FCC Votes to Change How It Handles Consumer Complaints

cageymaru

cageymaru

Fully [H]
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Messages
22,268
The FCC which is led by Ajit Pai has voted to change the way that it handles consumer complaints. Instead of investigating informal complaints from consumers about companies, it will now forward the complaints to the offending company which have 30 days to respond. If the consumer doesn't receive satisfaction from the ruling of the company, they can now file a formal complaint for a $225 filing fee.

Previously the Commission was required to contact the complainant regarding its review and disposition of the matters raised. Since the Commission no longer has to review a complaint, politicians are fearful that the new languange leaves a consumer's only recourse is to file the $225 formal complaint. This new process is meant to streamline the way complaints are handled by the FCC.

Does the FCC contact me directly about my complaint?

No, the FCC serves your complaint on your provider(s) and the provider is obligated to respond to your complaint within 30 days and provide the FCC with a copy of that response. It is likely that your provider(s) will contact you to attempt to resolve your complaint.
 
I see no issues with this outside of the filing fee.

$225 is.... rough. LOL
 
Well they forwarded the complaints before but they also were required to review them. After they reviewed them and ruled, if the complainant wasn't satisfied, they could file the $225 formal complaint. Now the FCC isn't required to conduct the review, so if the complainant is still disgruntled with what the company decided, then they can spend $225 on the formal complaint.

Its like the FCC has no requirement to process the complaints other than to forward them to the company and let the company decide what they think of the criticism. Of course the FCC can still step in and review complaints, but they are no longer required to by the language in the new rules.

That's what I got out of it. That explanation was complicated for the front page of course.
 
This FCC just became irrelevant! What they have now set as policy is no better than posting on Yelp and retaining an attorney if the company fails to address the issue.

Actually, Yelp should now be the de facto reporting agency as Pai has made the FCC a laughing stock!

NOTE: Edited to correct several spelling mistakes related to typing on the damn cell;):ROFLMAO:
 
Last edited:
time that we get rid of FCC and just dump the money into the UBI so we can all just sit back, get fucked over, but atleast we make some money for it...
 
Lol .. the amount of slime around this is amazing. If you read the back and fourth between the senators (opposing and for the amendment), one side is saying "why are you making this verbiage change?" and the other side is saying "that change is immaterial, it makes no difference."

Well, if you read the change, it makes a clear difference. They wouldn't change it if it didn't benefit someone (hint, it's not us).

They're clearly raising the barrier to entry and making it optional for the companies to respond. Thus, if they choose not to, the complaintant has to pay the filing fee. So essentially, all initial complaints redirected to the company will just go into the shredder.

141237_Screen_Shot_2018_07_11_at_3.01.02_PM.png
 

Attachments

  • Screen_Shot_2018_07_11_at_3.01.02_PM.png
    37.7 KB · Views: 0
This means that some major changes are coming that will piss off many people and they are creating a barrier to make it so that you have to just deal with it. My guess is that here soon you are going to see the big boys fucking over their customers.

I work for an ISP and think this is major bullshit. Hopefully this asshat gets voted out and some of this cluster fuck gets fixed.
 
Jesus Christ. FCC needs to take their job more seriously. What do they do anymore after these recent "pivots"?
 
Well, this is still move than the FCC did in the stone age, and that turned out ok, amirite?
 
After just reading the thread title, my assumption is that they just removed the option. I was wrong, but only by a little. They just now charge you to make a complaint.

This is to Ajit "Verizon's Bitch" Pai:
 
You: Police! Help! I'm getting bullied by a bully!

Police: For $225 I'll see what I can do. Hey bully! This guy has a problem with you! (walks away)

Bully: You got a problem with me?
 
The FCC was to be destroyed, and Pai is doing the bidding wonderfully.

We'll get to have a whole 'nother internet soon enough. Lube up, pay up and enjoy the content your ISP is picking for you.
 
atp1916 said:
I see no issues with this outside of the filing fee.

$225 is.... rough. LOL
Click to expand...

the problem is that it doesn't solve the problem of the agreement language with your ISP.. even if you file a formal complaint the ISP has the right to cancel your service at any time thus never having to actually acknowledge the complaint in the first place. i don't see this solving anything other than costing the consumer 225 dollars.

and how i know this, i filled an FCC complaint against AT&T's DSL service and a week later my internet was shut off and told by AT&T that due to me filing a dispute with the FCC they no longer had to provide me service and pointed to the specific line in the customer agreement that allowed them to do it.. same line is also in comcast's customer agreement and i'm sure most if not all the providers have the same thing.
 
But hey at least it's not Hilary, or Libtards, or Socalists, or anything else we hate!
 
Reminds me of another 3 letter agency that charges $200 to process your paperwork...
 
cageymaru said:
Well they forwarded the complaints before but they also were required to review them. After they reviewed them and ruled, if the complainant wasn't satisfied, they could file the $225 formal complaint. Now the FCC isn't required to conduct the review, so if the complainant is still disgruntled with what the company decided, then they can spend $225 on the formal complaint.

Its like the FCC has no requirement to process the complaints other than to forward them to the company and let the company decide what they think of the criticism. Of course the FCC can still step in and review complaints, but they are no longer required to by the language in the new rules.

That's what I got out of it. That explanation was complicated for the front page of course.
Click to expand...

That sounds pretty fair. and a heck of a lot better than what the CRTC does here in Canukistan (which is, by the way, introduce enough bureaucracy into everything to the point where your complaint may just be redirected back to you.)

If enough people complain formally, there will be a fair war chest for the FCC to act with, and the fee will keep people who aren't actually serious about their complaint at bay.
 
So, $225 gets a formal complaint rolling? Previously, all consumer contacts to the FCC were regarded as informal complaints? What was the old process whereby a consumer (citizen, etc.) could create a formal complaint?
 
c3k said:
So, $225 gets a formal complaint rolling? Previously, all consumer contacts to the FCC were regarded as informal complaints? What was the old process whereby a consumer (citizen, etc.) could create a formal complaint?
Click to expand...

With the old process a customer would file out a form online to make a complaint. The FCC would review this complaint and if legit they would contact the offending ISP with a deadline for them to reply. Failure to reply with a solution or an explanation of why this isn't a valid complaint (with proof) would / could result in a fine depending on the reason of the filing. Some extreme cases could result in them being shut down.

There wasn't a informal / formal complaint. You just have complains and all were taken seriously.

Yes there are going to be people that make claims that waste the time of the FCC and the ISP, however that is just part of the process. We have a few customers that get pissed at us and file a bogus complaint (one guy reported us because we didn't come fix his internet with 15 minutes of him calling us at 4:57 on a Friday night and instead made him wait till Saturday morning, of course that wasn't how he worded his filing). However we know this is just something that will happen and deal with it, we also get valid complaints though of people that have fallen through the cracks and their issues weren't taken care of in proper way. With the current process doesn't matter if it is bogus or valid, we have to respond with I think 30 days for most issues, some of higher severity are shorter. Failure to do so can result in fines by the FCC. Depending on the number of valid complaints, and what the complaint is in regards to decides on what the fine would be. Doesn't matter If the complaint sent to us by the FCC was from a customer with ever right to file a claim or from some customer that is missing a few screws, all were treated the same and acted on the same by all parties involved. Now, all that will be gone. If we get the complaint from the nut job, we can just tell the person they don't have a valid complaint and toss it and the FCC won't care. Even for minor issues we could blow the customer off and still not really do anything and the FCC won't care. Its like the DMCA take downs, you have 6 strikes before it is an issues. So your ISP normally just tossed the first one or two into the trash. Unless it is a formal complaint an ISP can just toss all the informal ones here. That's a good way to piss off customers, but the FCC wouldn't care and the larger companies are already good at pissing off customers.
 
From my perspective, there's nothing to be outraged about here. When I worked in warranty services, we'd get people threatening all the time to contact this agency or that agency or file this lawsuit or that lawsuit. If I couldn't get their replacement modem to them in 5 minutes, they'd file a complaint. If I didn't process a warranty replacement on their 5-year old product (warranty was 2 years) they'd file a complaint. Their wi-fi Internet wasn't very fast in an apartment building where there was 25+ other wi-fi networks in range, they'd file a complaint. I can only imagine that a nation-wide agency has a lot of resources tied up investigating every informal complaint sent their way. This is a good way to weed out all the whiners and be able to focus on those who have a serious complaint.
 
jardows said:
From my perspective, there's nothing to be outraged about here. When I worked in warranty services, we'd get people threatening all the time to contact this agency or that agency or file this lawsuit or that lawsuit. If I couldn't get their replacement modem to them in 5 minutes, they'd file a complaint. If I didn't process a warranty replacement on their 5-year old product (warranty was 2 years) they'd file a complaint. Their wi-fi Internet wasn't very fast in an apartment building where there was 25+ other wi-fi networks in range, they'd file a complaint. I can only imagine that a nation-wide agency has a lot of resources tied up investigating every informal complaint sent their way. This is a good way to weed out all the whiners and be able to focus on those who have a serious complaint.
Click to expand...
Well if my internet keeps going out and my ISP tosses my complaint in the trash, why can't the FCC at least review my complaint? Why should I have to pay the government $225 to be heard? What am I paying taxes for then?

I think we should shutdown the FCC and have each state write their own set of rules for the ISP corporations to follow. Sure there will be over 50 sets of rules when you include Puerto Rico and others, but at least consumers will be protected.
 
Another example of this administration's leadership choice - and how it comes back on average people (many of whom voted for this sh*t).

I've heard family members suggest that the people selected to run some of these key positions were put there because they would 'break' those systems - and when that happens it is to the benefit of the 1%ers.

Who among us could give a crap if they had to shell out $225 to file a complaint? - People with the money.
 
So now the ISPs just carry the FCC around in their front pants pocket to tickle their gear?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top