UPDATE2 Ofcom Probe True Telecom Over Switching and Contract Complaints

Kent-based broadband ISP True Telecom has attracted Ofcom’s gaze after a number of customer complaints prompted the regulator to open an own-initiative investigation into how the provider handles, or potentially mishandles, consumer contracts and service migrations.

Ofcom said that its probe would focus upon whether True Telecom had complied with its obligations under General Condition 22, General Condition 9 and any relevant consumer protection legislation since 1st October 2015. The regulator doesn’t normally launch such investigations unless enough complaints point to a particular trend.

Ofcom’s Statement

GC22 covers migrations of Communications Services within the Openreach and KCOM Access Networks. This condition includes provisions that protect consumers from harmful sales and marketing practices, ensures essential information about a contract is provided at the point of sale, and safeguards consumers’ basic cancellation rights.

GC9 covers rules relating to contracts in respect of the provision of information, the length of contracts and the conditions for termination.

The CPRs prohibit misleading actions and omissions and generally unfair commercial practices. Ofcom has powers to take action in respect of these prohibitions under Part 8 EA02.

At this stage no firm time-scale has been attached to the probe, although it usually takes a fair few months before any provisional conclusions are reached.

UPDATE 26th October 2016

The CEO of True Telecom, Stuart Griffiths, has told Mobile Today that they were “shocked to receive this investigation, but due to our volume increase it was a little expected. True Telecom is three years old and since the beginning of 2016 we’ve doubled our customer base. We’ve always worked closely with regulators, when new conditions are put into place we work hard to meet them and to provide a fully transparent business approach with Ofcom.”

However it doesn’t take more than a quick search to find plenty of complaints about the ISP, with many alleging that True Telecom cold-called them and sometimes allegedly used misleading selling tactics, among other things. But Griffiths denies this and states that the provider is “heavily focused on internal compliance, all our calls are recorded and we receive verbal agreement on all contracts.”

UPDATE 1st August 2017

Ofcom has found that True Telecom may have breached their rules (here).