Redress

All Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are committed to deliver a service in accordance with the service levels agreed to in your contract. However, this does not mean that the service is fault-free and whenever you experience a problem, there are a few steps you may need to follow to solve your problems. The following guidelines will assist you whenever you encounter such issues.

Type of Quality of Service Issues
The most common type of issues reported to the MCA are:

• Faults (Complete or Intermittent Service Shutdown); or
• Slow internet connection

 

Troubleshooting and Reporting a Problem
The first thing you need to check is that all the equipment provided by your ISP is correctly plugged in and switched on.

• If you are still experiencing an issue and you have a complete service shutdown, you should contact your service provider to report the fault.  The issues causing faults may vary and could include, amongst others, network outage or network failure; damages to your internal wiring;  damages to your modem; misuse; force majeure; interference; etc.
  
  

• If you experience slow internet speeds you may need to conduct a few internet speed tests before contacting your service provider.
  This is what you should to conduct a thorough speed test:
• Whenever possible, make sure your modem is directly connected by means of a network cable to the equipment on which your are testing the service;

• When your equipment is directly connected to the modem, ensure that you disable the WiFi from your device; and

•  Try to use different devices when testing your speed attainability. Log on to www.speedtest.net using your browser and run a few speed tests to achieve a more accurate picture of the quality of your service.

If it results that the attainable speed is lower than the typical speed range as specified in your contract, you should contact your service provider.

 

Restoring the Services
The ISP is responsible to ensure that your issues are addressed in the shortest time possible and should be able to advise you on how and when your service will be restored. Your ISP will first try to diagnose your technical problem remotely however, when this is not possible, a technician may need to visit your premises to conduct further tests.

Not all providers charge for technician visits however, some ISPs may apply charges if it results that the fault originated due to factors for which they are not responsible.  Therefore you should enquire about this point with your service provider when setting an appointment for the technician’s visit.  Most ISPs may also offer temporary alternative ways of accessing your service (e.g. mobile data dongles) particularly when the fault restoration may take some time to be completed. Remember to enquire with your service provider about these options when reporting the fault.

 

Escalating your Complaint
If, after having gone through your service provider’s complaint handling procedures, you remain unsatisfied with the response and/or solution offered by your service provider, you may refer your complaint to the MCA.  The extent of the action the MCA can take in relation to a complaint depends on the particulars of the issues involved and on the MCA's relevant legal powers.  The MCA will follow-up your matter with your service provider until the necessary remedial action/s are taken.  During this process, the MCA will provide you with all the relevant information on the matter, so that you will have a better understanding of what your service provider’s obligations are, what your rights are and the possible courses of action available to you.

 

Compensation
Service providers publish the maximum timeframes they implement to address arising faults and the compensation and refund arrangements made to subscribers who experience a fault. Service providers may agree to offer you additional compensation, depending on the nature of your fault.  If however, you are still not satisfied with the redress provided, you may file a claim before the Consumer Claims Tribunal. This Tribunal is empowered to determine disputes between customers and traders.