Choosing a provider and what to ask

Your telco provider must tell you a range of information, like the terms and conditions of the plan or product you are purchasing, product features, billing and how they handle complaints.

This information should be clear and easy to understand to help you find the features, services and equipment you need and how they work.

Telco ads, marketing material and information on their websites must be accurate.

Telcos have to give you certain information to help you choose a product or a service. They should have the following information on their website:

• Critical Information Summary – these are available for any product or service they offer. They compare features and prices in a standard form, so you can easily see differences between telcos – ask them for a copy
• their mobile network coverage
• a way to estimate what data or calls you might use
• the ways you can pay and the format of the bill
• tools to help you manage your spending
• the costs of international roaming when you use your phone overseas
• their policy for helping if you can’t pay your bill
• what is in their ‘included value’ plans
• how they handle complaints
• products and services for people with disability, or where to find this information
• the help and support you get after you buy a product and how much it costs.

For NBN services and plans, the telco has to give you extra information, including:

• key facts sheets - these include information about the ‘busy period’ download speeds, things you can use the plan for like streaming, and services that won’t operate during a power failure
• information on speed and usage
• advice on moving to the NBN – whether you can keep your phone numbers
• advice to check if medical or security alarms will work on the NBN.

Comparing how many complaints individual telcos get and how long they take to fix them can help you to decide on a provider. See how many complaints individual telcos get and how they’re handled.

The Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (TCP Code) has rules that your telco must follow for sales, service and contracts, billing, credit and debt management and changing providers.