BT has launched a new campaign, supported by Trading Standards Institute, calling on UK communications regulator Ofcom to take action to put an end to what it refers as ‘mis-selling’ misery caused by fixed line telecoms companies.
The campaign is pushing for a new process to prevent customers becoming victims of ‘mis-selling’ scams as well as providing advice on how consumers can protect themselves from the ‘scammers’.
John Petter, managing director of consumer division at BT, said: “We need to slam the slammers. The process we’re proposing will put an end to mis-selling misery for good, protect consumers and safeguard fair competition. Ofcom’s own data shows that a consumer protection pin code would eliminate mis-selling.
“It’s criminal that this has been going on at this level for more than five years. I can’t think of any other industry where this would be considered acceptable. It really is time that this was stamped out.”
BT claims that more than 800,000 of their customers have complained that they have been scammed by another telecoms company. According to Ofcom, one in forty UK households, that is half a million families, fall victim to the mis-sellers every year. The watchdog estimated the cost to consumers to be £40m last year.
The campaign proposes a new system to protect consumers from being scammed, based around a simple consumer pin code. If users want to switch phone companies, they would contact existing supplier for a pin code, which can then be passed on to a new supplier.
BT expects the new process would make it easier for consumers to switch suppliers while safeguarding them against being mis-sold and could also be adopted as the standard switching process for all communications services, including packages or ‘bundled’ services.
Ron Gainsford, chief executive of Trading Standards Institute (TSI), said: “We’re very much in favour of the telecoms industry adopting the consumer protection pin code system. We believe that it will stamp out at source the sort of rogue trading practice that has been plaguing telecoms consumers for more than five years.”
As part of the campaign, TSI and BT have produced ‘Talk to the Hand’, a free guide that features five simple steps that customers can take to protect themselves from landline mis-selling.
