The confinements and the development of remote work have exacerbated the sensitivity of telecom subscribers.
Consumers can no longer bear having to suffer from a failed connection and want an answer right away.
The increase in cases sent by dissatisfied customers to the Telecoms Mediator is proof of this.
In 2020, the number of cases jumped 13%!
However, it had been two years since the number had dropped.
This surge reflects above all the impatience of consumers to see their line, whether telephone, ADSL or fiber, restored.
Indeed, operators have a period of one month to respond to their customers in the event of a problem.
It is only after having exhausted this period of recourse that consumers have the possibility of turning to the mediator.
It is clear that for a teleworker, a month without a connection lasts a century.
In the end, the Mediator issued "only" 4289 opinions last year, a stable figure, as is that of admissible cases.
Billing disputes are exploding
The complaints received by Valérie Alvarez reflect the French telecoms market.
Those relating to mobile are in the foreground.
Billing disputes have literally exploded from 29% to 42% of complaints.
This surge is linked to a practice that has developed: after having sold subscriptions with “lifetime” prices, then “without time limit”, the operators - mainly SFR and Bouygues Telecom - have started to increase them.
What horrifies consumers, especially when the operator claims that the old offer no longer exists and that the customer can no longer benefit from the previous tariff.
Faced with this type of situation, the Mediator recommends maintaining the price in the old offer or compensation for the customer.
It also recommends that operators make an effort to present their offers.
Indeed, the possibility of refusing this type of increase exists, but it is still necessary that it be mentioned in the letters addressed to the customers and, if it is it, that it be legible.
Very pragmatically, she recommends that operators do not use a font smaller than 8 (which is already small!) Targeting, without saying so, SFR and Free.
Another area of tension is billing on behalf of third parties.
These may be purchases made in an application and for which payment is made via the telecom operator.
"
This phenomenon is not new, it may be children who have made purchases on their parents
'
smartphones
", explains Valérie Alvarez, who calls above all for vigilance.
Some situations turn into a nightmare
As for fixed telephony, the overall situation has improved.
Even if problems, sometimes substantial, remain.
For fiber, these are mainly technical problems, damage during installation with poorly done work, damaged walls, etc. The most critical cases relate to connection problems, often of mysterious origins.
For example, a line is declared eligible for fiber, the customer takes the steps to obtain it, but in the meantime, he is no longer eligible for fiber, without explanation.
In some cases, the situation turns into a nightmare: ADSL has been cut, cannot be restored, and the fiber is not coming!
Various reasons can be mentioned, in particular the impossibility of carrying out the connection work in the building.
No operator escapes it.
"
There is a real issue in the management of subcontractors and the rehabilitation of infrastructures, often very recent
", worries Valérie Alvarez.
Whatever the reasons, the result is the same: the customer does not understand!
And the exasperation is at its height when he chose the fiber after being canvassed at home.
If these cases are not rare, we must however be right.
Fiber subscriptions soared last year with 3.3 million new customers and for the most part everything is going very well.
