World Consumer Rights Day was established on 15 March 1983 to promote consumer rights around the world. For WCRD 2014, we are calling on CI Members and Supporters to highlight the consumer issues that are undermining and frustrating the success of mobile phone services.

 

To mark WCRD, CI will be launching a new Consumer Agenda for Fair Mobile Services.

The agenda sets out the issues that most effect consumers including the need for access to a reliable service, the security of their data and fair contracts and billing.

CI will submit the Agenda to the World Telecommunications Development Conference, held by the International Telecommunications Union, where we will be calling on phone regulators and companies to take action to stop these issues undermining the success of this new technology.

Ringing in the changes

Can you imagine a world without mobile phones? In just a few years they have become an indispensable part of our lives and can be found in almost every country around the world.

But as the number of consumers using mobile services nears seven billion, what sort of service are they receiving?

Are they being treated fairly?  Our 2014 World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) campaign Fix Our Phone Rights! is devoted to tackling the issues that most affect consumers of mobile services.

Why Phone Rights are important

In 2013 it was estimated that 6.8 billion people owned a mobile phone. In 2011 that figure was 6 billion and in 2010 it was 5.4 billion.

At the same time, mobile services have transformed from just being telephones that enable us to talk and text, to mini computers giving us access to information and services that are crucial to livelihoods and health.

They are not just convenient, but increasingly important tools that help to empower citizens and consumers. Having access to mobile connectivity is a necessity.

Get involved

CI Members and Supporters can also download the campaign logo (which is at the top of this page) in either English, Spanish or French in a variety of sizes. Please email consint@consint.org for hi-res versions.

We will be highlighting Member activities via our WCRD activity map – you can submit reports of what you are doing and they will appear on the map.

Do not forget to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to spread the word and encourage everyone to join our campaign!

And make sure to use the hashtags #PhoneRights and #WCRD2014. We also want to try and encourage consumers to complain about their mobile service using the hashtag #MyPhoneMakesMeMadBecause.

Make sure to inform CI of the updates and developments happening in your country.

CI’s agenda for Phone Rights

CI’s Consumer Agenda for Fair Mobile Services addresses the issues that affect mobile consumers across the world, and we hope every CI Member and Supporter can join the call. Some of the issues we want to address are:

1.  Provide consumers with access to an affordable, reliable service

Consumers want to be able to have access to affordable mobile services in order to communicate and to access information. It is only reasonable that they then expect those services to be consistent and of a high quality without drop outs in service.

2. Provide consumers with fair contracts explained in clear, complete and accessible language

Consumers often feel cheated by their mobile provider, either because of unfair contract terms and conditions or because they didn’t understand what they had signed. Telecom providers should always provide consumers with fair contracts with all relevant information explained clearly so that consumers can exercise their right to make informed choices.

3. Provide consumers with fair and transparent billing

Consumers shouldn’t be billed for services they didn’t request. We demand fairness and transparency in our bills, and protection from billing fraud.

4. Provide consumers with security and power over their own information 

Telecoms providers and regulators alike must protect the personal data that consumers give up in order to use mobile services. Whilst giving consent to use personal data can enhance the experience of using a mobile phone, it can also compromise the consumer’s right to safety. Consumers must be able to set the terms of how this data is used.

5. Listen and respond to consumer complaints

Telecom providers should have effective complaints systems and if consumers are not satisfied there should be redress mechanisms to ensure a fair outcome. We must be able to penalise providers for abusive and unjust business practices.

http://www.consumersinternational.org/our-work/wcrd/wcrd-2014/

‪#‎Phonerights ~ inside.lk

මාර්තු 15 වෙනි දිනට යෙදී ඇති ලෝක පාරිභෝගික අයිතිවාසිකම් දිනයේ මෙවර (2014) තේමාව “අපගේ දුරකතන අයිතිවාසිකම් සුරකිනු” යන්නයි.

දුරකතන සමාගම් වෙතින් පාරිභෝගික අප හට හිමිවිය යුතු

✏ ගෙවන මිලට සරිලන විශ්වාසදායී සේවාවක් ලබා දීම
✏ සාධාරණ හා විනිවිද භාවයෙන්යුතු දුරකතන ගාස්තු අයකිරීම
✏ සරල, පැහැදිලි සහ සම්පූර්ණ දුරකතන ගිවිසුම් මවු භාෂාවෙන් ලබාදීම
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