NewsWhore
04-19-2011, 08:50 PM
In the first months of the year there have been 10 breakdowns of Claro and Orange that have affected hundreds of thousands of customers. Reports are that Claro has had 7 breakdowns and Orange three, with different services and areas affected.
According to numbers from the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), since January 2002 until March 2011, the customers have received RD$29 million in credits, and through arbitration, RD$48.6 million, for a total of RD$87.7 million returned to clients.
In 2009, the service providers compensated their billed customers. The companies have not compensated users of pre-paid cards for the service problems. These users are the majority. Now Indotel has initiated a process seeking compensation of 5 minutes for the pre-paid customers that make up 85% of all cell phone users.
Indotel authorities wants to make it clear that they are not indifferent regarding the breakdowns in service that affect customers. Indotel calls on telecom service consumers to call 311 to notify the problems.
Indotel president David Perez, together with Virginia Martinez Corominas, the manager of consumer protection, Domingo Tavarez, from the board of directors and Santo Domingo Henriquez, from the Department of Inspection explained to Diario Libre reporters that the telephone blackouts are breakdowns caused by failures, in some cases, even of the cutting of the fiber optic cables. But the service provider is the entity responsible for maintaining and fulfilling the continuity of service.
Perez said that when the telephone blackouts occur, the service providers are in the obligation of compensating the customers. He admitted contractual regulations establish that the suspension for breakdowns or of any sort has to be for 24 hours in order for it to be compensated.
Now, Indotel is trying to modify the current regulations and reduce from 24 to 4 hours of service suspension the time requirement for consumers to claim compensation and other benefits.
In addition, Indotel is trying to get pre-paid card users compensated, and not just those that are billed regularly on grounds that the customer has a right to receive the service.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
According to numbers from the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), since January 2002 until March 2011, the customers have received RD$29 million in credits, and through arbitration, RD$48.6 million, for a total of RD$87.7 million returned to clients.
In 2009, the service providers compensated their billed customers. The companies have not compensated users of pre-paid cards for the service problems. These users are the majority. Now Indotel has initiated a process seeking compensation of 5 minutes for the pre-paid customers that make up 85% of all cell phone users.
Indotel authorities wants to make it clear that they are not indifferent regarding the breakdowns in service that affect customers. Indotel calls on telecom service consumers to call 311 to notify the problems.
Indotel president David Perez, together with Virginia Martinez Corominas, the manager of consumer protection, Domingo Tavarez, from the board of directors and Santo Domingo Henriquez, from the Department of Inspection explained to Diario Libre reporters that the telephone blackouts are breakdowns caused by failures, in some cases, even of the cutting of the fiber optic cables. But the service provider is the entity responsible for maintaining and fulfilling the continuity of service.
Perez said that when the telephone blackouts occur, the service providers are in the obligation of compensating the customers. He admitted contractual regulations establish that the suspension for breakdowns or of any sort has to be for 24 hours in order for it to be compensated.
Now, Indotel is trying to modify the current regulations and reduce from 24 to 4 hours of service suspension the time requirement for consumers to claim compensation and other benefits.
In addition, Indotel is trying to get pre-paid card users compensated, and not just those that are billed regularly on grounds that the customer has a right to receive the service.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)