The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) is celebrating World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) by organizing an outreach event on March 17 and 18. CRA is using the occasion to engage with telecom consumers in Qatar and spread awareness about their rights and responsibilities to help consumers make informed decisions. To mark WCRD, CRA has also launched its newly revamped, award-winning mobile app – Arsel – as an additional tool to manage consumer complaints.
The event will be at Villaggio Mall opposite entrance no 4. CRA’s team will be on hand to provide useful consumer tips to help visitors better understand their rights and responsibilities as telecom consumers and to know more about CRA’s complaints resolution process. Visitors will also be able to lodge telecom complaints against their service providers onsite.
“CRA continues to pursue its goal of ensuring that all telecom consumers in Qatar have access to a broad range of innovative and reasonably priced communications services, and is constantly looking for ways to improve their experience. The Arsel app is a key element of this and a key part of CRA’s strategy of ensuring that people have the right tools and technology at their fingertips to contribute to achieve the vision of a smarter Qatar.” said Amel Salam Al-Hanawi, Consumer Affairs Department Manager.
“I would like to invite you all to come and join us to celebrate this day. CRA, is here to help and enable telecom consumers in Qatar to have innovative, and reliable communications services.” she added.
Arsel mobile app contains an extensive range of useful features. The app gives users the ability to check if there are any network coverage issues that have been reported in their area or all over Qatar and can filter this by service provider. Additionally the speed test functionality allows users to check internet speed (Mobile/Wi-Fi) and report this directly to the CRA.
The app also allows users to lodge complaints against the service providers using accurate location based information, follow up on their complaints, send relevant documents and receive updates. The app takes users through a detailed step-by-step telecom consumer complaints process.
CRA follow a certain resolution process for telecom complaints; consumers with a complaint are free to approach the CRA if a complaint lodged directly to their service provider remains unresolved for 30 calendar days, or if they are dissatisfied with the resolution offered.
Complaints are then assessed by the CRA against a set of criteria to determine if a complaint is valid or not. CRA receives and investigates complaints by working with both the consumers and service providers to find a fair and mutually acceptable resolution.
Consumers can contact the CRA in a variety of ways: the 24/7 hotline number is 103, email CRA at consumervoice@cra.gov.qa, using “Arsel” mobile application, by tweeting directly to @CRAqatar, or by visiting the CRA’s headquarters at Al Nasr Tower B.
A recently conducted survey revealed that CRA hotline 103 and Arsel app, which has won best Mobile App for ICT Sector are from the preferred channels of communicating with CRA .