Consumer Council wants code of practice to pull service providers into line
The Consumer Council wants to work with regulators to draw up a code of practice for telecoms and broadcasting services.
This follows a surge in complaints last year about sales tactics in the competitive industry.
Telecoms operators accounted for the largest number of complaints, 7,740 - a 9 per cent rise on the previous year - out of 26,750 cases last year. There were also 1,019 complaints against broadcasting services, a 202 per cent increase on the 337 cases in 2003.
Council chairman Andrew Chan Chi-fai said many complaints were about the sales tactics of service providers - including internet, fixed telecom lines, fax and mobile phone services
'[Telecoms] companies have their way of selling their services, but what consumers have purchased isn't what they initially wanted,' he said.
Council chief executive Pamela Chan Wong-shui said some companies were doubling-up charges by luring customers to subscribe to more services.
