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Ofcom Report - UK’s worst providers
Nick Gibson
Channel News
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Regulator Ofcom has compiled a blacklist which highlights the UK's worst telecoms companies in terms of complaints from their new customers about mis-selling.
Ofcom says that one company, Hertfordshire-based Lo-Rate Telecom, received complaints from more than one in five new customers. The company with the second-worst record, Orb Communications in Birmingham, saw complaints from nearly one in ten new sign-ups.
Hertfordshire Trading Standards says that Lo-Rate had been ordered to pay £800,000 to wronged customers but had not yet compensated anyone. The company has reportedly yet to file accounts at Companies House and has never submitted an annual return, which provides details on company ownership.
Ofcom says that mis-selling is split into two main categories. One problem is salesmen failing to reveal the details of terms and conditions and the other major problem is called 'slamming'.
‘Slamming’ is the practice of swapping a prospective customers’ phone provider, without their permission. Some salesmen phone prospective customers and as soon as they get even an agreement to provide more information, they switch the customer to their company. The first thing the consumer knows is when they get the official letter from their existing provider stating that it will no longer be the service provider.
Ofcom says it receives up to 600 calls complaining about mis-selling every month.
Top 10 telecoms providers for complaints
1) Lo-Rate Telecom
2) Orb Communications
3) Platinum Telecom
4) Global Communications
5) Economycalls
6) Splash Telecom
7) Fizz Telecom
8) Unicom
9) Excell Network Solutions
10) Global telecoms
The full list can be seen here including percentages
Source: Ofcom
Comment on this Report - Michael Lounton MD.
"With my consumers head on, I would have to be fairly irate to actually pick up the phone or write an e mail to a consumer organisation to voice a complaint against a supplier. I was therefore amazed at the content of the above report when it was published by OFCOM (formerly known as OFTEL).
There will always be a number of complaints received by any company (as shown by the report) and I would be naive to claim that we never receive complaints - but I would be distraught if I was the MD of a company that through whatever actions, caused twenty one out of every hundred newly acquired customers to complain to OFCOM.
You will be heartened to know that we offer a very competitve rate on all calls made through our PSU Talk Plan. In addition to this you will also benefit from a powerful software package allowing you to create detailed analysis of you company's / branch's telephone calls. This service is offered to all our clients free of charge.
On a final note, to my knowledge we have never had a complaint raised against us with OFCOM."
Michael Lounton
Managing Director
PSU IT Voice and Data Ltd
