Phone companies have topped the Consumer Council's complaints blacklist for the third year running, with the number of grievances rocketing by more than 50 per cent in 2001.
Telecommunications services attracted 4,684 complaints, a 51 per cent increase over the previous year's 3,111.
A spokeswoman for the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (Ofta) said it had received 1,734 complaints last year.
Consumers were mainly concerned that operators did not provide adequate notice about fee rises or did not give the opportunity to shop around for competing services before the rises took effect.
The rise in complaints began with the price wars that erupted when Hongkong Telecom lost its monopoly and IDD was deregulated in January 1999. Unwary customers were lured into signing up for 'cheap deals' only to find prices were later increased or surprise bills arrived. As a result, the council joined forces with Ofta to draft a new industry code of practice, which took effect this month.
Council chairman Andrew Chan Chi-fai said the number of telecom complaints could be explained by a corresponding growth in the number of operators and users entering the market. He urged consumers to take note of contracts' small print.
