Category Archives: Advertising

Every Offer needs a CIS, but what’s an Offer?

Posted on 1 July 2013 by Peter Moon

It’s a good question, in some cases without a clear answer. When does a telco have to provide a Critical Information Summary? We’ll explore the issues in this article, and offer some opinions about how the Code works in this … Continue reading →

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Vodafone warning shows TCP Code compliance is not a ‘set & forget’ matter

Posted on 30 May 2013 by Peter Moon

No doubt, Vodafone put in a huge TCP Code compliance effort.  Very likely, it was fully compliant by the deadline of 1 April 2013.  And yet within three weeks, it suffered a major compliance failure, when it published a badly … Continue reading →

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ACMA issues landmark warning to Vodafone

Posted on 30 May 2013 by Peter Moon

ACMA has formally warned Vodafone for breaching the 2012 TCP Code.  Any ACMA warning is telco news, especially when it’s to a major service provider.  But this one is unusually significant. We’ll explain why.

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Critical Information Summary: Get the order right

Posted on 15 February 2013 by Peter Moon

The TCP Code specifies a strict order for the topics in a telco’s Critical Information Summary (CIS).  And it specifies the exact headings to appear in the document.  And it specifies one particular sentence that must appear verbatim.  Make sure … Continue reading →

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When is a CIS not a CIS?

Posted on 27 January 2013 by Peter Moon

Answer:  When it doesn’t follow the rules in the TCP Code.  The Code sets out detailed rules about the form and contents of a Critical Information Summary, and you can’t just type ‘Critical Information Summary’ at the top of a … Continue reading →

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Telco Plan Pricing: Ruslan Kogan highlights missed opportunity

Posted on 16 December 2012 by Peter Moon

It took entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan to make a key point about telco plan pricing – a point that the new TCP Code doesn’t pick up on. Fifty dollars does not equal $500, and it’s inherently confusing to base pricing and … Continue reading →

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Unit Pricing: Comms Alliance releases Guidance Note

Posted on 12 December 2012 by Peter Moon

Communications Alliance has released a very welcome Guidance Note about the TCP Code’s unit pricing rules.  It’s available for download, for Comms Alliance members only, at the industry association’s website. The Guidelines tackle several of the muddy issues raised by … Continue reading →

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Training to beat bill shock

Posted on 11 December 2012 by Peter Moon

Talk about a shock:  The TCP Code actually requires telcos to train sales staff to help customers estimate their likely usage and choose the most appropriate plan! Let’s not beat around the bush here. For most of twenty years, many … Continue reading →

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Unit pricing: Optus warned it wouldn’t be easy

Posted on 6 December 2012 by Peter Moon

A year before the 2012 Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code was launched, Optus warned that unit pricing was only suitable for ‘basic, simple products’ and that unit pricing fans needed to ‘be careful what you wish for’. It turns out that … Continue reading →

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Critical Information Summary: Don’t forget to date it

Posted on 4 December 2012 by Peter Moon

It makes sense to include a date on every Critical Information Summary. The TCP Code rules don’t require it but common sense does. Why is it so? First, you need a way to distinguish different versions of your CIS where … Continue reading →

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