Telecommunications Dispute Resolution service (TDR) is here to help Kiwis to resolve issues with their broadband, mobile and home phone providers, and every six months we share a snapshot of what we are seeing.

Overview of this period

Our report for the first half of 2022 is now available here.

TDR received 1,253 enquiries in this six-month period. This is up 33% from the preceding six months and is 34% higher than the same period last year. Volumes are now similar to our pre-pandemic levels in early 2020 (1,231) and early 2019 (1,341).

Our focus remains on resolving matters as early as possible. 97.1% of enquiries were resolved during the first step in our process, where telecommunication providers have an opportunity to work with their customer directly. As we have had higher volumes of customers contacting us, we have seen an increase in the number of cases requiring formal dispute resolution assistance. 31 complaints were resolved through facilitation, mediation and adjudication, which is 72% more than the previous six-month period. While based on volume alone this seems high, relative to the enquiries received in each period pleasingly the proportion of enquiries that progress through our complaints stage has remained consistent at 2%.

Billing (42.7%) and customer service (16.7%) remain the highest drivers for telecommunications complaints. Disputed charges in relation to billing continues to be the top recurring complaint theme, with 282 people enquiring about a charge on their bill. Account errors were also prominent with 108 people raising this issue. Faults (13.5%) have seen an increase from 8.8% since our last report. Some examples of faults reported include delays in service restoration, issues with equipment, and network faults.

We hope you find this report useful and learn more about how TDR can help untangle issues. We are free and independent, so please get in touch if you need some assistance resolving a complaint with your phone or internet provider. You can contact us by email at contact@tdr.org.nz, online at www.tdr.org.nz or by freephone on 0508 98 98 98.

 

TDR Biannual Report - 2022 Part One

TDR Biannual Report – January to June 2022

 

For more information

To find out more about TDR, please visit www.tdr.org.nz

For media enquiries, please contact Nora.McGlinchey@FairWayResolution.com.