Telecom ads spark new user complaints

dahamsta

Telecom ads spark new user complaints
Wednesday, December 17 2003
by Ciaran Buckley

The technical nature of broadband and the complexity of mobile tariffs have sparked a new round of complaints from users to Ireland's advertising authority.

The first complaint made to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) referred to Esat BT marketing collateral, which said that "IOL Broadband allows you to make or receive normal telephone calls and use the Internet all at the same time and over the same phone line. All this is available for a flat monthly charge of only EUR49.49." The person who made the complaint said that the wording gave the impression that the EUR49.49 covered not only the cost of Internet access, but also covered the cost of the normal phone calls. In fact the quoted charge only covers the cost of Internet access.

In its response to the ASAI, Esat BT admitted that the wording was potentially confusing and undertook not to use the wording again.

"Esat BT wasn't out to confuse people, but I think that the marketing people in telecom companies have assumed that people are more knowledgeable than they are," said Una McGirr, director of communications with Esat BT, speaking to ElectricNews.net. "The whole articulation, as to what broadband actually is, has been cloudy."

McGirr pointed to public service television ads for broadband, which are currently being aired in Northern Ireland, as an example of the kinds of education that should be provided to consumers who want to understand the nature of broadband.

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