Comms Council Code of Practice

The Comms Council Code of Practice is designed to help customers by ensuring that they receive suitable information in advance of agreeing to buy Internet telephony services. They can then have confidence in the way that an Comms Council member will do business with them.

To give customers even more confidence, in the unlikely event that a complaint can't be settled locally, the Comms Council Code of Practice contains an easily accessible dispute resolution scheme for the purpose of bringing such complaints to a satisfactory conclusion.

This Code of Practice addresses the provision of services to residential customers and small businesses with fewer than 10 employees (“small businesses").

This Comms Council Code of Practice is monitored and administered by the Council of Comms Council.

Requirements within the Comms Council Code of Practice will be superceded by existing or future legislation, should it be deemed to conflict with the regulatory environment. If this is the case, a review of the Comms Council Code of Practice would take place, to make the necessary amendments to ensure the code is compliant with all existing regulation.

Comms Council Code of Practice Complaints Procedure

Customers of members can make complaints about a breach of the Comms Council Code of Practice directly to Comms Council. Comms Council can't become involved in complaints regarding non-Comms Council members.

The following information should be read before making a complaint about an Comms Council member:

  • The Code of Practice complaint against an Comms Council member should first be registered with the member in question and an attempt made to resolve the issue.
  • If the complainant hasn't attempted to address it with the Comms Council member in the first instance, then the Secretariat will forward the complaint to afford the Comms Council member a chance to resolve it themselves.
  • If the complaint is presented to Comms Council with evidence that it has not been resolved by the Comms Council member, or it hasn't been resolved within 8 weeks of it being sent by the complainant to the Comms Council member or forwarded to the Comms Council member, then the Comms Council Council will review the complaint and decide on appropriate action within 3 months of it being referred to the Council.

Further details are provided within the Comms Council Code of Practice itself, including the possible sanctions that the Comms Council Council can pursue, should a member contravene the Code of Practice.

Comms Council has no power to arbitrate any dispute. This complaints procedure relates solely to an allegation that an Comms Council member has breached the Code of Practice and potential sanctions if such a breach is demonstrated.

Download Version 4.2 of the Comms Council Code of Practice:

Comms Council Code of Practice PDF