Expatica news

Complaints about phone services on the up

7 June 2005

BRUSSELS – Belgium’s independent telecoms watchdog received 3,000 more complaints about shoddy service last year than it did in 2003, the organisation confirmed on Tuesday.

In 2004, the Service de Mediation pour les Telecommunications/ Ombudsdienst voor Telecommunicatie (SMT/OT), received 12,742 individual complaints, exactly 3,000 more than the previous year, La Derniere Heure reported.

The biggest number of complaints concerned unscrupulous internet companies who tricked web surfers into dialling up expensive premium telephone services, often without their knowledge.

But the number of complaints about nuisance and threatening telephone calls also went up.

The report contained some good news for Belgium’s biggest telecoms operator, Belgacom.

In 2004 the total percentage of complaints directed at the former public service operator fell compared to the previous year.

In 2003, 60.9 percent of all complaints received by the SMT/OT were directed at Belgacom.

In 2004 the figure was 49.03 percent.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news