Revealed: Top 5 complaints Australians have about their telcos

Jacqui Dent - Editorial Strategist

Last updated 11 April 2019

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman received a staggering 60,998 complaints about landline, mobile and broadband services between 1 July and 31 December, 2018. The most common complaints, according to the TIO, were:

No action or delayed action by the service provider (18,845)
Disputed charges for service or equipment (18,324)
No working phone or internet service (8,025)
Delay with connection or changing providers (7,202)
Intermittent service or dropouts (6,387)

Telcos - who needs them, right?

Well, everyone, really. And while those Australians who had complaints must understandably be frustrated, the TIO noted that the 60,998 complaints it received actually represented a 27.7% drop compared to the same period in 2017.

So things are actually getting better. And that includes service on the much-criticised National Broadband Network.

Complaints about connecting or changing providers on the NBN dipped from 9.2 to 6.7 out of every 1,000 premises added, compared with the same period of the previous year. Meanwhile, complaints about NBN service quality dipped from 4.1 to 2.1 in every 1,000 premises on the network, compared with the same period of the previous year.

The TIO has also revealed how telco services have improved (or at least, attracted fewer complaints) on a state-by-state basis.

Tasmania - recorded a 38% drop in total complaints
Northern Territory - recorded a 35.9% drop in total complaints
South Australia - recorded a 29.2% drop in total complaints
Queensland - recorded a 29.1% drop in total complaints
New South Wales - recorded a 27.9% drop in total complaints
Victoria - recorded a 26.1% drop in total complaints
Western Australia - recorded a 25% drop in total complaints
Australian Capital Territory - recorded a 22.8% drop in total complaints

While complaints are generally following a downward trend, the TIO did note that the final quarter showed a slight increase in complaints about internet services.

If you're planning on changing your internet service or provider soon, be sure to check out our guide on how to switch. If you're having trouble with an existing service, see our troubleshooting guides for slow NBN and slow ADSL. If you're fed up with your fixed line connection, check out these NBN alternatives.

Or for a new NBN plan, see affordable options with unlimited data and NBN 50 speeds below. All plans shown are no-contract, just in case.

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And remember the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is always there if you have a complaint.

Jacqui Dent

Editorial Strategist

Jacqui Dent is an Editorial Content Strategist at WhistleOut Australia, where she writes about mobile phone plans, NBN plans and everything in between. Over her ten-year career, she has worked to provide informed advice to the public, first in the sphere of writing and now in the world of consumer tech. Jacqui has also written about consumer telco products for Business Insider, Pedestrian and the 50Up Club.

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