Previous Story
AG to telcos: Provide specifics on consumer protection issues
Attorney General Edward Manibusan has issued formal letters to the islands’ telecommunication companies—Docomo Pacific, IT&E, and I-Connect Saipan—requesting how consumer bills were and/or will be adjusted to address the service disruptions resulting from the islandwide communication blackout in July and the more recent islandwide power outage caused by Typhoon Soudelor.
“The Office of the Attorney General has received numerous complaints involving the telecommunication companies’ unreliable cellular services. For example, consumers have complained that text messages are frequently returned ‘undeliverable’; there is often a delay between the sending and receiving of text messages; outgoing calls ‘fail,’ they need to attempt calls several times to get a signal out; and calls spontaneously drop in the middle of conversations,” the Attorney General reported. “Additionally, the office has received complaints that consumers have been charged for Internet services despite the fact that they were unable to avail themselves of such services due to the islandwide power outage.”
In his letters, Manibusan asks the companies to confirm that they have “a plan in place to ensure that customers are not unfairly charged—in contravention of the Consumer Protection Act—for any disruption in services due to these events.”
The Consumer Protection Act prohibits those who are carrying out trade or commerce in the Commonwealth from engaging in any conduct that is unfair or deceptive to the consumer. Charging consumers for services they did not receive is unfair and deceptive, as is charging customers full rates for substandard service.
For any consumer protection issues related to service disruptions caused by the damaged cable or Typhoon Soudelor, you may contact the Office of the Attorney General at 237-7500 or email Consumer Counsel Teresita J. Sablan at cnmiconsumercounsel@gmail.com. (OAG)
