PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH CONSUMER COMPLAINTS BY THE INDEPENDENT COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (ICASA)
1. What types of complaints can a consumer lodge with ICASA?
A consumer can lodge any consumer complaint against any person licensed by ICASA to provide communications services such as broadcasting, telecommunications, Internet or postal services. Examples of such companies licensed by ICASA are Telkom, Vodacom, MTN and Cell C, amongst others.
2. How do I lodge such a complaint with ICASA?
2.1. Consumers must lodge their complaints firstly with the Service Provider with whom they have transacted with, before forwarding the matter to ICASA.
2.2. Should a consumer not get his/her complaint resolved by the Customer Care Representative of the Service Provider, he/she must demand that the complaint be handled by the Supervisor of the Customer Care Representative.
2.3. Should the complaint not be resolved at that level, the complainant must demand that the complaint be handled by the relevant Manager until all the relevant levels of seniority have been given an opportunity to resolve the complaint before forwarding it to ICASA.
3. What proof must I get to show that I have given the Service Provider an opportunity to resolve my case before approaching ICASA?
3.1. The complainants must demand to be given the Reference Number for the complaint they lodge with their respective Service Providers.
3.2. Alternatively, complainants must note down the names of the person they dealt with and the dates when they lodged a complaint, as well as all other dates when they made enquiries or had discussions with the Service Provider, regarding their complaint.
4. What if my complaint is still not resolved after I shall have given a Service Provider an opportunity to resolve my complaint?
The complainant can forward the complaint to ICASA after exhausting all the above avenues without success.
5. How do I sent my complaint to ICASA?
All consumer complaints must be sent to the Consumer Affairs division either by post, fax, e-mail, telephonically or by simply walking in to the ICASA office at the area near you, as written at the bottom of this page.
N.B. Complainants who walk in to lodge a complaint will still be required to put their complaint in writing.
6. What will the Consumer Affairs division of ICASA do after receiving my complaint?
6.1. The Consumer Affairs Division will acknowledge receipt of a complaint within two working days.
6.2. The acknowledgement letter shall state the case Reference Number and the Officer who will be dealing with the complaint. Complainants must quote this Reference Number and the responsible Officer at all times when they make enquiries about progress on their complaint.
7. What will the Consumer Affairs do with my complaint after they shall have received it, acknowledged it and registered it?
The Consumer Affairs Division will take up the complaint with the relevant the Service Provider, within two working days, upon receipt of a complaint.
8. How long should I wait for the respondent to resolve my complaint?
ICASA will demand a response from the Service Provider within 14 working days upon receipt of a complaint, in compliance with the applicable regulations.
9. What will ICASA do with the response from the Service Provider?
ICASA will appraise the complainant about how the complaint was resolved upon receipt of a response and enquire from the complainant if he/she is satisfied with the outcome. If the complainant is satisfied, the complaint shall be considered as finalised.
10. What if I, the complainant, am not satisfied with the response from the Service Provider?
The Consumer Affairs will re-look into the merits of the facts of both the complainant and the respondent and on the basis of that, determine if the complaint should be escalated to the Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC) for adjudication.
11. What are the processes which are being followed?
11.1. ICASA may appoint an internal Officer to make representations on behalf of the complainants to the CCC, or
11.2. the complainants may make their own representations, should they so demand or request.
12. What if I have a third party (representative) whom I have appointed to work on my complaint on my behalf through all these processes?
12.1. The actual complainant will have to sent his/her third party/representative with a written letter of consent confirming that the third party/representative is indeed lodging a complaint on the complainant’s behalf.
12.2. Such a letter must indicate whether a third party/representative is lodging a complaint on behalf of a complainant in return for monetary gain.
12.3. Third parties lodging complaints on behalf of complainants for monetary gain shall make their own representations to the CCC, should the complaint be escalated to this Committee.
Electronic Communications Network Services complaints contact the Consumer Affairs Department on:
011 566 3000 or e-mail consumer@icasa.co.za