Where to file and how to properly file a complaint against Rostelecom?

Legal basis

First of all, let’s figure out what regulations you need to rely on when filing a complaint about bad internet:

• Law of the Russian Federation dated 02/07/1992 No. 2300-1 “On the protection of consumer rights.” This law describes what a consumer has the right to if services are provided to him or her of inadequate quality;
• Federal Law of July 7, 2003 No. 126-FZ “On Communications”. Contains general provisions on the provision of communication services, including requirements for the communication service operator;
• Federal Law of March 13, 2006 No. 38-FZ “On Advertising”. Regulates the company’s advertising activities, including establishing rules on the truthfulness of advertising and its compliance with the advertised services;
• Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 10, 2007 No. 575 “On approval of the Rules for the provision of telematic communication services.” Regulates the rights and obligations of the parties under an agreement to provide access to the Internet;
• Order of the Ministry of Information and Communications of the Russian Federation dated September 27, 2007 No. 113 “On approval of the Requirements for organizational and technical support for the sustainable functioning of a public communications network.” Contains technical requirements for the provided communication services;
• An agreement for the provision of communication services concluded when connecting to the Internet. It contains the information necessary to file a complaint: the number and date of the contract, the parameters of the provided network, the procedure for resolving disputes, and much more.

Rostelecom's failure to comply with these standards violates consumer rights, which is grounds for appealing the operator's actions.

What does the response from Roskomnadzor look like?

Samples (templates) of answers are presented in the appendices of the Instructions. Documents have a standard structure. All required Roskomnadzor details (name, postal address, telephone, e-mail) are written in the header. The applicant’s details (initials, home address) are also indicated there.

This is followed by a standard preamble (“about consideration of the appeal”), an appeal to a specific citizen (“Dear Pyotr Petrovich!”). He is informed that, for example, his complaint on such and such an issue has been considered and is given a full answer on the merits of the questions asked.

For example, you can take two samples. The first is sent in response to an electronic complaint submitted from the official website of the service.

The second is in response to a complaint filed with the territorial body of Roskomnadzor.

The presented templates are no different in structure. The only difference is the data that is entered into them.

The instructions also provide samples of cover letters, notifications to the applicant when redirecting applications to other authorities for consideration of competence, as well as other documents. In particular, a sample response to duplicate requests sent by federal authorities and local authorities (see Appendix No. 5).

When to complain

Let's consider the most frequently occurring situations that force Rostelecom subscribers to file a claim.

Low quality of services provided

Let’s immediately make a reservation that if the Internet speed does not correspond to the declared speed, it is useless to get Rostelecom to improve the quality of Internet access. The fact is that the current legislation does not contain requirements for Internet speed and does not classify this indicator as an essential condition of the contract for the provision of Internet access. Therefore, even if you file a corresponding complaint with Roskomnadzor or the FAS, they will answer that, in accordance with Order No. 113, Internet speed “is not included in the technical indicators of the functioning of data networks.” In addition, these authorities do not accept Internet speed measurements using special programs as evidence, so speed discrepancies are extremely difficult to prove.

However, in some cases it is possible to compete for Internet quality.

For example, clause 7 of the above-mentioned Rules No. 575 establishes the operator’s obligation to provide access to the Internet 24 hours a day. Therefore, if there are interruptions in the Internet, you can complain about the provision of low-quality services.

The same applies to the equipment provided by Rostelecom for Internet access. If the Rostelecom router is not able to provide comfortable use of the Internet, the user has the right to demand that the device be replaced with a functional one.

Financial difficulties

As a rule, payments for the Internet are made monthly according to the tariff according to the contract. The following problems may arise with payment:

• the payment made did not affect the balance of the personal account;
• rates have been changed without prior notice. According to clause 26 of Rules No. 575, the operator is obliged to notify the subscriber of a tariff change at least 10 days in advance;
• payments are charged for additional services not provided for in the contract;
• the tariff has been increased sharply and unreasonably.

Termination of an agreement

In practice, when terminating a contract with Rostelecom, cases often arise when the company ignores applications for suspension or termination of the contract, although Chapter V of Rule No. 575 obliges it to change or terminate the contract at the request of the subscriber.

For example, such a situation is possible when a subscriber has died, and her heir contacts the company. Rostelecom is obliged to respond to such statements and renegotiate contracts:

• with the heirs of the deceased subscriber;
• with the new owners of the premises to which the Internet is installed;
• with other legal successors, for example, if the contract is re-registered to another family member.

If there is no succession, the contract must be terminated and the provision of services ceased. The law establishes a period for consideration of such applications - up to 30 days.

Inappropriate behavior of company employees

If, when communicating with a company employee in person or by phone, you encounter boorish behavior or incompetence, you should first contact the employee’s immediate supervisor in the department. Disciplinary action will be taken against such employee within the organization.

In addition, in some cases, rudeness can become an administrative and even criminal offense: insult, discrimination, etc. In this case, it is necessary to contact the internal affairs bodies, which will bring the negligent employee to justice. However, proving abuse can be difficult:

It is better to have an audio or video recording made with the consent of the employee. Otherwise, such evidence cannot be used. You can also refer to witness statements.

How to properly file a collective complaint? Rules for writing and submission

How to write and submit a complaint correctly?

Example 1. Written complaint addressed to the director of a branch of PJSC Rostelecom

“Dear P.S! I am writing to you with a complaint about poor Internet access. Previously, I repeatedly contacted technical support with a complaint about poor access quality.

On March 19, 2021, I submitted an application (registration No. 11111111111) by phone. 222222 with a description of the problem and a requirement to fix it. The problem was never resolved. The quality of access is still low, and it is not possible to fully use Internet resources.

In this regard, I ask (demand) you:

1. Conduct an investigation into the alleged violations.
2. Eliminate all problems that prevent normal access to Internet resources.

Please provide your answer to the address: 111111 Moscow, st. Lesnaya. 1, apt. 2"

Rules for filing a claim or complaint

Before contacting Rostelecom or regulatory authorities, you should make sure that the complaint will be justified:

• there is necessary evidence of the existence of a problem;
• there are provisions of law or clauses of the contract that are violated by the operator.

Thus, if a complaint is made in connection with poor quality of services, you can refer to Article 4 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights, which obliges all communication service providers to provide quality services.

You should find your copy of the contract for the provision of Internet, because it contains data that you will need to indicate: the date and number of the contract, violated clauses of the contract, the procedure for resolving disputes.

Important! For disputes related to the provision of communication services, a mandatory pre-trial (claim) dispute resolution procedure has been established. This means that the consumer is obliged to first file a complaint with the company itself and only then appeal its actions.

Contents of the complaint, claim

A complaint to Rostelecom and a complaint against the company’s actions are drawn up almost identically, differing only in some nuances. Thus, the rules of business writing must be followed; the text must be written succinctly and concisely, without emotions and, especially, without curses and insults. All dates, document details (for example, the date and number of the contract for the provision of services), full names of the rude employees, etc. are mentioned. The applicant's personal information must be indicated: full name, address and telephone number. Otherwise, the complaint may not be considered. The structure of the document assumes the following form:

• Document header. It indicates the recipient (full name of the manager, the name of the branch of PJSC Rostelecom, its address) and the personal data of the sender.
• Descriptive part. The circumstances that led to the preparation of the document are described in chronological order. At the same time, details of documents or other evidence of what happened are provided.
• Motivational part. In it, the author expresses his thoughts about violations by Rostelecom, cites violated laws and clauses of the contract.
• Final part. It forms requirements for the company or requests for government authorities to restore violated rights. The claim against Rostelecom also indicates the applicant's intention to sue if its demands are not met.
• At the end of the document there is a date and signature.

To file a complaint about Rostelecom services, you can use our sample complaint to Rostelecom.

Sample complaint

Court

Going to court can be called a last resort in seeking justice. A statement of claim is very serious; it indicates determination on the part of the subscriber. Such treatment should occur in the following cases:

1. Termination of a contract with at the initiative of a dissatisfied subscriber, when the company does not satisfy this requirement and arbitrarily extends the contract.
2. The subscriber demands a refund for unprovided or low-quality services.
3. The subscriber wants to receive compensation for moral damage.

From all of the above, we can conclude that going to court is necessary in cases where the subscriber has suffered any harm.

How to submit a claim to Rostelecom?

You can submit an already written claim to Rostelecom in person through the nearest branch, by mail or electronically.

Personal submission

To submit a claim in person, you need to come to any Rostelecom branch with two copies of the claim. On one copy, the employee will mark acceptance, put the current date and return the document. The second copy will remain with the applicant.

Sending by mail

By mail, the claim must be sent by registered mail with return receipt requested. Next, you should wait for the return receipt, which will indicate the date of receipt of the claim. It is from this date that the deadline for fulfilling the requirements specified in the claim is considered. Sometimes it happens that a company deliberately does not receive letters so as not to respond to them. In this case, after a month, the envelope with the letter will be returned to the sender, which will be considered ignoring the consumer’s requirements.

The claim should be sent to the head office of your region. Branch addresses can be found here. It also contains information about the heads of departments, telephone numbers and email, through which you can also send an appeal.

Electronic appeal

On the Rostelecom website at the end of the page there is also a contact form through which you can also submit a claim. The disadvantage of this method is the inability to attach documents to the claim. It is important to indicate your email correctly, because this is where the response will be sent.

Official site

Although there are still people who are more accustomed to using registered letters, most will appreciate the opportunity to file a complaint against Rostelecom directly on the official website.

1. Log in to the site at rt.ru
2. In the bottom menu, click the “Feedback” link.
3. Fill out all fields of the request form. Try to correctly indicate the subject and service so that the application is immediately sent to the right department and processed as quickly as possible. You will also need to leave your contact information.
4. Click the "Submit" link at the end of the form.

Where else can I write?

Unfortunately, communication with Rostelecom does not always lead to a solution to the problem: the request may be answered with an unsubscribe or ignored altogether. In this case, you should complain to the competent government agencies.

Roskomnadzor

Roskomnadzor considers complaints about the quality of communication services if the operator has not responded to the complaint. The complaint is drawn up on the basis of the complaint to Rostelecom, but with the addition of correspondence with the company: the complaint and the response to it.

You can send a request to Roskomnadzor:

• by mail: 109992, Moscow, Kitaygorodsky pr., 7, building 2;
• give in person. Information about the branch of your region can be found on the website XX.rkn.gov.ru, where XX is the region code;
• write by email;
• use the application form on the Roskomnadzor website.

FAS

The Antimonopoly Service monitors the company's pricing policy and compliance with advertising laws. You can complain about Rostelecom to the FAS if the tariffs were unreasonably inflated or the advertising of Rostelecom’s services does not correspond to reality.

Read more about contacting the FAS in our article.

Rospotrebnadzor

When working with telecom operators, the powers of Rospotrebnadzor are greatly limited. The fact is that relations regarding communication services are regulated by communications legislation, which is special in relation to the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights. Therefore, a complaint against Rostelecom to Rospotrebnadzor will most likely be forwarded to Roskomnadzor or the FAS.

You can write to Rospotrebnadzor only as an additional measure. You can contact Rospotrebnadzor in the following ways:

• call: unified consultation center - 8 (800) 555-49-43;
• write to the Virtual Reception;
• send an application by mail or come to an appointment at the address: 127994, Moscow, Vadkovsky lane, building 18, buildings 5 ​​and 7.

The telephone number and address of the regional office of Rospotrebnadzor can be found on the website ХХ.rospotrebnadzor.ru, where ХХ is the region number, for example, 22.rospotrebnadzor.ru. You can call the department, come to a personal appointment, or send a complaint by mail.

Prosecutor's office

The prosecutor's office considers any complaints about violations of the law, if they do not fall within the competence of the above-mentioned organizations. In addition, you can contact the prosecutor's office if Roskomnadzor or FAS are inactive.

We have a separate article about what nuances there are when contacting the prosecutor’s office.

Court

It makes sense to go to court with a statement of claim if it was not possible to resolve a material dispute with Rostelecom. For example, if the company refuses to return overpaid amounts. On the one hand, the claim can include additional demands for payment of penalties and compensation for moral damage. On the other hand, if the case is lost, the applicant will not only not return the money, but will also reimburse Rostelecom for legal expenses.

Therefore, the claim must be drawn up professionally and legally justified.

How to contact customer support through your personal account

In order to gain access to all the features of your personal account, you must first register and come up with a password to log in. The company's website contains instructions for users on how to register, how to log into their personal account, and how to use its capabilities.

In fact, with any method of contact, the subscriber should receive an adequate response. Even if the complaint seems strange or exaggerated. If the company cannot, for some reason, immediately resolve the problem regarding the complaint received, it is obliged to respond, justify everything, and give the necessary explanations to the complainant.

It should be understood that if offensive or threatening messages are submitted, the subscriber may be denied a positive resolution to the issue. Poorly readable text and vague phrases that make it difficult to understand the meaning of the complaint can also cause refusal and delay the resolution of the problem situation.

Terms and procedure for considering a complaint

For Rostelecom, the deadline for responding to a claim is set within 60 days. However, when appealing the company’s actions in court, you can refer to the 10-day period established by Article 31 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and collect a penalty for a long response.

The procedure for considering complaints by public authorities is regulated by the above-mentioned Law on Citizens' Appeals, according to which a written complaint, regardless of the method of filing it, is considered within 30 days from the date of registration. In exceptional cases, this period may be extended by another 30 days with mandatory notification to the applicant.

Fight against monopoly

The FAS was created to control the situation on the Russian market and prevent the establishment of monopolies. Appeals from citizens allow this work to be carried out more effectively. The service accepts complaints regarding groundless increases in prices for services, rising tariffs, and a monopolistic position in the region.

To write a complaint to Rostelecom, you need to detail your complaint to management or employees and write down your contact information.