When it comes to the top services that New Zealanders complain about, the Commerce Commission says that the telecommunications companies that provide our phone and broadband services top the list.
Unsurprisingly, there are several aspects of their broadband service that customers may take issue with. This could be complicated offers and deals, unsubstantiated claims about the “best price’ or “best deal”, slow data speed and poor quality of service. In fact, only 51 per cent of consumers were happy with the service they got from their internet provider.
In our increasingly connected world it’s unsurprising that broadband is so high on the list of complaints. We rely on our broadband connections more than ever for entertainment, staying connected with friends and family, and for work.
The Commerce Commission said that some customers were upset because it was not always clear how price and quality compared for competing deals. It was sometimes hard to understand the offers presented to them, sometimes because they were “bundled” in a way that was hard to unpick.
The Commission said that "Many consumers report feeling that the claims [telcos] make about the quality or features of their offers may not be easily substantiated. For instance, consumers have explained that they were not sure about a trader's offer of the 'best price' or 'best deal' in the market. Other complainants allege that a trader promised a speed and quality of broadband that the consumer did not believe they receive,".
Jessica Wilson, head of research at Consumer NZ, said telcos were at the top of its list of most commonly complained about services, too. Slow data speeds were the most common problem reported for both mobile and broadband users, followed by disconnections and drop-outs.
In a market with over 100 internet providers across the country, we think there is no reason for the 49% of people to be unhappy with their service provider!
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The top 5 products and services that New Zealanders complain about are:
