Daily Mail

Mobile giants ‘are misleading customers over signal strength’

- By Susie Coen TV and Radio Reporter

MOBILE phone networks have been accused of misleading customers about signal levels.

EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three all failed to give undercover reporters accurate informatio­n about their network coverage.

Mobile phone companies provide maps of the UK so customers can look at the kind of service they are able to receive on their network.

Undercover investigat­ors from Channel 4 programme Supershopp­ers spoke to representa­tives from all four companines online, over the phone and in-store.

Around 80 per cent failed to state the limitation­s of the coverage maps or say that they were ‘a guide only’ – with one salesman saying they were ‘as accurate as it gets’. When pushed for more details, just four admitted that there were some limitation­s to their maps.

Trading standards consultant Peter Stonely said: ‘It is important enough to put that disclaimer on their website because they know they can’t guarantee it 100 per cent, so their staff should be putting that same informatio­n across to the consumer. When informatio­n is given to you it must be accurate.’

EE and O2 said their websites make clear that a coverage map is simply a guide. But Three accepted that their staff ‘were not clear’ with the investigat­ors. Supershopp­ers airs tonight on Channel 4 at 8pm.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom