Over 3 billion or 40% of the world’s population is now online, compared with just 1% in 1995.   With all projections of internet business activities suggesting this number will continue to rise.  Vanuatu is also part of the growing trend of accessing online/internet businesses and other online activities.

 Reflecting Vanuatu’s experience, the number of social media users is ever increasing  and e-commerce services is starting to transform the way people do their shopping and also giving consumers a lot more choices than ever before which is something consumers should appreciate.  However, there are great concerns raised on internet users’/consumers’ Protection Security and Privacy, and importantly trust and confidence in their daily online activities.

Occasionally on the 15th of March, Consumers International, the committed and recognized body of 240 members of the Association across 120 countries in the world specifically celebrate this day amongst member countries to advocate for the rights of Consumers to ensure knowledge and recognition for these basic rights of all consumers, and demanding for those rights to be respected and protected according to each individual’s constitutional rights.

 

On 15 March 2018, Vanuatu will join 240 members of Consumer International across 120 countries to specifically celebrate this day advocating for the rights of Consumers and to ensure the basic rights of all consumers are known to them, and demanding for those rights to be respected and protected according to each individual’s constitutional rights. This year’s theme for the World Consumer Rights Day is Making Digital Market Place Fairer. 

Building on from Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator’s (TRBR) Continuous Face to Face Consumer Protection Awareness and Educational programs each year (in many Islands of Vanuatu), and through its Community Consumer Champions across all Provinces of Vanuatu, TRR has now developed a mobile application to enhance its complaint handling processes in place. The mobile app will also positively assist and enhance a user’s knowledge on Telecommunications information and development in Vanuatu.

The application carries information relating to the general operations of TRBR and more importantly Consumer Protection Information that is believed to assist and guide consumers, at least in their knowledge and understanding of their rights and responsibilities in the Telecommunications sector.   Importantly for all users to note, the app has a functionality to lodge an online formal complaint to TRBR whenever a consumer is not happy with his or her service provider, provided he or she has exhausted avenues to resolve the matter with his or her respective service provider.

This app can be used by any telecommunication user across Vanuatu who has access to a smart mobile phone handset or tablet that is able to access 3G internet from either TVL or Digicel or from other internet service provider anywhere in Vanuatu.

When a Customer is not happy or satisfied with his/her Service provider on a specific service that he or she purchased; the following steps must be observed and followed:

  1. Contact your Service Provider and lodge your complaint on issues you have faced or facing;
  2. If you receive no response from your service provider within expected timeframe, send your complaints to TRBR including your information communicated to your provider;
  3. If you don’t receive or not satisfied with the response from your service provider, you can also send in your complaint to TRBR by applying through TRBR’s online complaint form currently available on its website (trr.vu) or through “TRR Facts Info” that has now released.
  4. TRBR will mediate complaints provided with evidences.

The TRBR mobile app (TRR Facts Info) is now available on Google Play Store for anyone to download and install on their smart devices.  Currently the application only runs on the Android platform.

Should there be any issues with the application, please do not hesitate to contact TRBR on Telephone 27621 or on email enquiries@trr.vu .

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