Know Understand Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal Regulations, 2012 TRAI Launched TCCMS Telecom Consumers Complaint Monitoring System

Know Understand Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal Regulations, 2012 TRAI Launched TCCMS Telecom Consumers Complaint Monitoring System 


Consumer protection is one of the focus areas of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Telecom Consumers Complaint Monitoring System (TCCMS) facilitates the telecom consumer to reach their respective service provider’s complaint lodging portal, in case they have a complaint. 



The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 does not mandate resolution or redressal of individual complaints by TRAI. The Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal Regulations, 2012 notified by TRAI provide for resolution of consumer complaints by the complaint centre and Appellate Authority established by service providers.

 The consumers need to take the following steps to get their complaint redressed:-

Step 1:Contact the complaint center of the service provider on a toll free number and obtain a unique complaint number called the docket number at the first instance for redressal of their complaint. The service provider shall intimate the date and time of registration of the complaint, the docket number and the time within which the complaint is likely to be resolved and action taken on the complaint.

Step 2: In case a consumer is not satisfied with the redressal of his complaint by the Complaint Centre or his complaint remains unaddressed and no intimation of the redressal of the complaint is received within the specified period, such consumer may make an appeal to the Appellate Authority of the concerned service provider for redressal of his complaint.

These regulations  may  be  called  the  Telecom  Consumers  Complaint  Redressal Regulations, 2012.

(3)  These  regulations  shall  apply  to  all  service  providers,  including  Bharat Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  and  Mahanagar  Telephone  Nigam  Limited,  being  the companies registered under the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956)] providing,--

(i)    Basic Telephone Service

(ii)    Unified Access Services


(iii)    Cellular Mobile Telephone Service

(iv)    Internet Service


3.  Establishment  of  Complaint  Centre----

(1)    Every  service  provider shall,  within  forty-five  days  from  the  date  of  commencement  of  these regulations,  establish  a  Complaint  Centre  for  redressal  of  complaints  and  for addressing service requests of its consumers;

Provided    that    the  Call  Centre,  setup  by  the  service  provider  in
accordance  with  the  Telecom  Consumers  Protection  and  Redressal  of
Grievances Regulations, 2007 (3 of 2007) dated 4th May, 2007, shall continue to be the Complaint Centre for the purpose of these regulations;
Provided further that a service provider, who is providing different services
in  a    licensed  service  area,  may,  at  its  option,  set  up  one  or  more  Complaint

Centres, being common or separate, for such services being provided by it;
Provided also that a Complaint Centre for a service area shall provide the
service  in  the  local  language  of  that  service  area  in  addition  to  Hindi  and English.

Every Complaint Centre shall be accessible to the consumers between 0800
hrs and 2400 hrs on all days of the week.

Every  service  provider  shall  ensure  that  the  Complaint  Center  is  also
accessible  through  the  network  of  other  service  providers  by  earmarking  a specific number.

Every  service  provider  shall  ensure  that  an  Interactive  Voice  Response
System or IVRS, if  installed  on a “Consumer Care  Number”,  is operated  in the following manner:-

(a) the first level of the IVRS provides for language selection;

(b) the  second  level  of  the  IVRS  provides  for  options  relating  to  the  broad categories of complaints and service requests

(c) the third level of the IVRS provides for a sub-menu under complaints and service requests, separately

Provided that the sub-menu in the third level shall also contain an option
enabling the consumer to speak to a consumer care agent.

Setting  up  of  General  Information  Number----
(1)  Every  service provider  shall,  within  forty-five  days  from  the  date  of  commencement  of  these regulations, establish a “General Information Number” for providing information to consumers; Provided  that  this  is  not  mandatory  where  general  information  is  also provided on the Consumer Care Number on a toll free basis.

Every  service  provider  shall,  within  forty-five  days  of  coming  into    force  of  these regulations, establish a ‘Web Based Complaint Monitoring System’ to enable the consumers to monitor the status of their complaints.

Every service provider shall ----

(a)  immediately  on  establishment  of  the  ‘Web  Based  Complaint  Monitoring System’, under sub-regulation (1), publish information about the address of  the  ‘Web  Based  Complaint  Monitoring  System’  and  the  process  for monitoring the complaints in a leading newspaper in Hindi or English and in  a  leading  newspaper  in  the  local  language  of  the  service  area  and through the telephone bills issued by the service provider;

(b) continue to make available such information in the telephone bills issued by  the  service  provider  and  also  publish  once  in  six  months  in  the newspapers in the manner prescribed

Every  Complaint  Centre  shall,  immediately  on  receipt  of  a  complaint  from  a consumer, register such complaint and allot a unique number to be called the docket number;

Provided  that  the    docket  number  assigned  under  clause  (a)  of  sub-regulation  (1)  of  regulation  4  of  the  Telecom  Consumers  Protection  and Redressal of Grievances Regulations, 2007 (3 of 2007), shall continue to be the docket number for the purpose of these regulations;

Provided  further  that  the  Authority  may,  if  deemed  necessary,  specify  a format for docket number.

Every  service  provider  shall  retain  in  the  system,  the  details  of  complaints against each docket number for a minimum period of three months.

Every Complaint Centre shall.----

 (a) at the time of registering of the complaint,----

(i)communicate,  through  SMS,  to  the  consumer  the  docket  number,  date and time of registration of the  complaint  and  the  time within  which the complaint is likely to be resolved; and

(ii)update the system with the date and time of registration of the complaint, docket number assigned under sub-regulation (1), the telephone number of the consumer, and the time indicated to the consumer for resolution of the complaint;

(b) on completion of action on a complaint.----

(i)  communicate  to  the  consumer,  through  SMS,  the  details  of  the  action
taken on the complaint; and

(ii) update the system with the details of action taken.

Time  limit  for  redressal  of  complaints  or  addressing  service
requests of consumers----

(1) Every service provider shall ensure redressal of  the  complaints  and  service  requests  in  accordance  with  the  time  frame  as specified under the Quality of Service regulations issued by the Authority;

Where  a  time  limit  has  not  been  specified  under  the  Quality  of  Service regulations  issued  by  the  Authority,  the complaints  and  service requests  shall be addressed within a time period not exceeding three days.

Appeal  to  Appellate  Authority.----

(1)    Where  a  consumer  is  not satisfied  with  the  redressal  of  his  complaint  by  the  Complaint  Centre,  or  his complaint  remains unaddressed or no intimation of redressal of the complaint is  received  within  the  period  specified  in  regulation  8,    such  consumer  may
prefer an appeal to  the Appellate Authority of  the concerned  service provider for redressal of his complaint.

A consumer may prefer an appeal before the Appellate Authority under sub-regulation (1) either through e-mail or facsimile or post, or in person;

Every  appeal  under  sub-regulation  (1)  shall  be  preferred  within  a  period  of thirty days  after expiry of the time limit specified in regulation 8;
Provided  that  the  Appellate  Authority  may  entertain  an  appeal  after  the expiry of the said period of thirty days but before three months from the expiry of  the  time  limit  specified  in  regulation  8,  if  it  is  satisfied  that  there  was sufficient cause for not filing it within that period.

No fee shall be charged from a consumer for filing an appeal before the
Appellate Authority.

Every  service  provider  shall,  within  forty-five  days  of  the  commencement  of these  regulations,  establish  an  Appellate  Authority  in  each  of  its  licensed service  areas  to  dispose  of  the  appeals  filed  under  sub-regulation  (1)  of regulation 9; Provided  that  a  service  provider,  who  provides  different  services  in  a licensed service area, may, at its option, establish an Appellate Authority, being common or separate, for such services being provided by it; Provided  further  that  a  service  provider,  being  only  an  Internet  Service

Every  service  provider  shall,  within  forty-five  days  of  the
commencement  of  these  regulations,  establish  an  Advisory  Committee  to examine and render advice on the appeals filed before the Appellate Authority.

The Advisory committee shall consist of two members of which one member shall be from the consumer organisations registered with the Authority and the other member shall be a representative of the service provider;

Provided  that  a  member  from  the  consumer  organisations  shall  not  be
appointed as a member in more than such number of Advisory Committees as may be specified by the Authority.

he  service  provider  shall,  within  seven  days  of  the  appointment  of  the
Advisory  Committee,  intimate  to  the  Authority  the  details  of  the  Advisory Committee.

The  member  of  the  Advisory  Committee    appointed  from  the  consumer
organisations under sub-regulation (2) shall hold office for a term not exceeding
one year, which may be extended for a further period of one year;
Provided that such member shall not be removed before completion of his
tenure, except with the prior written approval of the Authority;
Provided  further  that  the  service  provider  seeking  the  approval  of  the
Authority for removal of a member shall furnish to the Authority the reasons for such removal.

Registration  of  Appeals  and  scrutiny  by  Advisory
Committee----

(1)The Secretariat of Appellate Authority  shall,----
(a)  immediately  on  receipt  of  an  appeal,  register  it  by  assigning  a  unique appeal number;

(b)  acknowledge the  appeal,  within  three  days  of  its receipt,  by  sending the unique appeal number through SMS or e-mail to the consumer;

(c) forward, within three days from the date of receipt of the appeal, a copy of the  appeal  to  the  service  provider  concerned  for  filing  a  reply,  within seven days, alongwith the relevant information, document or record; and

(d) within two days of receipt of the reply from the service provider place the reply,  alongwith  the  appeal,  before  the  Advisory  Committee  for  its
Consideration

The  Appellate  Authority  shall,  within  ten  days  of  the  appeal  being  placed before it, conduct such inquiry as it may consider necessary and dispose of the appeal  by  passing  a  reasoned  order  in  writing  stating  therein  the  points  for determination and the decision thereon;
Provided that the Appellate Authority shall, while deciding the appeal, give
due consideration to the advice given by the Advisory Committee;
Provided  further  that  in  case the  Appellate  Authority  decides the  appeal otherwise than in accordance with the advice of the Advisory Committee, it shall record the reasons for the same in the order passed by it.

The  presence  of the  appellant  shall  not  be  obligatory,  but  he  may,  if  he  so desires, appear in person to present his case before the Appellate Authority.

On  disposal  of  the  appeal  by  the  Appellate  Authority,  the  Secretariat  shall intimate the decision thereof to the appellant and the service provider.

Every  service  provider  shall  submit  to  the  Authority  and  also  place  on  its website, by the 15th of the month succeeding every quarter, a report mentioning

therein -----

(a) the number of appeals received;
(b) number of appeals disposed of;

(c)  number of appeals pending; and

(d) such other particulars, as may be required by the Authority.

Complaints  referred  to  service  providers  by  Authority----(1)The    Authority  may,  without  prejudice  to  the  provisions  contained  in  the
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997), refer to a service provider,  for the purpose of redressal,---

(a) complaints alleging violation of the Act or  regulations made there under  or directions issued  or orders made by it under the Act;

(b)  complaints of  the consumers that are generic in nature;

(c)  complaints  alleging  that  a  practices  adopted  by  the  service  providers adversely affects the interest of the consumers;

(d) a complaint of such nature that, in the opinion of the Authority, is required to be resolved expeditiously by the service provider.

(2)  Every  service  provider  shall  investigate  and  find  out  the  root  cause  of  all complaints  referred  by  the  Authority  under  clauses  (a),  (b)  and  (c)  of  sub-regulation  (1)  and  redress  such  complaints,  under  information  to  the consumers  as  well  as  the  Authority  of  the  result  within  one  month  from  the date of reference of the complaint.

Every service provider shall resolve every complaint referred to under clause (d)  of  sub-regulation  (1)  within  seven  days  of  reference  of  the  complaint,  and inform  the  result  to  the  Authority  within  three  days  of  the  resolution  of  the complaint.

The  ‘Citizen’s  Charter’  shall  be  prepared  in  Hindi,  English  and  the  local language of each service area.

(a)  name and address of the service provider;

(b)  services  offered  by  the  service  provider,  including  the  details  of
geographic areas where such services are available;

(c)  terms and conditions of service offered by the service provider;

(d)  Quality  of  Service  parameters  specified  by  the  Authority  in respect  of each of the services;

(e)  Quality of Service promised  by the  service  provider  in respect  of each
service and geographic area;

(f)  details  about  equipment  offered  to  the  consumer  by  the  service
provider in respect of any of the services;

(g)  right  of  consumers  under  the  different  regulations,  orders  and
directions issued  by the  Authority;  and  in  particular those relating to
Tariff,  Mobile  Number  Portability,  Telecom  Commercial
Communications  Customer  Preference  Regulations,  2010  (TCCCPR)
and Value Added Services  (VAS);

(h)  the  duties  and  obligations  of  the  service  provider  under  the  different regulations,  orders  and  directions  issued  by  the  Authority;  and  in particular those relating to Tariff, Mobile Number Portability, TCCCPR, and VAS;

(i)  General Information Number;

(j)  Consumer Care Number;

(k)  complaint  redressal  mechanism,  including  complaint  redressal
procedure and the time limits for redressal of complaints;

(l)  e-mail,  contact  address,  telephone  number  and  facsimile  number  of
the Appellate Authority and time limits for disposal of appeals;

(m)  procedure  for  termination  or  disconnection  of  each  service  offered  by

the service provider; and
(n)  any other information that may be specified by the Authority from time
to time.

The time limit or the period specified under these regulations,
for  redressal  of  complaints  or  disposal  of  appeals,  shall  exclude  the  day  of making such complaint or preferring an appeal, as the case may be.

Reality views by sm –

Monday, April 30, 2012

Tags – TRAI TCCMS