O2 Ceases Automatic Phone Billing System

Business & Finance - Technology

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 11:11

Written by Noel Cotter

Liz McManus TD, Labour Spokesperson on Communications has expressed her concern following the move by major telecoms company O2 advising customers that their bills will no longer be sent by post to them but they can ‘opt’ to have the bill sent by post if they wish.

Deputy McManus said she would be pursing the matter with ComReg at "this unacceptable departure from the norm".

She explained: "This is a significant change for customers as the onus is now on the customer to ‘opt in’ to get their bills in the normal way. If you don’t have access to a PC or the internet then you cannot see your bill. ‘Opting in’ can be done via the company’s website (again presuming you have the tools to do this) or by dialling their customer care number. "

“This billing system change will be a major inconvenience for thousands of customers - the aged, the disabled and those without a PC or internet access for example. It is an unfair burden on customers trying to access information which they should be provided with. This change to the billing system will make it more difficult for customers to track the various charges. There are a large number of tariff options that can change when one switches phones. In the interest of clarity and transparency, the billing model should not be changed in this way.

“The decision on how a bill is received should be one that the customer makes voluntarily, not one that is foisted upon them and puts large numbers of the buying public at a disadvantage. While the company will save money from this billing change, it appears that the savings will not be passed onto the customers", Deputy McManus concluded.