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The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today (April 30) welcomed the implementation of the voluntary Customer Complaint Settlement Scheme (CCSS) on a long-term basis by the telecommunications industry in Hong Kong starting from May 1, 2015.
To help resolve, by means of mediation, billing disputes in deadlock between telecommunications service providers and their residential/personal customers, the OFCA encouraged and facilitated the trial operation of a voluntary CCSS by the telecommunications industry for a period of two years starting from November 1, 2012. The mediation service was provided by an independent mediation service centre (CCSS Centre) set up under the Communications Association of Hong Kong (CAHK), an industry association representing the communications sector in Hong Kong, with the participation of all major telecommunications service providers in Hong Kong. The OFCA supported the trial CCSS by contributing the necessary funding, screening the CCSS applications against prescribed criteria, and monitoring the performance and the governance of the scheme.
"During the two-year trial period, the OFCA received 357 eligible cases for the CCSS. All these cases were satisfactorily resolved through either mediation or further negotiation between the two parties, save for one single case where despite the fact that verbal agreement was reached between the parties, the customer did not turn up to sign the written settlement agreement," a spokesman for the OFCA said.
"The OFCA and the telecommunications industry have completed the assessment on the effectiveness of the trial CCSS. Having regard to the encouraging outcome of the trial with almost 100 per cent of the eligible cases successfully settled, the proven demand from customers and the positive feedback from participating service providers, the OFCA has decided to support the long-term implementation of the CCSS on the basis of the framework adopted in the trial scheme.
"The long-term implementation of the CCSS as administered by CAHK will commence on May 1, 2015. The OFCA will continue to sponsor the operation of the CCSS by contributing the necessary funding and playing an active role in monitoring the performance and the governance of the scheme," the spokesman added.
Telecommunications service users who wish to make use of the mediation service provided by the CCSS Centre for resolving billing disputes in deadlock with participating service providers under the CCSS may first contact the OFCA. The OFCA will refer accepted cases to the CCSS Centre for follow-up action. Telecommunications service users may contact the OFCA at 2180 9521 or visit the OFCA website (www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/fixed_telecom/ccss/index.html) to learn more about the CCSS.
Detailed information about the CCSS operated by the CAHK, including the list of participating service providers, is available at the CAHK website (ccss.cahk.hk).
Ends/Thursday, April 30, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:35
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