Complaints about Australian telcos were down 24 per cent during the September quarter, despite the Optus hack falling within this period.
Overall complaints were down to 16,310 – a drop of 8.6 per cent from the June quarter, and 23.9 per cent down from the same period last year.
Mobile issues made up 47 per cent of complaints, the only sector where complaints increased from last quarter, albeit a modest two per cent.
Internet complaints were down by 17 per cent, with landline issues down 22 per cent.
“It’s great to see overall complaints decline this quarter,” Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s Cynthia Gebert said.
“There also continues to be some really good improvements from the industry, with many telcos recording decreases in complaint numbers.”
The Optus hack meant that 498 complaints relating to personal data came during a single week at the end of September.
“This is an evolving situation and the issues related to the data breach will continue to emerge in the following quarters,” Gebert said
“It’s really scary to have your personal information exposed.
“We’ve established a dedicated team to look at these complaints specifically and we’re working closely with Optus and the relevant parties so that we can resolve complaints as efficiently and effectively as possible during an already stressful time for consumers.”
