Consumer disputes in telecom sector Mexican experience

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Consumer disputes in telecom sectorMexican
experience

• Federal Consumer Protection Office

Noreli Domínguez Acosta October, 2004
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• General Framework

Mexican Constitution (article 28)
Prohibits monopolies
Consumer Protection
Federal Consumer Protection Law
The Federal Consumer Protection Office
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• Services to consumers and suppliers

The Federal Consumer Protection Office

1. Services to consumers and suppliers
2. Verification and surveillance
3. Education and information

Services to consumers and suppliers

1. Counseling and consultations (more than 1
   million)
2. Conciliation procedures (86 ended in consumers
   behalf)
3. Procedure for law infractions

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Consumers complains in telecom sector

• General Framework

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What are we doing?...
Apart from the individual actions taken by
consumer, Profeco is working with the suppliers
that receive the most complains (wich includes
telecom sector with almost 50 of compliants)
through a programme call PROMECABISE (Services
and products improvement programme).

• Strategy for a integral solution of complaints
• In a joint work with each supplier, structural
  causes provoking complaints are studied,
• Terms and commitments are settle down for their
  correction

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• General Framework

What are we doing?...

• In a particular case, a telephone company forced
  a service on consumers without their consent. As
  individual complains start to mount, PROFECO
  decided to start an inquiry on behalf of all
  consumers.
• As a result of this inquiry the telephone company
  along with another telecom companies stoped this
  practices.
• We are working in a colaboration agreement
  between PROFECO and the Mexican Telecom
  Regulatory Agency in order to find solutions at
  the regulatory level that can benefict consumers.
  

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Contact information

• The Federal Consumer Protection Office
• Federal Attorney for Consumer Services Office
• Phone [phone]
• e-mail ndomingueza_at_profeco.gob.mx
• www.profeco.gob.mx