Ref: 42/02
Date: 28 June 2002

New advice to help consumers make the most of their telephone services has been published today by Oftel.

Your rights and choices as a telephone customer offers clear, practical advice to consumers on how to make the best choice from the different companies and services on offer.

The leaflet also sets out what consumers are entitled to from their telephone company once they have signed up - and how to complain if the company does not provide the service they expect.

The leaflet has been put together with the help of consumers who gave feedback on what advice would be most useful to them as telephone customers.

David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications said today:

"These new leaflets will help consumers make sensible, well-informed decisions when choosing from the growing number of telephone companies and services.

"Confident consumers who know their rights and shop around are able to gain real benefits from an increasingly competitive telecoms market.

"I continue to work closely with the industry to make sure that clear, good quality information is available to enable consumers to take full advantage of the wide choice available to them.

"I will be publishing new information for mobile consumers and people who want to access the Internet from home later in the summer."

The consumer guides are widely available to consumers from citizens advice bureaux, trading standards offices and libraries around the country as well as directly from Oftel.

Notes to editors

1. The consumer guide is also available from Oftel's website at www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/consumer/consguides/cons0602.htm. Hard copies are available to the media from the Press Office on 020 7634 8991 and to the public from the Research and Information Unit on 020 7634 8761. The guides are available on request from Oftel in large print, Braille and in Welsh.