BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan spoke at the BTK Communication Center Opening and the Meeting on Regulations Regarding Consumer Rights in the Electronic Communications Sector. President Sayan provided detailed information about the new regulation that offers many benefits to consumers.
The meeting, held at the Information Technologies and Communication Authority Central Campus, was attended by BTK President Dr. Ömer Fatih Sayan, board members, vice presidents, department heads, and sector representatives.
In his opening speech, President Sayan stated that the "Regulation on Consumer Rights in the Electronic Communications Sector" will enter into force with all its provisions as of April 28, 2018.
Expressing that the regulation introduces for the first time the possibility of establishing subscription agreements electronically within the procedures to be determined by the BTK, Sayan said, “While studies on preparing the relevant procedures and principles continue on one hand, on the other hand, the necessary rules are being determined for consumers to make subscription agreements using tablets or computers at operator offices or in their own homes. With the new regulation, operators have been imposed with the obligation to have a website, and in contracts including device supply, the operator is held responsible for device defects.”
Reminding that the regulation stipulates the acceptance of identity-equivalent documents with national validity in the establishment of subscription agreements for foreign nationals, Sayan stated, “In addition, the burden of proof for all transactions established with subscriber approval lies with the operator, and operators have been obligated to include declarations that impose financial burden on the subscriber in the online transaction center. Furthermore, regulations have been made regarding informing subscribers about post-campaign situations before their campaigns end, and in cases where commitments are obtained from subscribers via voice or text message, informing them in detail about the commitment content using the same method.”
Emphasizing that as an institution, they aim to implement innovations that provide the highest level of benefit to consumers, Sayan said, “An important innovation for our consumers is that in fixed electronic communications services, if there is network coverage at the new address, relocation procedures must be completed within 10 days, and committed subscribers are granted the right to terminate their contracts without paying a termination fee if the service cannot be provided with the same quality at the new address they are moving to. With the new regulation, visually impaired subscribers have not been forgotten, and operators have been obligated to provide tariff information verbally to these subscribers while they are receiving service abroad.”
NO FEE WILL BE CHARGED FROM SUBSCRIBERS FOR OPENING/CLOSING
President Sayan stated that those facing payment difficulties on their bills have also not been forgotten with the regulation and added: “A regulation has been made regarding not reflecting the service fee on the bill in case the subscriber's service is suspended for not paying the bill by the due date, and not charging a fee from the subscriber for the first opening-closing operation within one calendar year when the line closed due to non-payment is reopened. In addition, options have been provided to subscribers for operators to send bills according to subscriber preference; either by mail, e-mail, or SMS.”
Sayan shared the following information regarding termination regulations: “Billing must be stopped within 24 hours from the moment the termination request is made, and the subscriber must be informed; information on device returns to the operator must also be provided in the termination notification, and facilitations have been provided to subscribers for device returns and exchanges by allowing delivery to all authorized dealer stores of the operators.”
Stating that new rules have been introduced in value-added electronic communications services by taking consumer complaints into account, Sayan said, “Regulations have been made to prevent consumer grievances regarding mandatory free information announcements before service provision, the burden of proof for subscriber approval during service receipt lying with the operator, operators being obliged to meet subscribers' opening/closing requests, and the operator reflecting the service fee on the bill being responsible for the obligations imposed by legislation.”
BTK COMMUNICATION CENTER OPENED FOR SERVICE
Reiterating BTK's emphasis on prioritizing consumer rights and interests, President Sayan said, “We will inaugurate the Communication Center located within our institution's central building to identify consumer grievances one-on-one and take the necessary regulatory measures. In our Communication Center, which aims to resolve consumers' issues and maintain high citizen satisfaction, we provide service with BTK personnel and GSM operator representatives.”
Noting that all procedures related to applications made to BTK via outbound calls, such as registrations of lost, stolen, and devices brought from abroad in the Mobile Device Registration System, as well as face-to-face applications, are handled at the Communication Center, Sayan concluded his speech by saying, “I would like to express our satisfaction in producing one-on-one and uninterrupted solutions to our consumers' problems through our Communication Center and fulfilling our duty.”
Following the opening speech, the opening ceremony of the BTK Communication Center was held.