Consumer
code of practice
Aim of this Code of Practice
Gibtelecom is committed to providing you with the highest quality of service. This Code of Practice is designed to be as clear and as useful as possible. In intends to:
• Tell you how to contact us
• Explain the main services Gibtelecom offers
• Show how we communicate with you
• Explain how we deal with your privacy
• Give details on billing and bill payment
• Describe how you can pay your bills
• Tell you what to do if you have a complaint
• Explain what you can do if you are still not satisfied
Nothing in this code of practice forms part of any contract between you and us. The products and services we describe may not always be available, and from time to time we may change them, our terms and conditions, and the prices we charge. Our standard terms and conditions apply to the products and services. These can be found on the footer of this website.
1. About Gibtelecom
Gibtelecom is the leading communications provider to Gibraltar’s residents and business community. The Company is both aware of the needs of its customers and equally of the opportunities which arise as a result of Gibraltar’s significant international financial services, maritime and e-gaming industries.
Gibtelecom provides customers with products and services matching those offered by leading telecommunications companies throughout the world. The Company’s experienced and dedicated staff guarantee that customers receive a professional and customised service. Gibtelecom is the an ISO 27001 certified Company.
Gibtelecom provides fixed line, mobile, internet and enterprise services to the Rock's inhabitants.
2. How to contact us
Our main office:
15/21 John Mackintosh Square
PO Box 929
Gibraltar
Telephone: 20052200
Fax: 20071673
General enquiries
Call: 20052200
Fax: 20071673
Website: www.gibtele.com
Email: care@gibtele.com
Customer care
Call: 20052200
Fax: 20044444
Website: www.gibtele.com
Email: care@gibtele.com
Fault reporting
Internet 192
Fixed 193
Mobile 194
Email tac@gibtele.com
If you wish to contact us from outside Gibraltar, then please call us on +350 20052200.
Confidentiality
Any information that you give Gibtelecom in order to provide you with communications services will be treated as confidential and subject to the laws of Gibraltar on the protection of personal data (Data Protection Act). Gibtelecom will safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of all messages (including voice and data) transmitted over its network, subject to the relevant laws of Gibraltar.
3. Main Services
Gibtelecom is authorised by the Government of Gibraltar, through the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA), to provide electronic communication services and networks in Gibraltar, including domestic and international services.
Customer Care
Our Customer Care in John Mackintosh Square is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00 excluding Bank Holidays. Information on all our product range, as well as bill payment facilities, is available from Customer Care.
Should you wish to terminate any of the services we are providing or amend the details of your account in any way (e.g. transfer your account to another address or change your directory visibility status) you will need to visit our customer care centre where we will provide you with the relevant authorisation forms, or alternatively contact them via email on care@gibtele.com
Please note that proof of identification may be required whenever amending, including transferring, your account details or when applying for new services. You can also pay your bills by Direct Debit or using the Selfcare online portal.
Gibtelecom are committed to providing you with the best service. To this end, we have Service Level Agreements that provide information on installation timescale commitments and other guarantees. These can be found on the footer of this website and are additionally available from our customer care centre.
Provision of services
You can apply for any of our services in person by visiting our Customer Care, online on this website, by email to care@gibtele.com or by fax on 20044444.
For fixed connections, the rental of your line is billed in advance, but calls are billed at the end of the month after they have been made.
Gibtelecom’s fixed telephony service is provided using the latest digital communications software and technology. It is designed to allow the user to receive and make national and international voice calls.
The telephony service offers the following customer features: Customer Calling Services, Smart Call Services and Voicemail (note that rental and/or usage charges may apply).
Your telephone bill is due for payment on the date shown on the bill. For further information regarding our Code of Practice on Bill Payment, please see section 7 below.
When Gibtelecom installs your telephone line, a master line jack will be fitted, which is typically where our network ends[2]. Where we provide broadband services, our network would end at our broadband gateway. The master line jack can only be installed by Gibtelecom[3]. Extra line jacks can be installed if you need them, for an additional charge, or you may add your own approved extension wiring and sockets. The maintenance of the line, from our network up to and including the master line jack[4] is covered by your line rental charge.
How long will it take to install?
This will depend on the service being provided. For example, to provide a residential fixed telephone line Gibtelecom aims to do this within 10 business days of receiving a completed and verified service request from you. In the majority of cases, the fixed line will be installed well before this time. Our different service level agreements (SLA) contain information on different installation periods. These can be found on the footer of this website or by contacting our Customer Care.
Telephone and other equipment in your premises
Gibtelecom have a range of telephones for home and office use available for sale at our Customer Care. Gibtelecom can advise you on your own telephone equipment and wiring, or other apparatus that you can connect to our network.
Internet services
Gibtelecom provides a number of different residential and business internet-based solutions. These include high-speed broadband; dedicated IP circuits; data centres and hosting etc services.
To find out more about the internet services provided by Gibtelecom, visit the relevant sections of this website or contact us at:
Gibtelecom
15/21 John Mackintosh Square
P.O. Box 929
Gibraltar
Telephone: 20052200
Email: care@gibtele.com
Mobile services
For communications on the move, roaming is available with nearly 500 international operators in 171 countries[5]. Customers can choose to have their mobile service on either a post-paid (pay monthly) or pre-paid (pay-as-you-go) basis.
Gibtelecom’s mobile data service is enabled by default and available to all customers providing email, web browsing, and other related features. Customers will need to have their mobile phones configured in order to use data services. This can be done by calling 194 or alternatively, customers can call in at our Customer Care for assistance.
Terms and Conditions
The Terms and Conditions for our services detail the conditions under which we offer our services, including minimum periods of contract. They can be found on the reverse of the relevant service’s application form and are also available on the footer of this website.
USAGE CHARGES
Our usage charges may change from time to time. Full details of all our current charges are published on this website or are available from Customer Care. We will also publish details of any changes to charges in the local press.
Specialised services for business
We offer business customers complete business communications solutions, including systems planning, consultancy, communications equipment and business telephone systems. We have expertise in communications technology; including a resilient fixed network, broadband digital access, private circuits and global network connections.
Customer calling services
Customer calling services are value added services available from Gibtelecom’s Exchange for customers with fixed lines within their homes or businesses. These offer simple and practical ways of using your telephone for a whole range of purposes. A number of these services are available to our customers as standard, using an approved telephone with a touch-tone keypad. The main customer calling services include:
• Call Diversion
• Call Waiting
• Three Way Calling
• Call Barring
• Reminder Call
• Smart Return
• Smart Number Display
• Smart Release
• Smart Number Masking
• Ring Back when free
These functions are explained in our Telephone Directory and on this website.
Public payphones
We provide Public Payphones where customers can make the following types of calls:
• Most types of voice telephony calls, including local, national and international calls;
• Calls to local and international directory enquiries (11811 & 11888);
• Free emergency calls (112, 190 or 199);
• Calls to operator assisted services (100).
• If you have any problems, or have a complaint about our public payphones, please call 193 (24 hours).
Customer support services (available 24 hours)
Calls to the following support numbers are free of charge:
• Internet fault reporting 192
• Fixed line fault reporting 193
• Mobile fault reporting 194
• Roaming support +350 20052201
• Calls to the following customer services numbers are chargeable:
• Customer Care 20052200
Directory enquire service
You can find out the telephone number of a personal or business telephone line, provided that you give a valid name and address for the person or organisation that you wish to contact. Their number will not be given out if that person does not allow publication (by being ex-directory).
Numbers in and outside Gibraltar can be obtained by calling:
• Local Directory Enquiries (charged at published rate) 11811
• International Directory Enquiries (charged at published rate) 11888
Telephone Directories
Telephone directories information is available at www.gibyellow.gi. The telephone directory does not contain information on those customers whose details they have expressly asked not to be published.
Customers with special needs
We make sure that vulnerable customers can get access to affordable phone services, and we’re committed to helping our customers keep in touch more easily. We’ve a range of products for elderly customer and customers with disabilities who feel they may need help.
Please contact 20052200 or call in at our Customer Care for more information.
Fault reporting service
To report a fault on a Gibtelecom fixed line please call 193, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. (no charge is levied for calls made to this number)
Before reporting a fault please:
Check that all switches (ringer, dial, etc.) on the equipment are in the correct position;
• Ensure that, where you have equipment that needs mains power, that the power is switched on and that any batteries, if required, are good;
• Try unplugging the telephone and changing it for another working telephone if you have one. If the fault disappears, then the telephone is faulty and should be returned to the supplier if the warranty is still valid. Alternatively, try the telephone in another socket that is known to be working. This will help you to identify whether your equipment is faulty.
What to do if you telephone instrument is faulty
If your phone is faulty, and it was purchased from Gibtelecom and is within the warranty period please return it to our Customer Care for assistance. Most equipment purchased from Gibtelecom carries a one-year warranty, so please remember to bring your receipt for proof of purchase if it was not charged to your telephone account.
If your equipment was not purchased from us, please contact your supplier.
REPAIR SERVICE
Our fixed line repair service operates Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5.30pm. A limited repair service is provided on Saturdays between 8.30am and 5.30pm for priority faults and those customers with a relevant maintenance contract.
Gibtelecom’s standard terms and conditions covers all repairs to rented and purchased equipment, except damage caused by customers, their contractors, agents, or by fire, flood, lighting, loss or electrical damage. Customers are advised that their equipment, both purchased and rented, should be insured against loss.
The cost of any repair to Gibtelecom’s fixed line telephony service up to where Gibtelecom’s network ends (usually up to and including the master line jack) is covered by the telephone line rental charge. If one of our engineers is called to your premises to repair a telephone line service and the fault is found to be on the customer side of the master line jack a charge may be applied. All our engineers carry Gibtelecom identity cards.
Cancelling services
If you want to end a service, please tell us as quickly as possible so that we can arrange to send you a final bill. If you do not tell us that you want to terminate your service, we will continue to invoice you and you will be responsible for any charges incurred.
To cancel your contract with us please call in at our Customer Care at John Mackintosh Square, email us on care@gibtele.com or fax us on 20044444.
Customer services guarantee
We offer service guarantees for our different services. Such guarantees are set out in our service level agreements (SLAs) and typically cover instances when we’re late in providing you with the service; when there is an interruption to the service; etc. As an example, any customer who experiences a failure in the fixed line telephony service (which is within the confines and responsibility of Gibtelecom Ltd) in excess of two business days may apply for a service credit as specified in the Service Credit Specifications outlined in the SLA.
SLAs for our main services are available on request from our Customer Service Centre at 15/21 John Mackintosh Square, or alternatively they can be viewed on-line through on the footer of this website. More information is also available under the Compensation section below.
4. Your privacy
We know that privacy is very important to our customers, and we want you to feel confident about the privacy and security of your personal information.
We’re registered under the Data Protection Act in Gibraltar and take all precautions to prevent any unauthorised access to your personal information.
To find out about the personal information we may hold about you, and how we use it, please see our Privacy Policy statement, which is available on request from our customer services team or can be viewed on the footer of this website. When we refer to ‘personal information’, we mean information that identifies you (or could do so).
5. What should I do if I have a complaint?
If you are unhappy with any aspect of Gibtelecom’s service, or the way in which we conduct our business with you, then we want you to tell us.
Gibtelecom is committed to giving our customers the finest possible communications services. Despite our best efforts, things can go wrong, and when they do we want to know so that we can put them right as soon as possible.
How you can complain
Gibtelecom has a procedure for complaints to ensure that if you have a complaint; it can be investigated and resolved as quickly and as efficiently as possible. You can raise a complaint by calling us on 20052200, sending a fax to 2004444, emailing us at care@gibtele.com or writing in to our main address:
Gibtelecom
Customer Care
15/21 John Mackintosh Square
Gibraltar
You can also call in at our Customer Care at the address above.
Your complaint will be directed to the department in question for resolution. To allow us to do this effectively, you should provide as much detail as possible when registering your complaint.
On receipt of your complaint, we will log your complaint for easy tracking. For instance, in the case of a billing related complaint, this will be recorded on our automated Customer Care System, which will provide you with a unique reference number assigned to your complaint.
Recording of written complaints
As a result of a complaint being received in writing and in order that we can respond efficiently, we will keep records of any complaint-related correspondence. This will help us to deal with any follow-on discussions with you should this be necessary. Our records may include our written notes on the content of the telephone conversations as well as keeping copies of any written communications.
These records will be confidential, and are covered by the relevant legislation on safeguarding privacy and confidentiality.
What we'll do and when
Please give us an opportunity to resolve the problem. We will aim to resolve it within ten business days.
This timescale is a guideline which we endeavour to meet. However, on rare occasions, the complaint in question may warrant an extended period of investigation. Should this be the case, you will be informed at all times.
What if I am not satisfied with the way my complaint is being handled
We urge you to give us a chance to get things right. However, if after your complaint has gone through the complaints procedure explained above, you are still unhappy with the way that your complaint was handled, you may write to Gibtelecom’s Legal department, 15/21 John Mackintosh Square or email legal@gibtele.com[6]
Your complaint will be investigated, and a course of action will be discussed with you to make sure that the problem is resolved quickly and to your satisfaction. Please give Gibtelecom the opportunity to resolve the problem before taking the matter further.
Compensation
You may be entitled to compensation should things go wrong and Gibtelecom are at fault.
Our Service Level Agreements, which can be viewed on our website at www.gibtele.com and are available on request from our Customer Care, detail the events for which you may be eligible for compensation.
Gibtelecom is not liable for any breach which is caused by a matter beyond our reasonable control including Act of God, fire, lightning, explosion, war, disorder, flood, industrial disputes (whether or not involving our employees), extremely severe weather or acts of Government or other third parties.
Should you have cause to claim compensation from Gibtelecom for not meeting recognised timescales you should make a claim using the complaints process, mentioned previously. The payment of compensation claims will normally be made by a credit to your account.
Service Credits (not connection charges) are calculated based on the contracted monthly rate for affected telephone service. Gibtelecom will credit the number of days/hours stated in the relevant service guarantee. If the number of days/hours is not stated then Gibtelecom will credit the number of business day(s)/hours for which we have not met our commitment over and above the number of days specified in the relevant Service Commitment.
In order for Gibtelecom to consider your compensation claim, you must submit your claim by the 15th day of the month following the month in which the reported incident was resolved.
6. Bill Payment
Gibtelecom provides telephone services, for which customers are billed on a monthly basis. Other services may have different billing periods. In this Code of Practice we describe how we request payment for telephony services and the help that Gibtelecom can give you if you are having problems paying your bill. We also explain what action is taken if payment is not received.
Itemisation reports
Itemised billing for international calls is available on request and is provided free of charge. We also offer local call itemisation on a per-request basis for which you need to visit our Customer Care. Local call itemisation will only be given to the account holder upon presentation of proof of identity (ID Card or Passport or authorisation letter).
The fees for a local call itemisation report depend on the number of printed pages generated. Please ask a member of our Customer Care for the current charges.
Advising you of the payment
Your telephone bill is due for payment as soon as you receive it each month. The latest date that payment must be received is shown on the bill.
If you dispute any items on your bill
If you disagree with any item on your bill, you should let Gibtelecom know and then pay the undisputed amount while your query is investigated. The number to contact Gibtelecom on is 20052200, or you may write to us at: Gibtelecom, Customer Care, 15/21 John Mackintosh Square, Gibraltar or pay us a visit at the same address.
If payment is not received
If we do not receive payment by the end of the month, you will receive a notice with your next bill warning you that your service will be restricted for non-payment. You will not be able to make outgoing calls, except to emergency services. It is in your interest to regularise your position immediately. If payment is not effected by the date stipulated in the notice your service will be disconnected without further notice and it will not be reconnected until we have received full payment of the outstanding amount.
Please advise us if you are having difficulties paying your bill (by calling 20052200, writing to the above address or visiting our Customer Care).
If you do not pay the outstanding amount after your service has been disconnected, your details may be passed on to a debt-collection agency to collect the money on our behalf. You may also be liable for a reconnection fee for any subsequent re-provision of telephone service.
If you are questioning the bill and we are still investigating, and provided you have paid us the amount of your bill which is not in dispute, your service would not be disconnected.
We also reserve the right to disconnect the service for other reasons, most notably for breaches of contract. For more details please refer to the pertinent Terms and Conditions.
If you have payment difficulties
The earlier Gibtelecom knows that you are having payment difficulties, the more help we can give you. If you advise us that you are having difficulties paying an outstanding amount Gibtelecom can offer one or more of the following solutions.
A Repayment Plan. This will help you pay the outstanding amount over an agreed period of time (limit usually 6 months). When we agree the repayment plan we will take your past payment history into account.
If we believe it will help you to avoid a larger debt building up, we may apply service restrictions until you have completed your repayment plan. In these circumstances, Gibtelecom will not charge for restoring the service.
Your responsibilities to us
As a customer, you also have responsibilities and Gibtelecom expects customers to
• ensure that we receive payment by the date shown on your bill;
• If there is a reason why you cannot pay your bill, or need more time to pay you should let us know straight away. The number to call is 20052200, and our address is 15/21 John Mackintosh Square, Gibraltar;
• If you are having difficulty paying your bill, you should be prepared to accept an ‘incoming calls only’ service if we ask you to do so, and pay the outstanding amount over an agreed period;
• If you disagree with any item on your bill, you should let Gibtelecom know and then pay the undisputed amount while your query is being investigated.
Malicious and nuisance calls
Making a malicious or nuisance call is a criminal offence. Should you be a victim of this practice you need to report the incident(s) to the Royal Gibraltar Police on 20072500.
8. Arbitration
Gibtelecom will do everything it can to resolve complaints, disagreements and disputes with customers. However, where there is a disagreement and the complaint is not resolved, you can refer the matter to The Office of the Ombudsman, 10 Governor’s Lane, Gibraltar.
You, or Gibtelecom, may also at any time refer the dispute to the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA), 2nd floor, Eurotowers 4, 1 Europort Road, Gibraltar, telephone number 20074636 for determination by the Authority.
The GRA will act as an impartial body and will implement a fair outcome for all parties if it identifies that we have not adequately resolved the matter. If the GRA believes that we have acted reasonably, you will be informed of this.
Footnotes:
[1] As of date of publication. For up to date details on roaming coverage areas, please check out the roaming section of this website
[2] Except in areas where Gibtelecom’s network ends in an ‘interconnection’ or ‘patch’ panel within the building, close to your residence. For more information please see the relevant Service Level Agreement.
[3] See footnote 2 above.
[4] See footnote 2 above.
[5] See footnote 1 above
[6] In doing so you acknowledge that your complaint has already gone through the initial complaints procedure explained under the “How you can complain” section.
EMERGENCY SERVICES Calls to the following Emergency Services from any telephone, mobile, and public payphone are free:
• Ambulance and Fire 190Police 112 or 199
In other situations, please contact the relevant services. For listings see the current Gibraltar Telephone Directory. Note: Some office systems (private exchanges/switchboards)use different codes for external access to emergency services. Please consult your company’s own system.
