Cell phone providers selling customer service they can't use, says ombudsman
Cell phone service providers fail to provide adequate coverage and sell consumer products they cannot use, according to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. Key points: Ombudsman received 63,000 complaints about mobile phones in two years People are left without phone coverage during emergencies Help services operated by online bots and automation are not suitable for all customers A report released today shows cell phone complaints to the ombudsman’s office have surged over the past two years despite a decline in the overall number of complaints. The office received 63,000 complaints about cell phones during the period. The report details examples of people trapped without cell phone service in emergencies. “People come in with an idea of what they think they want and they’re selling a product they may not want, need or understand,” says Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert. Several people living in high-risk emergency areas told the ombudsman that they had los