Duazon, Margibi — Consumer Rights and Responsibilities has been the focus of an LTA Awareness Campaign in the Boystown and Duazon Market areas.

LTA Consumer Affairs Team members gathered among marketeers and listened intently to issues raised about their service providers. Complaints ranged from disappearing data, dropped calls to general poor connectivity especially in the evenings in some locations.

The team carefully explained how it was a consumer responsibility to make sure they understood the packages they subscribe to, equally so, providers must make their offers perfectly clear with no vague or ambiguous language.

Acting Commissioner of Consumer and Government Affairs Patrick Honnah says "This outreach is just a start, we want our consumers to know that their satisfaction is very important to us."

Moving forward, service providers will be under greater scrutiny when the telecom regulator introduces a consumer free short code. The four-digit number will allow consumers to call LTA and escalate their complaints after they have given their MNO the required 72 hours to have it resolved.

It will be a means of last resort to call the LTA Help Desk. A Consumer Affairs staffer will then do an intake of pertinent information including requesting a complaint ticket number issued by the service provider. After verifying the complaint directly with the service provider, the LTA will seek a final resolution on behalf of the consumer.

The process is still in the preliminary stage but once finalized it will be a great addition in resolving consumer issues. Consumers may in the interim come directly to the LTA on Menetamba Road on RIA Highway to lodge their complaint and seek help.

Realizing the growing need for consumers to be educated about mobile scams and methods perpetrators use to have innocent consumers taken advantage of, the LTA team warned marketeers to always check with their service provider before engaging in any over the phone competitions and sending scratch cards to strangers.