Objectives of the research

Objectives of the research

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  assessing the source of knowledge/information of charging and billing arrangements among 3G customers in Australia
  
• 
  identifying whether a lack of understanding of billing arrangements is a contributing factor to increased customer complaints
  
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  investigating if there are certain types of customers who are more likely to find current information about 3G data-charging inadequate and identifying how their needs might be better met.
  

• 
  to what extent 3G users understand the terms and conditions of their contracts, and if this knowledge is sufficient
  
• 
  where consumers obtain their understanding of charging arrangements
  
• 
  the relationship between consumer understanding of charging arrangements and behaviour
  
• 
  what experiences people have had with their providers’ charging arrangements, including:
  

• 
  if they had unexpected charges on their bills
  
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  if they asked their provider to explain unexpected charges
  
• 
  if they ever made a complaint to their provider, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) or a government agency about unexpected charges.
  

2. Methodology

Introduction

A mixed-methodology approach was undertaken in this study. The research included a qualitative phase of nine in-depth interviews conducted in Victoria (n=7 face-to-face, in-depth interviews in metropolitan Victoria and n=2 in-depth telephone interviews in regional Victoria). This was followed by a quantitative phase of n=1,069 Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI). The qualitative phase informed questionnaire development for the quantitative phase.
For both phases, a screening process was employed to ensure respondent eligibility for the study (see Figure 1). To be eligible, respondents had to be the bill-payer of at least one 3G mobile telephone. A two-fold method of sampling was used to ensure inclusion of both those households with a fixed-line telephone and those without (mobile-only households). Within the fixed-line household category, bill-payers were further classified as being either ‘adult bill-payers’ (who paid their own phone bills) or ‘parent bill-payers’ (who paid for the usage of a child or dependent and who were thus asked to respond to the survey in this context).

Figure 1 Stratification

Overview of qualitative phase

An initial qualitative research phase involving n=9 in-depth interviews with 3G users was undertaken on 6 and 7 May 2010, and was based on the critical research issues underpinning the project. The purpose of this phase was to explore 3G bill-payers’ understanding of charging and billing arrangements, and to discuss their experiences in detail. The findings from this qualitative phase were used to:

• 
  uncover any key issues or perspectives not initially covered by the research scoping documents
  
• 
  inform the development of the quantitative questionnaire to ensure consumers could easily comprehend all concepts and terminology used.
  

The insights gained in the qualitative phase were used to develop the quantitative survey—in particular, to improve flow and respondent understanding, and to anticipate key areas of interest or concern among respondents. Case studies with individual bill-payers are included in Chapter 6 to highlight specific experiences relating to bill shock.

Overview of quantitative phase

For the quantitative phase, interviews were conducted using CATI technology between 5 June and 15 August 2010. The primary sample frame used for contacting individuals living in fixed-line households was random digit dialling, where a computer generates a random number in the relevant target location within known telephone number ranges. In order to source individuals living in mobile-only households (mobile-only users), the Australian Master File^®, a consumer and marketing database, was used in conjunction with random digit dialling of mobile numbers. The target audience was individuals aged 18 or over who were one of the following:

• 
  the bill-payer for a 3G-enabled mobile handset they use
  
• 
  the bill-payer for a 3G-enabled mobile handset that is used by a child (under 18 years of age).
  

While parent 3G bill-payers may also be 3G bill-payers for their own mobile, they were interviewed from the perspective of being a parent currently paying for the 3G mobile plan of a dependent aged under 18. In total, n=1,069 interviews were achieved. A breakdown of these interviews by characteristic is in Table 1.
Data collected for fixed-line households were weighted to age, gender and location demographics from a large Australian landline telephone poll conducted by Roy Morgan between April 2009 and March 2010.
Data collected for mobile-only households were not weighted due to the small sample size. This means that information for mobile-only households is not directly comparable with information for fixed-line households.

Table 1 Completed interviews of 3G bill-payers

Fixed-line households Mobile-only households Adult bill-payers n=810 Parent bill-payers n=139 Total n=949 n=120

Table 2 shows the age and demographic profile of the unweighted sample (columns A and B) and the weighted proportions (Column C) for fixed-line households. Overall, higher proportions of survey respondents were female and aged 35+. The survey achieved a lower level of responses from Sydney, Melbourne and Queensland outside of Brisbane.

Table 2 Gender, age and location of 3G bill-payers
Gender Unweighted number (Column A) Unweighted percentage (Column B) Weighted percentage (Column C) n=949 n=949 n=949 Male 340 36% 46% Female 609 64% 54% Age 18–24 years 69 7% 13% 25–34 years 135 14% 18% 35–44 years 230 24% 19% 45–54 years 235 25% 22% 55+ years 280 30% 28% Location Sydney 97 10% 18% Elsewhere in NSW 128 13% 12% Melbourne 108 11% 19% Elsewhere in Vic. 100 11% 7% Brisbane 85 9% 10% Elsewhere in Qld 47 5% 11% Adelaide 50 5% 6% Elsewhere in SA 73 8% 2% Perth 42 4% 7% Elsewhere in WA 59 6% 3% Hobart 27 3% 1% Elsewhere in Tas. 42 4% 1% Darwin/Alice Springs 43 5% 1% ACT 48 5% 2%
Base: Varies by segment as shown in table. Source: SC3. Interviewer to record gender SC4a. Can we please ask how old you are? SC2a. What state or territory do you currently live in?

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