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11 April 2001
New leaflets to help
consumers make the best use of the wide range of telephone services
available have been published today by Oftel.
The four leaflets offer clear, practical advice to consumers on:
- Choosing a telephone
company - information about the different types of telephone service
on offer to consumers and how to make the right choice.
- How to complain
about your telephone service - advice on how to make an effective
complaint about your telephone company.
- Your rights as
a telephone user - the rights that all UK consumers are entitled to
as part of their telephone service.
- The role of Oftel
– how Oftel helps consumers, who to speak to and information
on other useful organisations.
David
Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications said today:
"Oftel's leaflets provide consumers with the clear information
they need to make the right choice from the increasing number of telecoms
services available to them.
"Last year Oftel research showed that a third of consumers didn't
know that they could keep their number when changing phone companies
and 47 per cent didn't know they could bar expensive calls being made
from their phone.
"This sort of information is vital if consumers are going to be
able to stand up for themselves and get the best from their telephone
service."
Patricia
Hewitt, E-Commerce
Minister welcomed the publication of the guides:
"These guides will help consumers of telecoms services to make
informed, educated choices in a complex marketplace. Knowledgeable consumers
can shop around to ensure they get a good deal - and that is a key driving
force in helping to create truly competitive markets."
David Edmonds added that Oftel would continue to work closely with the
industry to improve the quality of information available to consumers:
"Ensuring the availability of consumer information is an important
part of Oftel's work. I will be discussing these issues at the regular
meetings I hold with the heads of major telecommunications companies.
"There are a number of useful initiatives already in place. For
example, the website, www.phonebills.org.uk is already helping many
UK consumers to get a better deal from
their phone company.
"These leaflets will help make more
consumers aware of the services, information and the rights to which
they are entitled."
Notes to Editors
1. The consumer guides are also available from Oftel's website at www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/consumer/consguides.htm.
Hard copies are available to the media from the Press Office on 020
7634 8991 and to the public from the Research and Intelligence Unit
on 020 7634 8761. The guides are available on request from Oftel
in large print, Braille and in Welsh.
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