Complaints sent to ANACOM increase 34% in the first half of 2009


In the first half of 2009, ANACOM received, in writing, 20,366 complaints, 255 requests for information, 29 petitions, 18 suggestion and 143 other types of communications, making a total of 20,811 requests addressed to this Authority by users of electronic communications and postal services, as well as by the general public. The number of complaints recorded represents an increase of 34% compared to 15,206 complaints received during the same period of 2008.

This growth is in line with the rising trend observed since the entry into force of the complaints book scheme, set out by Decree-Law no. 156/2005 of 15 September, as amended by Decree-Law no. 371/2007 6 November and by Decree-Law no. 118/2009 of 19 May.

Of the all the complaints received at ANACOM, 76% were entered in complaint books, 19% were received electronically and only 5% arrived by letter or fax.

The sectors most cited by complaints continue to be the electronic communications sector (81%) and the postal sector (17%).

In terms of electronic communications, taking the total number of complaints per 1,000 customers, the  Internet  access services emerges as the service which gave rise to the greatest number of complaints during the first half of 2009 (1.87‰), followed by the television service over the public telephone network (xDSL/ IP) (1.68‰) and telephone Service at a fixed location (1.43‰).

In terms of the issues raised by the complaints entered in complaint books, in the electronic communications sector, issues related to equipment, customer service, technical support and billing stand out. In the complaints addressed directly to this Authority, the subjects giving rise to most complaints were contractual issues and billing.

In the postal sector, the largest number of complaints referred to the correspondence service and, in terms of complaints directly addressed to this Authority, the situations giving rise to most complaints were those of delayed delivery and loss. In terms of complaints entered in complaint books, the vast majority stem from problems with customer services.

With regard to requests received by ANACOM's Public Attendance Service, 3,170 requests were registered, including 2,734 complaints and 436 requests for information. The vast majority of requests were made by phone and were connected to the electronic communications sector, with the telephone Service at a fixed location as the subject of most complaints.


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