NCC launches full-scale investigation into network service providers
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) will spend the next 12 months unpacking claims that certain mobile network service providers were proposing unfair call and data tariff increases.
In April, following a public uproar over proposed cellular tariff hikes and the receipt of consumer complaints against the proposed changes, the commission initiated an inquiry into the claims.
The inquiry had now become a full-scale investigation into the network service providers and the relevant terms and conditions, as the actions seemingly went against the Consumer Protection Act, which determined that a supplier was required to notify the consumer in writing or any other recordable form of any material changes to a fixed-term contract.
It was also presumed unfair for a supplier to increase the initially agreed-upon price in a contract term without giving the consumer the right to terminate the agreement.
Consumers who felt the network service providers would be acting unfairly if they increased the tariffs of existing fixed-term contract holders had aimed thirty-one complaints at Vodacom and one against Cell C.
This emerged as cellular-related complaints ranked third-highest among the complaints received by the NCC in the 2014/15 financial year.
Of the 946 complaints, 25% related to contract cancellation, 24% to poor service delivery and 21% to defective handsets.
The NCC had informed the network providers of the impending investigation after obtaining more information from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, MTN, Neotel, Vodacom and Cell C.
The NCC aimed to conclude the investigation within a year.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation