ITSPA Offer Consumer Complaints Guidance for UK VoIP Providers

The Internet Telephony Services Providers Association, a trade body for the United Kingdom’s Voice-over-IP (VoIP) industry, has today introduced a new Complaints Handling Code and Guidance for its members to ensure that consumers are treated properly.

Apparently legal services provider Osborne Clarke LLP helped to put the new document together, which is important because it’s now a legal requirement for Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to have a “clear written customer complaints handling code” in place. This is what VoIP providers must follow in the event of a complaint being made by domestic or small business customers.

Eli Katz, Chair of ITSPA, said:

“ITSPA was delighted to work with Osborne Clarke to produce this model complaints code, which is available exclusively to ITSPA members I encourage members to make use of this highly valuable document to ensure that they remain compliant with the legal requirements in this area. This document provides yet another excellent benefit of ITSPA membership.”

Jon Fell, Partner at Osborne Clarke LLP, added:

“In recent years the industry has seen a couple of high profile cases of companies being fined for failing to comply with the legal requirements regarding complaints handling. Osborne Clarke welcomed the chance to collaborate with ITSPA to produce the model complaints handling code and comprehensive guidance note which will help ITSPA members comply with existing legislation.”

Sadly the new document is not available to the public via the ITSPA’s website yet and so we can’t scrutinise it, although it is available privately to members or by making a request to the ITSPA Secretariat.