600 complaints this quarter, a decrease by 2% compared to last year.
The group of other less complained-about postal operators (including UPS, General Logistics, CEP II, DHL, VASP Premium, Logista, Ibercourier, TNT) accounted for around 8% of complaints in the sector and saw a 29% increase in complaints over the period.
Failure to attempt home delivery was the most common reason for complaints about postal services in the 2nd quarter of 2024 (17% of all complaints in the sector). Delays in the delivery of ordinary national mail and loss of national registered mail were the reasons that increased the most compared to the 2nd quarter of 2023.
In the 1st half of the year as a whole, of the 18.4 thousand complaints registered about postal services, CTT was the subject of 15.4 thousand complaints, or 84% of the total.
Consult:
- Interactive report on complaints about communications services - 2nd quarter 2024https://www.anacom-consumidor.pt/reclamacoes-no-sector-das-comunicacoes (only available in Portuguese)
