17.02.2022

In 2021, the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) received and settled 2,886 complaints concerning the electronic communications services and postal services in Romania. The users complained especially about issues related to the unfolding of the contractual relationship with the electronic communications providers, such as contract termination, billing, breach of the contract clauses or the conclusion of distance contracts.

Electronic communications services

76% of all the complaints sent to ANCOM in 2021 concerned electronic communications services. The users reported issues regarding contract termination (19% of all the complaints regarding electronic communications services), execution of distance contracts (12%), quality of the telephony/internet signal (12%) and billing of the services (12%).

More than 12% of the complaints sent to ANCOM regarding electronic communications services concerned issues encountered in the process of porting telephone numbers.

Only 5% of the complaints concerned the roaming service and referred especially to the roaming conditions for the European Economic Area (Roam like at home).

ANCOM’s data indicate that the users’ complaints regarded services provided by: Vodafone Romania (18%), Telekom Romania Communications (14%), Orange Romania (15%), RCS&RDS (11%) and Telekom Romania Mobile Communications (9%).

Postal services

11% of the total complaints filed with ANCOM last year concerned the provision of postal services.

The main issues reported by postal service users concerned the deterioration of postal items (33% of all the complaints regarding postal services), postal items delivery failure (22%), delivery term (19%), and loss or theft (19%). In the context of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic these years, which gave a tremendous boost to courier services, the parcel delivery service has acquired greater importance. The most complained about providers were Fan Courier (31% of all the complaints regarding postal services), The National Company Romanian Post (22%), Dynamic Parcel Distribution (10%) and Urgent Cargus (7%).

Other issues complained about

Other sources of discontentment, brought by the users to ANCOM’s attention, included issues regarding radio equipment, the regime of infrastructure networks or frequency spectrum-related procedures.

Complaint settlement

ANCOM can step in where the providers of telephone, internet or television services infringe the users' information rights, do not provide the number portability service (or do not comply with the legislation in the field), do not include certain information in the contracts or do not observe the conditions for the conclusion of distance contracts.

Complaints about breaches of/failure to carry out contracts may be addressed by residential users to the National Consumer Protection Authority (ANPC), while the business users in this situation may address the competent court.

As regards the postal services, in the event of non-observance of the delivery term, the users may contact ANPC, which is the competent authority to sanction providers for non-compliance with the Contract/General Conditions for the provision of postal services. In case of loss, theft, (total or partial) destruction or damage of the postal item, the users who have not received a reply from the provider within 3 months or are dissatisfied with the reply may address ANCOM, with the proof of going through the complaint procedure with the provider, following the steps described here. However, ANCOM cannot determine the amount of damage payments, nor can it oblige the supplier to pay them, as such competence lies with the court.

Further details are available in the InfoCentre section of ANCOM’s website.