7 June 2007
A telecoms expert at leading price comparison website uSwitch is urging industry watchdogs to take the lead of Ofcom and check that customers aren't being hit by hidden charges.
Chris Frost, Communications Expert at the switching service, said that consumers have been the victims of "sneaky charges" for too long and that more needs to be done to stop the trend.
He says customers are being penalised for not paying by direct debit, receiving paper bills and not sending the money by its due date.
"Many of these charges are monthly and over the year will add up significantly," he said.
Ofcom has pledged to review the charges which are regularly handed out to telecoms customers to consider whether they are "sufficiently transparent, whether the charges or their levels are unfair and what action, if any, is necessary".
Mr Frost said that one of the main concerns regarding the penalties was that they tended to hit the more vulnerable members of society, with those writing out cheques or paying bills late more likely to be in financial difficulty than others.
"We hope that other industry watchdogs will follow Ofcom's example by launching investigations of their own. This issue isn't confined to the telecoms industry," he concluded.
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