1. Purpose and Scope
The Customer Services Department of Lyca Mobile Ireland Limited (“Lyca Mobile”) provides a commitment at all levels of the department to the efficient, fair and courteous resolution of a Customer complaint. This includes having a Code of Practice that will guide both the Customer and Lyca Mobile in the handling of a Customer complaint.
This Code of Practice is intended to provide Customers with transparency on how Lyca Mobile will deal witha complaint, and to make Customers aware of the steps that will be taken during the complaint handling process. The Code of Practice also defines the minimum standards that Lyca Mobile will apply in the handling of a Customer complaint.
In this Code of Practice, the “Customer” is sometimes referred to as “you” or “your”.
2. Changes to the Code of Practice
Changes to Lyca Mobile’s Code of Practice will be made in accordance with any regulatory requirements issued by the Commission for Communications Regulation (“ComReg”). Any such changes will be published on Lyca Mobile’s website.
3. Making a Complaint
There are several ways for you to make a complaint if you are not satisfied with the service provided by Lyca Mobile. It is the intention of Lyca Mobile to resolve a Customer complaint, where possible, during your first point of contact with Lyca Mobile. Where a complaint cannot be resolved in this way, you will be advised of a timescale for the investigation and resolution of your complaint by Lyca Mobile. You will also be given the opportunity to escalate the complaint within Lyca Mobile if you still are not satisfied with the resolution.
The different ways you may make a complaint about the service provided by Lyca Mobile are described below:
3.1 Telephone: A Customer can make a complaint by telephone via our Customer care lines by pressing 1923 from any Lyca Mobile pre-paid SIM Account.
If a Customer chooses, the Customer may instead contact the Customer Services Department at +1 437 2322. Local call charges will apply to these calls. If a Customer is roaming internationally, the Customer may also contact the Customer Services Department at +353 1 437 2322. Calls made to this number while the Customer is roaming internationally will be charged at the international roaming tariffs set out on Lyca Mobile’s website.
The Customer care lines are open from 8:00am to 8:00pm (IST).
3.2 Letter: A Customer can make a complaint by posting a letter to the address for complaints at:
Customer Services Manager
Complaints Department
Lyca Mobile Ireland Limited
Unit 18, Bluebell Business Park
Old Nass Road
Dublin 12 D12RW52
3.3 E-mail: A Customer can make a complaint via email at: cs@lycamobile.ie The Customer Services Department will promptly acknowledge all Customer complaints received, and not later than two business days after receipt of the Customer complaint.
4. Complaint Stages
The following are the stages in the Customer complaint handling process followed by Lyca Mobile:
Receipt of the Customer complaint
Acknowledgement of the Customer complaint
Investigation of the Customer complaint
Notification of resolution of the Customer complaint
Internal escalation of the Customer complaint (where necessary)
5. Complaint Types
The primary types of Complaints are described below.
Billing (including Top-Ups)
Network Quality / Coverage
Roaming
Handset
Other Prior to making a complaint, and to help the Customer Services Department to promptly resolve your complaint, you should consider which type of complaint you wish to make, and have at hand detailed information to provide to the Customer Services Department.
6. Timescales to Respond
In addition to the three business days to acknowledge a Customer complaint, the maximum timescales for Lyca Mobile to respond to the various types of Customer complaints are listed below:
Complaint Type | Target Timescales to Respond |
---|---|
Billing (including Top-up) | Within 5 working days – with no disconnection while a bona fide dispute is unresolved provided the Customer has paid the undisputed portion of the account |
Network Quality / Coverage | Immediate response with the objective that service degradation is rectified within 6 hours |
Roaming | Within 5 working days |
Handset* | 10 working days |
Other | 10 working days |
*Although Lyca Mobile does not provide handsets to Customers, a problem with your handset may result in network quality or coverage issues. Therefore, Lyca Mobile may ask you for details regarding the brand and model of your handset.
7. Progress Updates
The Customer Services Department will provide you will progress updates at regular intervals to keep you informed of the progress of the investigation into your complaint. In cases where the Customer Services Department is unable to resolve a Customer complaint within the target timescales, then the Customer Services Department will advise you of the revised timescales.
8. Escalating Complaint
If you are not satisfied with the way your complaint has been dealt with, you have the right to request an internal escalation of your complaint to the next level within the Customer Services Department.
8.1 Escalation Level 1: The Customer’s first point of contact with the Customer Services Department will be the First Line Customer Services Representative who will handle your query and provide a resolution. If you are not happy with the resolution, you may request that your complaint be escalated to the Customer Services Team Leader who in turn will attempt to resolve your complaint after coordination with the appropriate technical support teams. If you are satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Customer Services Team Leader, the Customer complaint will be closed.
8.2 Escalation Level 2: If you are not satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Customer Services Team Leader, you may request that your complaint be escalated by the Customer Services Team Leader to the Incident/Resolution Desk, who will deal with your complaint. If necessary, the Incident/Resolution Desk will contact you for further details of your complaint. If you are satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Incident/Resolution Desk, the Customer complaint will be closed.
8.3 Escalation Level 3: If you are not satisfied with the resolution proposed by the Business Support Team, you may request that your complaint be escalated by the Customer Services Team Leader to the Customer Services Manager via email or letter. The Manager on shift should attend the call and if not resolved will be forwarded to the Customer Service Manager.
8.4 Governing Body: Lyca Mobile strives to satisfy every Customer and to resolve in an efficient, fair and courteous manner each Customer complaint. In however you are not satisfied by the final resolution proposed by the Customer Services Manager, then you have the right to refer your complaint to one of several governing bodies, and receive independent advice. These governing bodies are listed below:
Commission for Communications Regulation One Dockland Central Guild Street Dublin 1 Ireland D01 E4X0 Lo-Call: 1890 229668 Tel: +353 1 8049600 Fax: +353 1 8049680 Email: consumerline@comreg.ie Website: www.askcomreg.ie
National Consumer Agency 4 Harcourt Road Dublin 2 Lo-Call: 1890 432 432 Tel: 01 402 5555 Fax: 01 4025501 Email: odca@entemp.ie Website: www.consumerconnect.ie
The Advertising Standards Authority Ferry House 48 Lower Mount Street Dublin 2 Tel: +353 1 613 70 40 Fax: +353 1 613 70 43 Website: www.asai.ie
Small Claims Court A Customer may also have recourse to the Small Claims Court. The Small Claims Court may be contacted through your local District Court Office. Please note that a Customer’s statutory rights are not affected by this Code of Practice for the Handling of Customer Complaints.
9. Goodwill Guarantee Scheme
Lyca Mobile will endeavour to respond and resolve all Customer complaints within the Timescales to Respond. In some cases this may not be possible. In this event, on a case to case basis, the Customer Services Team Leader has the discretion to apply a credit to a Customer’s Account as a goodwill gesture. Any other modes of compensation will be at the Customer Services Manager discretion.
10. Disconnections and Blocking
Lyca Mobile will not disconnect or block your Account when a bona fide Customer complaint remains unresolved. There are however circumstances where Lyca Mobile may disconnect or block your Account. These are described below.
10.1 Non-Use of the Services: If you do not use your SIM Card to make a voice call, or send a message or data, or if you do not purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services, for a period of ninety (90) days from the date you registered or activated your Account or your last use of the Services (whichever is later), Lyca Mobile will contact you by SMS or e-mail advising you that your SIM Card will be deactivated. Lyca Mobile will then provide you with an additional thirty (30) days to make a voice call, send a message or data, or purchase a top-up using the Top-Up Services.
10.2 Misuse of the Services: If you misuse the Services, Lyca Mobile reserves the right to disconnect your service. When you subscribe to Lyca Mobile’s pre-paid Services, you agree not to use the SIM Card or the Services and not to permit another person to use your SIM Card or the Services:
Fraudulently or in connection with a criminal offence,
For the purpose of making an unsolicited communication or storing and/ or communicating any material which is offensive, abusive, indecent, defamatory, obscene or menacing, a nuisance or a hoax, or which is a breach of privacy, an infringement of copyright, or is otherwise unlawful,
To knowingly and deliberately cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another person,
To make any offensive, abusive, indecent, defamatory, obscene or menacing call to any Customer Services Department representative,
To transmit a virus or other malicious software, use the Services in a manner that impairs the operation or security of the Network or may cause death, personal injury or damage to property,
With equipment that is not approved for use with the Network, including, but not limited to, SIM-boxes and SIM-gateways, and
To support calls to call forwarding services, onward calling services or calls to telephone numbers which pay a revenue share or resell to others or commercially exploit our Services.
11. Complaint Tracking
Lyca Mobile will ensure that all Customer complaints can be easily tracked to ensure traceability of all actions taken regarding a specific Customer complaint. The Customer Services Department will assign to your complaint a Unique Reference Number (URN). When making a complaint, Lyca Mobile will advise you of the URN. Customers are advised to refer to their URN in all communications with the Customer Services Department.
12. Records Retention
Details of a Customer complaint will be retained for a minimum of one year following the resolution of the complaint. For legal reasons, details of a Customer complaint may be held for six years following the date you close your Account with Lyca Mobile.