Telecom customers can cancel over failed services

Telecom Namibia has confirmed that customers who are unable to receive contracted services due to failures attributable to the company can cancel their contracts.

The company has also acknowledged that equipment shortages and supply chain challenges can affect service installations.

The comments follow concerns raised after an Outapi pensioner accused Telecom Namibia of billing her N$350 a month for seven months despite allegedly failing to install her internet service.

Telecom Namibia’s head of corporate communications, Nomvula Kambinda, last week told Namibian Sun customers are not ordinarily billed before services are activated, saying its standard practice is to charge customers only once services have been successfully provisioned.

"Telecom Namibia takes any incident of billing for services that have not been installed or activated very seriously," she said.

Kambinda added that “where appropriate and justified, suitable remedies may be considered, including contract cancellation arrangements or other measures”.

She said affected customers’ cases would be assessed individually.

"Where delays in installation occur due to challenges such as supply chain constraints, shortages of specific network or customer equipment, or installation materials, each case is assessed individually," Kambinda said.

Kambinda said these challenges are not unique to Telecom, as telecommunications operators globally may experience unforeseen operational and supply-chain disruptions that affect implementation timelines.

She said service agreements and contract renewals are concluded based on anticipated service delivery capabilities and network planning at the time, although unforeseen circumstances may affect implementation.

She said customers who dispute billing on their accounts can lodge complaints through Telecom Namibia’s customer service channels, after which cases are investigated and corrective action, including billing adjustments where justified, may be implemented.

The company said it continues to review its operational processes and procurement planning to minimise disruptions and improve customer experience.