We are committed to providing an excellent and transparent service to our clients, and resolving queries as quickly as possible.
We are required by Ofcom to publish a code of practice, detailing how we will work to resolve any complaints and disputes, and what you can do if a satisfactory resolution can’t be found within 8 weeks. This code applies to businesses with fewer than 10 employees, and for any residential/consumer customers we do business with.
This applies where Lansalot are considered the communications provider, namely that we are billing you for telephone or broadband services. Where we have referred you to another communications provider, we will do all we can to help you resolve problems and refer you to your CP’s dispute resolution policy, however the policy mentioned below only applies where Lansalot are the CP. The Alternative Dispute Resolution process is only applicable for telephony and broadband services, not for any IT or other services we may provide.
Step 1
If you have raised a query with us and we have not resolved it to your satisfaction, you may raise a complaint. We would ask that you please do this in writing, via email or letter. We will respond to acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 24 hours, typically by telephone and email.
We will respond to your complaint as quickly as possible, proposing a resolution which we will then expect you to respond to us. If you accept our proposal, we will action the proposal and close the matter.
Step 2
You may gain independent advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau, Consumer Advice Centre and Trading Standards. We will work with any appropriate organisation of your choosing to help resolve any dispute, but we would expect that you come to us less-formally first of all to resolve issues without outside intervention.
Step 3
If we have not been able to reach an agreement within 8 weeks you may refer your complaint to our Alternate Dispute Resolution service. It will not cost you anything to submit your complaint. The ADR service will follow their scheme process in order to evaluate the validity of your claim, gather information from both you and us, and make offers for resolution. Following this, you may accept the proposed resolution and the ADR will ensure that the proposal is carried out, or you may reject the proposal and begin court proceedings.
For your information, Ofcom – as the communications regulator – are there to ensure, among other things, that all Communication Providers have a Complaints Process in place which meets certain criteria. Ofcom don’t investigate individual complaints on behalf of the consumer or adjudicate, but they can provide guidance on the complaints process as stipulated in Steps 1-3 of this Code of Practice.
Number Portability
It is your right in the UK to port your number to another provider should you wish to, and there are processes in place for this to be effected. Number portability is not guaranteed however, as it requires commercial and technical agreements to be in place between the various organisations involved in your telephony service.
In order to port a number, the gaining provider must be in possession of a Letter of Authority (LOA), authorising them to request the port of the number on behalf of the end-customer. This LOA must contain complete and accurate information which reflects the information held by your existing provider. Inaccurate information can hold up the porting process.
We will assist you with completion of the LOA but cannot be held responsible for delays or costs incurred due to inaccurate information or porting requests rejected as a result.
Once accepted, the providers issue a date on which the port will be completed. The providers have until 1 business day before the date of the port to alter the date, otherwise the port date is deemed to be accepted. If the port is not completed within 1 business day of the accepted date then you may be entitled to compensation, calculated from day 2 up until the day the port takes place. The compensation is calculated thus: Monthly Subscription x 12, then divided by 365, then x number of days delay. In respect of a multi-number port (e.g. a DDI range), no multiplication and therefore no account is made for the quantity of numbers that are delayed. Any payment made will be full and final settlement in relation to the number porting delay.
To claim compensation, please follow our normal dispute and complaints procedure.
Non-Payment
As part of providing your service we expect you to pay us promptly and in full, on or before the due date of the invoice. If you dispute an invoice we will not suspend your service, unless we consider that you are non-responsive in trying to resolve the matter. If however you simply do not pay and do not contact us to arrange payment, we will consider this to be nonpayment. Nonpayment of your account may lead to one or more of the following actions:
• After 1-30 days: Suspension of your outgoing calls
• After 1-30 days: Suspension of your incoming calls
• After 1-30 days: Suspension of your internet service
• After 30-60 days: Cancellation of your service.
Please note that if we cancel your service for nonpayment, a re-connection fee will be chargeable, and we will not be able to guarantee the same telephone number and/or IP address(es) as were previously allocated to you will be available to you again.
Picture courtesy of © Lane Erickson