If there was ever any doubt about Ofcom's commitment to the consumer, here is some supporting evidence that the United Kingdom regulator is truly focused on the citizen.......

Consumer Focus, the independent consumer champion, today commended Ofcom for developing a successful organisation-wide consumer focus in its report Rating Regulators.

The report, which rates six regulators on a range of performance indicators, highlighted Ofcom as the only regulator to audit the way it takes consumer interests into account in its decision-making.  It also welcomed the new emphasis by Ofcom on empowering consumers through the provision of consumer information such as its price accreditation scheme and its consumer guides.

An Ofcom spokesperson said “We welcome Consumer Focus’ recognition of Ofcom’s achievements in improving its consumer focus.  Ofcom will take on board the recommendations made in the report to ensure a better future communications experience for consumers.”

In addition, Ofcom has launched an online guide to help consumers save money on their phone and broadband services, to view the guide click here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/features/recessmain

[Source: Ofcom email update]

If the stomach can take it, here is the media release in response from the Communications Consumer Panel (formerly known as the Ofcom Consumer Panel):


Quote:

immediate release 26 February 2009 Anna Bradley, Communications Consumer Panel Chair, commenting on the Consumer Focus report Rating regulators, said: “The Consumer Focus report confirms the findings of the independent review last year, which concluded that the Panel’s Consumer Interest Toolkit had influenced Ofcom's decision-making. The commendation that Ofcom received today from Consumer Focus is particularly gratifying because it is another endorsement for the toolkit and the way the regulator has continued to embed it in their processes. “The resulting changes to Ofcom’s culture have brought real benefits to communications consumers. This has prompted the European Commission to use the toolkit in its policy-making process. The needs of people must be central to everything that regulators and policy-makers do, and I hope other organisations will consider the benefits of our toolkit and be encouraged to adopt it in their own work.”

Don't anyone now dare to suggest that Ofcom is not "consumer"-focussed. It has a toolkit to prove it.

Indeed.
Ought we to consider a small competition (in line with light-touch regulation) as to where best to embed it?

I was left utterly stunned at this amazing nonsense from Consumer Focus, the very same people who have just congratulated BT on their allegedly consumer friendly alteration of call costs to 084/7 numbers on inclusive call packages by BT. ;) ::)

Unfortunately it seems to be a case of these various utterly useless super QUANGOs and their highly overpaid senior executives sticking together and them then patting each other on the back by putting out as many press releases as possible to say how fantastic they all are so that the huge level of consumer discontent about their generally anti customer activities is completely disguised.

I wonder what salaries are paid at Consumer Focus and whether these people all have backgrounds as customer services directors of the very companies which they are supposed to be ensuring do not act against the interests of the UK citizen consumer.

I give up as it is a completely Emperors New Clothes type system and nothing will change under this government.  However as soon as the government changes I think we should be energetic in trying to get the present farcical system swept away.

I should write to the Board Members of Consumer Focus to criticise this nonsense in praising one of the most useless and anti consumer regulatory bodies to ever exist but they have worn me down so far that I am not sure if I can now muster the required energy knowing that my comments will simply be filed in the WPB. >:( :o :'(