Consumer rights ignored too often in telecom and TV sectors

Frustration over dealings with communications companies should not be unexpected in a city where the free market is king. Arming oneself with a machete, folding knife and knuckleduster, as one young man did to have i-Cable see things his way over a cable television service, is obviously going too far. But unlawful as such an act is, he nonetheless had a measure of sympathy from Hongkongers who have long been given the runaround by cable and phone firms. Procedures for terminating contracts are confusing and complaints frequent; self-regulation is obviously not always enough.

There are all manner of tactics used by some firms to attract and keep customers. Requiring a credit card and years-long contracts are standard for the industry, practices that are less usual elsewhere. While service termination is often spelt out, it can be less straightforward in reality. Mailed forms are seemingly ignored, customer hotlines can go unanswered, bills can appear long after a contract has ended and penalty fees applied for non-return of equipment where no such requirement had previously been indicated.

Months can pass without resolution, leading to customers resorting to extreme measures to end contracts. A letter from a lawyer is not unheard of; threatening and attacking staff has now been turned to, with an i-Cable guard wounded and another staff member sustaining minor injuries. It is an isolated case, but one that has to prompt authorities to take a closer look at industry practices.

In our free market environment, companies are expected to self-regulate, and only when that does not work should authorities step in with guidelines, then rules and, when all else fails, laws. Complaints to the Office of the Communications Authority and Consumer Council are no guarantee of satisfaction. All aspects of the telecommunications and television industries are regulated except the part relating to customer services. Perhaps it is time the government looked into rules on the consumer side of the business.