Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is Australia's free dispute-resolution scheme for phone and internet complaints. It is independent of the providers and can investigate, conciliate and make decisions that members must follow. If your provider has not fixed a problem, the TIO is the main escalation route.

What the TIO handles

• Mobile, landline and internet billing disputes.
• Faults, slow speeds, dropouts and missed appointments.
• Contract terms, cancellation fees and plan changes.
• Poor customer service and complaint handling.
• Unauthorized charges and credit defaults.
• Connection delays and transfer problems.

What it cannot do

The TIO cannot hear a case before the provider has had a reasonable chance to resolve it. It cannot decide privacy complaints, which go to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, or broadcasting content complaints, which go to the ACMA. It also cannot change the law or force a provider to offer a service it does not sell.

The provider-first step

Complain to your provider and ask for a complaint reference. The TIO generally expects you to allow about 10 business days for a response, or to receive a final refusal, before it will take the case. Keep the dates and the provider's written position. If the provider has gone silent, the TIO can still review the timeline, but it needs evidence that you tried.

Prepare a short chronology, the account details, the remedy you want and copies of bills, screenshots and letters. If you are claiming a specific amount, show how you calculated it. If you want a repair, a credit or a contract cancellation, say so plainly. The TIO decides on documents, not on how frustrating the calls felt.

Common outcomes

The TIO can order a correction, a credit, a refund, an apology or another practical remedy. It can also require the provider to improve how it handles the complaint. Many cases settle once the provider sees that an independent scheme is involved, because the file has moved beyond the call centre.

Read how to complain to the TIO in Australia for a step-by-step walkthrough. If your provider is Telstra, Optus or Vodafone, start with the provider-specific escalation steps before filing.

After the decision

If you accept the decision, the provider must comply. Check your next bill and keep the decision document. If the provider does not implement it, contact the TIO with the reference. If you reject the decision, you keep the option of court, but the TIO findings may still help.