Resolving disputes and something more the TIO beyond 2012

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1 Providing free, independent, just, informal and speedy resolution of complaints Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Print Post Approved PP381667/00356 No Natural disasters 2 What to do if you Complaints Ombudsman can t pay Outreach statistics 3 on the go 5 your bill 6 round-up 7 Resolving disputes and something more the TIO beyond 2012 Since my appointment as Ombudsman began, the TIO has focussed on making our services more effective for consumers and service providers. We have introduced conciliation for complaints that are not resolved by referral. Conciliation allows the consumer and service provider to agree on a solution with the TIO acting as an independent and expert facilitator. As we report here, consumers have responded very positively to conciliation. In our recent survey, 97 per cent told us they were satisfied with our conciliation process, including 86 per cent extremely or very satisfied. Conciliation is proving faster and more effective at resolving complaints. We have also introduced a new complaints management system, which should improve our efficiency and effectiveness over time. The system will increase our ability to understand the trends arising from complaints, automate some routine tasks and increase the quality of our work. In addition, we have increased our engagement with telecommunications service providers, taking on board their feedback to improve our communication, complaint handling and billing processes. The endgame here is the same to better resolve disputes between consumers and service providers. We are also improving the way we highlight important issues for consumers and service providers. This includes making substantial and evidence-rich submissions to public inquiries and Code reviews. It also includes turning the spotlight on alarming trends or practices such as the mobile phone and banking scam reported in this edition of TIO Talks where our complaints show potential for real detriment to consumers. In May 2012, the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy released its report on reforms for the TIO. The report reflects In our recent survey, 97 per cent of consumers told us they were satisfied with our conciliation process, including 86 per cent extremely or very satisfied. the important and very effective role the TIO plays in resolving consumer disputes. However, it challenges us to further assist service providers in improving their own complaint handling skills and services, and to increase the range of information we provide to the community. The report aligns in this respect with the TIO s own view that we need to expand our role and ever more effectively deal with systemic issues impacting on telco consumers. We have begun this process by changing our Vision so that we focus not only on delivering an exceptional telecommunications dispute resolution service, but also contributing to better customer service and complaint handling within the telecommunications industry. We are expanding our roles beyond resolving disputes which will always remain our primary function to encompass improving telecommunication services through systemic investigations and capacity building with service providers. And we are highlighting our job as an independent and expert public voice about practices and products that are impacting on consumers. A key element is building our relationships across the community, with consumers and their advocates, industry and its representatives, and regulators and beyond will be an extraordinary time for telecommunications in Australia, with new technologies and services that continually increase consumer choice. For our part, the TIO accepts the challenge to be more effective, and to do more to assist consumers and service providers in solving the issues that will inevitably arise. Inside TIO Talks No Natural disasters: what you can expect 2 Case study: Ryan s complaint 2 Complaint statistics January March TIO spotlights mobile phone and bank transfer scam 4 Case study: Melissa s complaint 4 TIO monitors PABX hacking 4 Case study: Luke s complaint 4 Ombudsman on the go 5 TIO introduces new complaint handling system 5 New industry code 5 Have you received a bill you cannot pay? 6 Case study: Rebecca s complaint 6 Outreach round-up 7 TIO Events Calendar 8 Consumers satisfied with TIO s service Ninety-four per cent of consumers who come to the TIO are satisfied with the referral service they receive, a new survey has found. And there is an even higher satisfaction with TIO conciliation services. Conducted between October and December 2011, the TIO s recent consumer satisfaction survey found that, during their first point of contact with the TIO, 94 per cent of consumers were satisfied with the TIO s handling of their new complaint 83 per cent of consumers indicated that they were either very or extremely satisfied. Results showed that 73 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the outcome of their complaint, with 59 per cent of consumers indicating that they were very or extremely satisfied. Where a complaint remains unresolved during our initial referral process, the TIO commences conciliation with consumers and their providers. Ninety-seven per cent of consumers surveyed reported being satisfied with the handling of their complaints during the conciliation process, including 86 per cent who were very or extremely satisfied with how their complaint was conciliated. Notably, 89 per cent of consumers whose cases were conciliated reported they were satisfied with the outcome of resolution of their complaint, with 72 per cent of consumers extremely or very satisfied. The results are very positive, both for referrals and for the TIO s conciliation services, said Deputy Ombudsman Diane Carmody. It is really pleasing for our staff to get this positive feedback, especially from consumers whose complaint was conciliated. A reasonable interpretation is that consumer satisfaction was driven by the efforts of our staff to explain the conciliation process, the engagement of providers in resolving matters through conciliation and by the reduction in time to resolve the complaint. All these factors have resulted in a better complaint handling experience for consumers and providers. Conciliation was rolled out across the TIO from the beginning of April 2011.

2 Natural disasters: what you can expect Extreme weather events may affect the time in which a service provider is required to repair a faulty landline service. The appropriate times in which service providers must repair landline faults are set out in legislation known as the Customer Service Guarantee Standard (CSG). According to the Standard, for example, in an urban centre with a population greater than 10,000 people, the maximum time to repair a fault should be one full business day. If a service provider does not repair a fault within that time, it may have to pay a consumer a small amount of compensation for every day that the fault is not repaired. However, during extreme weather events, a large number of consumers may experience the same fault and service providers may be exempt from restoring services within the times set out by the Standard. These exemptions also cover any compensation a consumer may claim. The reason behind these exemptions is that sometimes things happen that are beyond any company s control, such as a flood or a bushfire. During such cases, it may be unfair to hold a provider to a performance standard such as the CSG, Ombudsman Simon Cohen said. Recent experiences, like the Queensland floods, have shown that service providers have at times taken extraordinary efforts to restore services quickly in areas where it would be quite difficult under the circumstances, Mr Cohen said. When a provider relies on an exemption to the Standard in an affected area, it should notify customers individually or publish a notice in a local newspaper as soon as possible. These notices will usually list: areas that may have been affected telephone numbers that may have been affected the provider s contacts details the TIO s contact details. If you have a complaint about your landline service in a weather affected area and disagree with your provider s response, you can call us. Case study Ryan s complaint In December 2011, Ryan contacted the TIO about an intermittent fault on his home telephone that was also affecting his internet service. Ryan told us that he had first contacted his service provider in August 2011 to report a crackling noise on his telephone line. He said that since the fault began, his internet service had been very slow and was dropping out up to 15 times a day. His provider sent a technician to his home to investigate the fault. The technician found that the service was working within specifications and could not locate any fault. Ryan advised that the noise on the line was louder and the internet dropouts were more frequent after wet weather. He continued to regularly report the matter to his service provider. We advised Ryan that he could take steps to ensure he had access to a reasonable service while the fault was being addressed. In response to this advice, he bought a wireless dongle and used his mobile service rather than his landline. As Ryan advised that he had not been offered the use of an interim service, we also explained that he might be eligible for compensation under the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) Standard for the repair delays. In February 2012, after sending out multiple technicians, his provider eventually found and repaired a cable fault. Ryan accepted his service provider s offer to pay him $3,400 in compensation, almost $1,400 more than it was obligated to pay him under the CSG Standard. His service provider advised that the additional credit was to reimburse him for the wireless dongle charges, his higher mobile accounts and also to acknowledge the level of inconvenience that the fault had caused. 2 TIO Talks No

3 Number Complaint statistics January March 2012 The TIO recorded a total of 52,231 new complaints between 1 January and 31 March 2012 an 8.6 per cent rise from the previous quarter. Year-on-year however, complaints decreased 12.3 per cent, from 59,533 new complaints received between 1 January and 31 March A similar trend was seen across all service types. New complaints about landline services increased 20.9 per cent, from 8,590 in October December 2011, to 10,386 new complaints in January March Year-on-year, these complaints decreased some 20 per cent. New complaints about internet services increased 29 per cent, from 6,717 during October December, to 8,663 in January March, but were 1,489 fewer (a 14.7 per cent decrease) than between January and March Between January March 2012, new complaints about mobile services increased only marginally, following on from three quarters of decreasing new complaints about mobile services. Two issues raised by consumers about mobile services continue to be of particular concern to the TIO: Complaints about financial over-commitment caused by inadequate spend management tools. This issue has almost doubled over the past year (see chart). Increasing numbers of consumers are contacting the TIO stating that they have received an excessively high bill that they cannot afford to pay, and that they are unable to negotiate an acceptable solution with their provider. Disputed internet usage charges. Smartphone penetration in Australia is among the highest in the world, and following this high take up, new complaints about disputed excess data charges have tripled over the last year (see chart). There is an indisputable connection between unexpectedly high telephone bills and consumers who cannot afford to pay for their services. The TIO believes that the high incidence of these complaints would reduce if providers ensured consumers could reasonably afford their contracted services. Providers can also protect consumers from unexpected large debts through the use of tools such as usage notification, accurate usage meters and/or limiting access to services where unusually high charges are accruing. Spotlight on mobile services: overcommitment and disputed internet charges 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 Jan Mar 11 Apr Jun 11 Jul Sep 11 Oct Dec 11 Inadequate spend controls Disputed internet usage charges Jan Mar 12 Jan Mar 11 Apr Jun 11 Jul Sep 11 Oct Dec 11 Jan Mar 12 Inadequate spend controls 2,181 2,629 4,318 3,997 4,282 Disputed internet usage charges 981 1,648 2,861 2,562 2,823 January March 2012 at a glance Quarters New complaints Investigations Enquiries Level 1, 2 and 4 Most new complaints are Level 1 cases where the TIO gives the service provider a final chance at resolving the case without further intervention by the TIO. Level 2 Cases that are not resolved by referral, and where the TIO conciliates the outcome. Level 3 Cases requiring further investigation including where the TIO provides advice about a fair outcome. Level 4 Cases requiring a thorough and detailed investigation and may result in a decision or direction by the TIO. Apr Jun 11 50,801 5, ,616 Jul Sep 11 51,196 5, ,648 Oct Dec 11 48,100 4, ,607 Jan Mar 12 52,231 5, ,495 % change New complaints top issues New complaints by service type January March 2012 January March 2012 Billing and Payments 21% Customer Service 24% Landline 20% Mobile 62% Other 2% Connection 2% Contracts 9% Credit Management 11% Faults 18% Complaint Handling 13% Mobile Premium Services 2% Internet 17% TIO Talks No

4 Taking action on phone banking scam TIO has responded quickly to concerns about a scam that targets consumers mobile services and bank accounts, by partnering with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to alert users of internet banking. The TIO has received complaints from consumers where scammers have used telecommunications services to fleece large sums of money from consumers bank accounts. In the January March 2012 period, the TIO red-flagged 12 complaints from consumers who presented us with the following information: their mobile number had been transferred to a new provider without their authority, and the scammer had used this fraudulent service to transfer significant sums of money from the consumer s bank account using SMS authentication. The transferred amounts ranged from $19,000 to $38,000. The scammers target consumers whose internet banking feature requires SMS authentication for funds transfers. Due to the nature of these complaints, the TIO is generally not able to examine all aspects of them. While we can look into the transfer of numbers from one provider to another, we cannot investigate the identity theft and banking aspects of the complaint. When addressing this type of complaint, the TIO provides a range of information in an effort to help consumers achieve a resolution. This can include referral to the consumer s financial institution, the Australian Federal Police or the Financial Ombudsman Service. The TIO can help confirm if a telecommunications provider followed the correct steps in changing the consumer from one provider to another. If the consumer wants to return to the same provider, the TIO would generally expect that any applicable early termination fees are waived. Complaints to the TIO have also resulted in us being able to monitor this issue, and provide information to relevant agencies that can investigate this scam further, such as the ACCC, the Federal Police and Consumer Affairs/Fair Trading offices. These cases demonstrate the importance of consumers keeping all their personal information private, and not disclosing this information in response to an unsolicited , SMS or phone call. Are your business phones secure against hacking? From time to time the TIO receives complaints from small businesses that have received large telephone bills as a result of having their telephone system (known as PABX) hacked. PABX hacking occurs when the passwords of a telephone system are breached, and the hackers fraudulently sell international calls through the business s phones. The hackers profit from the activity, while the small business owner s telephone bill spirals into the tens of thousands of dollars over days or even weeks. The business often doesn t become aware of being hacked until it receives a large bill. The cost isn t simply on them frequently telecommunications providers are left in the lurch, as they have to pay the wholesale costs of the international phone calls. When we receive this type of complaint, we may have to decide who is liable for what portion of the charges. On one hand, phone system security is considered to be the consumer s responsibility as they own the PABX equipment. On the other hand, providers have an obligation to ensure that any line of credit invoiced remains reasonable. For example, the consumer should ensure that passwords on the PABX system are changed regularly while the service provider should monitor and alert a consumer when it detects any unusual activity. Co-operation between a small business consumer and their provider is important to decrease the risk of being hacked. Generally it will not be fair for a consumer who has been the victim of PABX hacking to pay the full account. Depending on the circumstances of a complaint, some victims of hacking may be expected to cover the wholesale costs of a service provider. To reduce your exposure to PABX hacking, it could be worth asking the following questions of your service provider: Can I place a hard cap on my account? What can I do to make a PABX system more secure? Can I bar international calls or can I be given a dialler code? Case study Melissa s complaint Melissa, a director of a small business, contacted the TIO in January 2012 after she was the victim of a scam. She told us that her business mobile service had been transferred to another service provider without her knowledge, which led to a substantial amount of money being withdrawn from her bank account. Melissa told us that after receiving a text message that read SIM Card not provisioned, she contacted her service provider. It advised her that a third party, Tara, had authorised the transfer of her mobile service to another service provider. When Melissa s bank subsequently contacted her to advise that its fraud group had identified a suspicious transfer of $38,000 from her account, it became apparent to her that the mobile service transfer was part of a banking scam. She told us that she had not authorised anyone to make any changes to her account and that as a result of the transfer, she had also lost money in interest. She advised that her provider had not been able to explain how Tara had been able to transfer the number without her permission and that she was seeking a refund for lost interest from her provider. During the conciliation of Melissa s complaint, the provider was able to demonstrate that Tara had provided it with Melissa s date of birth and PIN, which would generally be sufficient authorisation to transfer the service. However, the provider offered to assess Melissa s claim further and asked for evidence showing the loss of interest. Melissa gave evidence to the TIO showing that she had incurred a loss of $80 in interest. As a resolution to the complaint, the provider reversed the fraudulent transfer of Melissa s mobile number and refunded the $80 in lost interest. We referred Melissa to her bank to pursue a refund of the money that had been transferred away from her account. Case study Luke s complaint Luke contacted us on behalf of a hotel in Rural Victoria having received an invoice for more than $22,000, including a large volume of international calls. Luke told us that he believed his service had been hacked and disputed the charges. He claimed that the first time the hotel had been made aware of the charges was several months before, when the service provider called to alert him about the volume of accruing charges. The service provider offered to immediately disconnect the hotel s services to prevent further charges from accruing. During the referral process, the service provider offered to reduce the outstanding debt to its wholesale cost, about $15,000. Luke was dissatisfied with this proposal and returned to the TIO. When we conciliated the complaint, the service provider gave us records showing that the hotel regularly spent no more than $200 per month. The records revealed that the charges accrued over a four-day period, where a large number of international calls had been made. The service provider also showed that almost a year before Luke contacted us, it had referred the hotel to a third party PABX specialist. In a written record, the PABX specialist had advised both the provider and the hotel that there were issues with PABX security. This showed that the hotel had chosen to only minimally update its PABX security, and requested the specialist to focus on restoring service rather than undertaking an overhaul of its security. After assessing this evidence, we explained to Luke that as the PABX was the hotel s equipment, some responsibility for the charges would lie with it, as the hotel had previously been made aware that its security systems were inadequate. It was also evident that the service provider could have handled the hotel s exposure to debt in a more effective manner, and prevented a large volume of charges being incurred. Both parties agreed to settle the complaint during the conciliation process. The outstanding debt was reduced from $22,000 to $8,200, which Luke agreed to pay. 4 TIO Talks No

5 Number Ombudsman on the go Ombudsman Simon Cohen and Deputy Ombudsman Diane Carmody held briefings around Australia throughout March to inform telecommunications providers about improvements in the TIO s services. Ombudsman Simon Cohen speaking to service provider representatives in Brisbane Close to 150 service provider representatives attended briefings in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide about developments at the TIO. These included the new complaint resolution process, conciliation, changes to TIO s billing and improvements in communications with stakeholders. Many of these changes have been adopted directly in response to feedback from the industry. Representatives have expressed their satisfaction with our conciliation process in particular. Conciliation has provided a faster and more efficient way to solve consumer complaints, reducing the number of cases that need lengthy investigations. The briefings were also an opportunity to hear further feedback from industry. It is crucial that service providers have a clear understanding of the important work of the TIO and their obligations to consumers, Mr Cohen said. It is also important that we have open communication between us so that the TIO services are relevant and effective for service providers. This will only assist in resolving consumer complaints more effectively. Deputy Ombudsman Diane Carmody speaking at the Melbourne briefing New industry code On 1 March 2012 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) registered a new industry code for Mobile Premium Services (MPS). The MPS Code updates the 2009 version to include additional consumer protections. The Code came into effect on 1 June The TIO has noticed a significant drop in complaints relating to premium services since the introduction of the original Code in In the past year, the TIO has received about 500 new complaints per quarter about the MPS Industry. It s the only category of complaints we receive in which issues related to Billing and Payments are the main issue driving complaints. One of the most important changes in the new MPS Code is that it streamlines the double opt-in process for consumers, which should help make them aware of the financial obligations and costs associated with subscribing to the service, Ombudsman Simon Cohen said. In addition, the new MPS Code also has new advertising rules that oblige content providers to put prices for their services near the premium numbers used to access the service. MPS Providers must also include specific information in their content, including how to stop a subscription, details of the words subscribe/subscription and the provider s helpline contacts. The Code was developed by peak industry body Communications Alliance which also provides the website to give consumers information and frequently asked questions about Premium Services. The website offers the following guidance to consumers: check what you are actually buying check the cost of the service check if it is a subscription or one-off check if your phone is compatible check the terms and conditions ask questions if you are unsure keep records of what you opt-in/ opt-out for, and text STOP at any time to cancel. The ACMA has powers to direct providers to comply with the code and to take court action if necessary. Introducing a new complaint handling system Delivering greater efficiency to the day to day operations of the TIO is a new information technology system, RADaR. With features designed to benefit TIO consumers, service providers and staff alike, RADaR is the culmination of two years of intensive planning and implementation and represents a significant update to the TIO s infrastructure. RADaR is based on Resolve software, a system used by most Australian Ombudsmen. RADaR is an all-inclusive system through which consumer complaints are recorded, letters and s can be generated and sent, and staff workloads are monitored and managed. It automates some previously manual administrative tasks such as sending reminder notices to providers and confirming the response and closure timeframes for complaints. This is the biggest project the TIO has undertaken since its inception. Given the improvements in information technology over the past decade, the nature of the industry we work in and our drive to consistently improve our services, this project highlights our commitment towards striving for excellence, Ombudsman Simon Cohen said. In addition to the hands-on benefits of RADaR, there are also improvements in the data handling facets, which will greatly benefit the TIO s accountability. Since we launched RADaR on 1 May 2012, we have been pleased with our performance, said Mr Cohen. We also appreciate the patience of consumers as TIO staff get used to the operation of this new system. TIO Talks No

6 Managing high bills and debt Have you received a high bill? Do you agree with the charges? Are you able to pay the bill in full? Ongoing affordability Talk to your provider about different ways of reducing your bills and avoiding debt in future. Options can include: setting a hard cap on your service, so your service is limited once your usage reaches an agreed level transferring to a mobile plan that is more suited to your financial circumstances, or transferring to a pre-paid service If you are likely to have ongoing difficulty paying your bills, it is important to talk to your provider as soon as possible. Your provider is required to have a hardship policy and should be able to look at ways you can reasonably pay off the debt while keeping your service active. If you need help addressing financial hardship that extends beyond your telecommunications debt, you can contact the Financial Counselling Hotline on Financial counsellors work from community organisations and offer a free, independent and confidential service. Contact your provider and let them know you are not able to pay your account in full. Ask for a reasonable payment plan that you can afford. Did your provider agree to a suitable payment plan? Check over your account. If you believe there is an error, contact your provider and discuss this. Was the billing issue resolved? Call TIO If you remain dissatisfied by the provider s attempts to resolve the dispute, or you believe they aren t taking your circumstances into account, contact us. Continue to pay what you can afford for any charges you are not disputing while we investigate your complaint. Case study Rebecca s complaint In March 2012, Rebecca contacted us about a billing issue she had been unable to resolve with her provider. She had connected four mobile services on a cap plan in February 2010 and told us her provider had advised her accounts would not exceed the cap amount. When the first bill arrived, it was higher than the cap, so Rebecca contacted her provider who told her that the bill was correct and she was liable for the charges. Rebecca said she did not know she could exceed her cap and had not received any notification that she had reached any limit. She told us that her provider refused to withdraw the charges she disputed. Two years later, following her provider s advice that her four mobile services were out of contract, she transferred them to another provider. By this time, Rebecca had paid a total of $3,250 in excess charges, which she sought to have reimbursed. Included in this amount was a $654 early termination fee she received for one of the services. Rebecca provided the TIO with dates and details of each conversation with her provider, including a conversation she d had about the transfer of her services. Rebecca s provider said its records showed she had disputed charges because of coverage issues, but that it had no record of a complaint about the cap plan. It provided supporting system notes showing that several goodwill credits had been applied to her account in response to her coverage issues, even though Rebecca was regularly exceeding her cap. In addition, Rebecca s provider gave us copies of invoices issued to Rebecca that specified her cap plan and included call allowance. By specifying the plan and call allowance on each invoice and by providing credits that covered the excess usage charges incurred on the first bill, the provider demonstrated that it had reasonably addressed the excess usage charge issue. We felt Rebecca had not taken reasonable steps to address any concerns after receiving her first bill. We advised the provider that it appeared that Rebecca had not been informed about the contract cancellation fee before transferring the mobile services and it agreed to refund the $654 charge. Rebecca accepted that the remaining $2,596 she had already paid were genuine charges. 6 TIO Talks No

7 Number What s happening The TIO continues to focus on improving access to our scheme. During the past three months we have attended community outreach and advocacy events held across four states. Our focus was to raise awareness of the TIO and better understand the issues faced by people with disabilities and those from other disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. Late last year PricewaterhouseCoopers published a report Disability expectations: investing in a better life, a stronger Australia, which highlighted many obstacles that people with disabilities face in everyday life. At the TIO we want to be accessible to all consumers. We continue to work towards this by educating community groups and individuals about our scheme and the different ways they can access our services. On 28 and 29 April, Kara Barbaro and Phillip Money from the TIO s Communication team attended the National Deafness Sector Summit. Kara and Phillip had the opportunity to liaise with people affected by deafness and discuss the many obstacles they face. This visit followed Deaf awareness training to all our staff last year and the operation of the National Relay Service. We have also recently updated our website to feature Auslan videos, and we are working to ensure that our 1800 number can receive text as well as voice calls. Between 8 and 10 February, the TIO attended the Geelong based Having a Say conference for people with intellectual disabilities. On 1 and 2 March, we went to Disability Professionals Victoria s From Strength to Strength conference, held in Melbourne. Our efforts to reach out to newly arrived immigrants have also continued. In February, Member Communications Adviser Kalma Tappin was a keynote speaker at the Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia s Ethnic Leaders Forum in Adelaide. Over the past year, the TIO has visited migrant resource centres in every Australian capital. Newly arrived Australians were also the focus of a money management kit launched by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) at the Auburn Diversity Centre in western Sydney in March. The launch was attended by Deputy Ombudsman Diane Carmody and Community Relations Manager Phillip Money. Kalma Tappin with community members at the Ethnic Leadership forum in Adelaide. Diane Carmody and Phillip Money at the launch of ASIC s multilingual resources kit The TIO is continuing its efforts to reach out to Indigenous Australians. In February, Member Communications Adviser Andrea Ingram and Investigations Officer Brian D Souza attended the All Stars Bumehla Festival on the Gold Coast. This is one of the largest gatherings of Indigenous Australians in South East Queensland. Adding some colour to the TIO s outreach calendar was the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day, held in Sydney during February. The TIO s Louise Young and Ana South joined representatives from other Ombudsman schemes, including the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW, in setting up an information stall. More than 70,000 people attended Fair Day, which was held in Victoria Park, Camperdown. Andrea Ingram and Brian D Souza at the All Stars Buhmela Festival Ana South at the Mardi Gras Fair Day TIO Talks No

8 TIO Events Calendar The TIO plans to attend the following key events as part of our outreach program to consumers and member companies. The outreach program spreads messages about our work and how we can help resolve complaints between consumers or small businesses and their telecommunications provider. Upcoming TIO Board and Council Meetings are also listed. Event Date Location Description TIO Council meeting 26 Jun Melbourne, Vic Regular meeting of a TIO governing body Second National Settlement Conference Jun Adelaide, SA This is a peak conference for settlement service providers, who settle newly arrived migrants. TIO Board meeting 25 Jul Melbourne, Vic Regular meeting of a TIO governing body Business Educators Association of Queensland conference 27 Jul Brisbane, Qld Queensland secondary school teachers conference Meeting of Aboriginal Customer Service Officers - Fair Trading New South Wales 15 Aug Sydney, NSW The TIO will address Fair Trading NSW's Aboriginal Customer Service Officers who service Indigenous communities throughout NSW. TIO Council Meeting 28 Aug Melbourne, Vic Regular meeting of a TIO governing body National Association of Community Legal Centres conference 29 Aug Adelaide, SA Conference of the peak body of Australia's community legal service sector. Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals conference 29 Aug Melbourne, Vic Annual conference of the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals Australian Communications Consumer Action Network conference 3 Sep Sydney, NSW Annual conference of telecommunications consumer advocacy organisation Financial and Consumer Rights Council conference 5 Sep Melbourne, Vic Annual conference of Victorian financial counsellors Financial Counsellors Association of NSW conference 16 Sep Sydney, NSW Annual conference of NSW financial counsellors TIO Board meeting 26 Sep Melbourne, Vic Regular meeting of a TIO governing body Indigenous Rugby League Knockout 28 Sep Raymond Terrace, NSW The knockout is the single biggest Indigenous sporting event in New South Wales Financial Counsellors Conference of WA 15 Oct Perth, WA Annual conference of WA financial counsellors * dates are subject to change Telephone and internet companies must have an opportunity to address a complaint before the TIO will become involved. How to contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman FREECALL FREEFAX Interpreter Service Web (calls from mobiles will be charged at the applicable rates). Opening hours: 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday Postal PO Box 276 Collins Street West VIC tio@tio.com.au If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, please contact us through the National Relay Service: TTY users phone then ask for Speak and Listen users phone then ask for Internet relay users connect to the NRS (www relayservice.com.au) and then ask for If you would like to be on our mailing list for TIO Talks, please subscribe online at TIO Talks is a regular publication of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Limited. It is produced for the information of consumers and providers of telecommunications services in Australia. The contents of this publication are copyright and may be reproduced only with the permission of the publisher. Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman 8 TIO Talks No