NTC pledges quicker action on complaints vs telcos

NAGA CITY --- The regional office of the National Telecommunications Commission based in Legazpi City advised subscribers of telephone and communication companies to file their formal complaints with their office so that they could be acted upon with dispatch and accordingly.

NTC Regional Director Ariel Padilla’s response came after City Councilor Joe Perez made representation with his office regarding local subscribers’ complaints that they were being obliged to pay in full their monthly bills despite the lack of service since Typhoon Tisoy hit Bicol in December last year that brought major telecommunication lines down.

In a formal communication sent to the city councilor, Padilla cited NTC Memorandum Circular No. 15-06-2007, or the Consumer Protection Guidelines with states that aggrieved consumers may bring their complaints directly to the service providers who should act on those concerns promptly. These service providers, he said, should receive on phone and shall keep a record of all written or phone-in complaints.

Within 30 days from receipt of the complaint, the service provider shall either verify and advise the subscriber of the latter’s authorization of the disputed charge or undertake to credit the disputed charge and any valid late charges or penalties to the subscriber’s bill or credit.

If the service provider fails to address such complaint in 30 days, the subscriber may file a formal written complaint with the NTC in a prescribed form for the final disposition of such complaint.

Padilla said the complaint shall be decided within 15 days from the time an investigation of the complaint terminated or submitted for resolution.

According to the memorandum circular mentioned earlier, a subscriber or consumer should not be charged for the time during which supposed to be continuing or continuous service, such as cable TV signal, Internet, and similar communication service, was interrupted through no fault of the subscriber (such as Typhoon Tisoy).

The nature of complaint, the NTC said, may involve billing, poor service, spam, scam, denial of subscription plan, and others that the subscriber may specify.

Meanwhile, Perez said his office is willing to assist aggrieved subscribers who may wish to bring their complaints to the NTC, especially at this time that communication lines have not yet been fully restored in many parts of Legazpi City, including the regional government center where the NTC holds office.

Perez has been chair of the Sanggunian Panlungsod committee on trade and investments and head the city’s price coordinating council that also attends to consumer rights and welfare, said copies of the prescribed Complaint Form sent to him by NTC regional office are available at his office for free.