The TRA requests comments on its draft procedure for dealing with consumer complaints regarding the new Batelco Broadband packages
On June 10, 2006, the TRA issued a request for comments on its draft procedure for dealing with consumer complaints regarding the new Batelco Broadband packages. Deadline for responses is 15 June 2006 at 5:00 p.m.
Click to read (pdf) in English, and Arabic.
Since the deadline is 15th june at 5pm.. i believe we have like 4 days….
Let’s not miss this chance now to voice ourselves with respect to Batelco’s broadband packages.
from admin: thanks for the contribution Concerned
June 11th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
I can’t get one thing,
doesn’t this conflict with the TRA’s 60 days complaint response time?
what if i didn’t send a formal written complaint to batelco, can i still send this to the TRA?
June 12th, 2006 at 12:06 am
If I read correctly, the deadline is for responding to the procedures (if you do not accept the procedures you have 5 days), the complaint process still takes 60 days…
So as for the procedure, here are things to note.
It states that where the complaint handling process is exhausted AND/OR 60 days have passed, you can go to the TRA…
Make up your mind.. is it AND, or is it OR? Do we need to wait 60 days anyway, or is it enough that Batelco already responded and we are not happy with the response?
It should be “OR”, that means we will all use Batelco’s response from the press conference and letter sent to this website previously, please make a summary of all their points with rebuttals to each and every one.
The second thing is complaints should be lodged as class actions from groups of subscribers… i.e. this site should collect the Contact Information, Statement of Truth, and Confidentiality Statements… The rest of the documents such as complaint details and evidence will be joint, and profesionnaly prepared by consumer groups representing a group of people.
The above needs to be stressed because they are making it an issue about specific users complaining about their own disadvantage, and most people won’t be bothered to go through the whole process. This needs to be raised from a different perspective.. it has to be made clear to the TRA through a formal complaint that this is for EVERYONE in Bahrain… that this is something for the country… they are trying to dumb it down and tie it to a small group of people.. It is not about that! Where is the comparison to regional services? Where is the comparison to international trends? Where is the consideration for the future of technology?
June 12th, 2006 at 1:59 am
That last point was Very well noted jamal…
I also think the and/or part is a bit confusing because it seems that it suggests that we do not have to wait 60 days so long as we get an unsatisfactory reply but in the Telecom Law it seems to suggest that we need to wait 60 days although the phrasing of the sentence in English could be taken to mean both ways.
The Telecom law in arabic is at:
http://www.tra.org.bh/ar/pdf/Telecommunication_Law_Arabic.pdf
in English at:
http://www.tra.org.bh/en/pdf/Telecom_Law_final.pdf
Of interest are sections 55 and 56 regarding disputes.
June 12th, 2006 at 5:46 am
I agree with Jamal and Fadi too. But as the law stipulates 60 days wait, there is nothing that could be done but respect that AND immediately start lobbying to reduce that legal wait time to 10 days maximum.
For the moment, the TRA should find a way to allow people to lodge “urgent” complaints that would not require the 60 days waiting period.
I also think that a lot of people would be intimidated by supplying their names and personal details in a complaint, this is due to Bahrain’s recent history (90s strife, etc) and the mistrust people here naturally put into authoritative figures/entities. Therefore, although I personally have no problem in declaring who I am, a lot of people would; hence, the TRA should concentrate on solving problems being complained about, rather than requiring CPR copies and treating issues individually. The TRA must realise that the content of the complaint is far more important than the complainant.
June 12th, 2006 at 6:17 am
but will they realise that in time?
June 12th, 2006 at 7:41 am
this process is silly.. it is for people who have individual complaint and want a solution maybe batelco will reimburse them or they don’t pay the bill or something… it is better to make a case against the actual product
for example i now have switched to orbit satellite internet at home, this means i can’t complain about batelco even though im willing to give my name and details, but i am not a custoemr… but the problem is the complaint is still valid because batelco is the only adsl provider and they are not offering a good service for the country
also keep in mind after 60 days batelco promised a new package for high users.. of course it wont be satisfactory, but then u need to raise a new complaint because they responded, so complaining about the response is another 60 days..
before you know it the year has ended, and this issue has lost steam.
i still think going for the board and the government… the TRA can’t change the law, but the government can do anything they want.. i wish somebody knew the crown prince
June 12th, 2006 at 8:26 am
Just want to voice my concern that all of us individually complaining to the TRA is a waste of efforts and time on the TRA to go through. I agree with Jamal that there needs to be a ‘class action’ type of complaint which represented all of us who are complaining in 1 go, also in which the complaint is much more concentrated, focused, and organized in a better way to be presented to the TRA. It’s just that whos is willing (any Lawyers or interested industry groups) out there willing to do this for us consumers??
June 12th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
I’d like also to emphasize the nature of the dispute we are dealing with. This is not related to individuals. I agree with Nasser, CitizenA, and admin in this regard. The procedure proposed by the TRA may be suitable for disputes associated with bills, fees and other account-specific issues. In such cases, it’s logical for the TRA ro request CPR details of the individual. The problem we are facing here, however, is not about anindividual. It’s about the broadband packages that were recently introduced by Batelco and affected a mass subscribers of the unlimited packages. In the proposed procedure itself, it’s clearly titled : Batelco’s broadband packages. So what is the point of requesting CPR and other personal details when the complaint is common and affects all??
I suggest the following:
Since this procedure is proposed specifically to deal with Batelco’s new broadband packages, and since we are all here complaining about the same issue, TRA should accept ONE unified complaint submitted by us here and signed by whoever wants to participate. The already signed petition might serve this purpose if accepted or another one can be created to satisfy the requirements of the TRA if necessary.
June 12th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
Salam all…
You’ve got the point guys, we are talking about prenceples here, Fashelo doesnt have the right to put limits (even if I am a subscriber of the previous unlimited packages or not). TRA wants to take this issue on user-by-user case. AGAIN, we are talking about prenceples here (UNLIMITED and only UNLIMITED). By the draft TRA rules, you MUST be a subscriber of either BD40 or BD50 for your case to be accepted, and you MUST supply the usage of year 2005 in full details (again for your case to be accepted) and you MUST have a usage above 15GB MONTHLY for your case to be reasonable for them. This is ridiculous guys.
I called TRA’s complains number (17520044) and enquired specifically about this point, she (the person who answered) insisted on this point as a procedure to be followed.
Any comments???!!!
Take care
June 12th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
I will send one, i have nothing to lose anyway…
if you guys can do it, then go ahead, we don’t want the TRA to claim that nobody or very few people complained
June 12th, 2006 at 5:07 pm
Mohammed this is just a Request For Comment on the proposed complaint procedure, not the complaint itself.
I agree with Anwar and Ali, as this RFC is specifically tied to the “New Broadband Packages” complaints, then the TRA should accept a “class action” type complaint, and as has been amply demonstrated by the responses to this site, and those printed in letters to the editor pages in local newspapers, is sufficient grounds for the TRA to instigate a review of the packages released.
If the TRA or the law insists on requiring individual CPRs and contact details, we can organise a proper physical petition, however I suspect that this is not politically allowed, judging by Al-Wefaq’s experience et al.
June 12th, 2006 at 9:53 pm
Admin,
i think we need a legal entity to organize a physical petition, we can utilize a concerned society like BITS or BIS for that…
June 13th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
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