Having trouble with your phone, cable, internet or radio reception but have no idea how to address the issue? The first step is, of course, to call the service provider and log a complaint with the customer service department. Make note of the time in which the company promises to resolve the issue. If this doesn’t happen, call again or perhaps send an email to customer service. If you feel a reasonable amount of time has passed and the issue has not been addressed according to your contract – for instance, some companies have a repair policy of within 72 hours – then it is time to write to the management of the said company.

When you have exhausted all avenues with the company and the issue has still not been addressed to your satisfaction, then, it is time to register a complaint with the Information Communication Technology Authority (ICTA).

Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for ICTA, said the ICTA requires licensees to clearly describe their services and rates in their marketing materials. In addition, companies are required to establish subscriber complaint dispute resolution procedures, to protect customer information and to ensure that their contracts, terms of service and bills are clear and understandable

“We want customers to know that they have a place to register their complaints and that the ICTA is interested in protecting consumers,” she said.

She noted that the information and communications technology market in the Cayman Islands includes all forms of telecommunications such as mobile, local and international telephone service, internet access, radio and television broadcasting and radio communications.

“So, if customers are having issues with any of these services and their provider is not delivering the service it promised, then the ICTA is interested in hearing from them,” the Minister said,

But stressed that customers should first try to resolve the matter with the service provider.

She also pointed out that the ICTA Authority does not deal with complaints about the content of TV or radio programmes “that is the responsibility of Cabinet.”

Filing a complaint with the ICTA

Customers can use the ICTA’s online Complaints Form at http://www.icta.ky/da_complaint_form.php to send it electronically, or collect from the Authority, a printed version of the Complaints Form, complete it, and either:

Send or hand deliver the competed form to the Complaints Officer, 3^rd Floor, Alissta Towers, 85 North Sound Road, P.O. Box 2502 GT, Grand Cayman or fax the completed form to (345) 946-8284.

What does the ICTA need to pursue a complaint?

Customers should provide their full name, contact number and email or postal address (include physical address, if it would assist in understanding your complaint).

They should provide a full description of the problem with service and identify the telecom, radio or television station involved by name.

They should also indicate the date, time and name of any programme, individual, advertisement, technical, or customer service-related issue that prompted them to write.

Customers should also make note of their attempts to solve the problem with the company, such as a history of calls and or emails and the timeframe in which the company promised to fix the issue.

“The Authority does not handle anonymous complaints because transparency is needed and companies have the right to know the full details of the complaint including the identity of the complainant,” explained ICTA Director David Archbold. “So customers have to provide the name and an email or postal address where they can be contacted.”

The practice of the Authority is to place all correspondence related to a complaint on a publicly-accessible file. But, if they have a good reason, customers may ask to keep their correspondence off this file. This should be indicated in the complaint, together with the reason for request. The customer should receive a response from the Authority within 10 working days, even if it is just to let them know that the complaint has been received. The Authority will generally ask the company involved to address the customer’s concerns before the Authority reaches any conclusions. Companies are given a reasonable period to respond and must respond directly to the customer, with a copy to the ICTA.

The Authority will review the customer’s concerns and the company’s response in the context of its policies and regulations, to determine if follow-up action is necessary.

If the company has not responded within the given time, the Authority will send the company a written reminder and the licensee will be in breach of its license.