Telstra records highest complaints

According to the 2008/09 annual report, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman claims that some 230,065 complaints were lodged against telecommunication companies and almost half of them were attributed to Telstra.

The company registered a staggering total of 103,831 complaints relating to problems arising from customers' landline, mobile and internet services. The ombudsman, Deirdre O'Donnell said the results were a mixture of complaints directed to both chief executive David Thodey and the company itself.

"There's no doubt we have a high level of engagement with Telstra, that they actively seek our assistance and our business intelligence to respond to systems and process issues," O'Donnell said. "But there is also the fact they have a significant increase over the first half of the year."

Billing and payment of telephone and internet services remains the main area of concern for consumers but the highest increase in complaints was among mobile phone users (79 per cent rise), followed by internet (57 per cent), landline (40 per cent) and mobile premium services (13 per cent).

Optus came in second for its share of complaints, recording a total of 31,210 complaints for its three business divisions: networks, mobile and broadband.

However, despite a 54 per cent rise on 2007-08 complaint figures, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman said that it managed to resolve about 90 percent of them by referring the grievances to the companies in question.