Survey reveals telephone service charges confuse Australians

A recent survey has revealed that the vast majority of Australian telephone consumers have a patchy
understanding of billing and call price information.

A cording to researchers, there have been profound changes in the range of telecommunications services
available, and the way consumers purchase and use them.These changes have significant implications for regulatory arrangements, particularly those protections that rely on consumers’ understanding the structure of telephone numbers.

The research found that mobile phones continue to leap ahead as the main communication service, now being so for nearly half of all Australians (47%), compared with 33 percent primarily with fixed landline. There has also been a sea change in the way communications services are purchased. Bundled plans have become very popular.

The research found that three in five mobile phone users and two in five home phone users report have a usage plan. Those that have a usage plan for only one service report a higher proportion of calls from that service compared to the service without a cap or deal.

Both of these trends are major factors contributing to a decline in consumers’ understanding of the price and location information embedded in traditional fixed telephone numbers, meaning that embedding this information may no longer be an effective mechanism to fulfill consumer protection needs. A related topic was consumers’ understanding of less frequently called number types such as 13/1300 and 1800 numbers.

It seems these are confusing for many Australians compared to more frequently called numbers like mobile and local numbers.

One in five Australians was either unable to define a local call from a landline or their explanation was incorrect. While a majority of Australians continue to keep and use a hard copy classified, directory, all except those aged over 65 years are just as likely to use the electronic version as the hard copy directory.

Directories and directory assistance services are used twice as often to find a business number as a residential number, indicating that the role directories have played historically by encouraging call connections between people may be declining.