Online Customer Mailboxes: Consumer Advocacy for Clear Regulations
Published: August 9, 2024, 7:06 AM
Many companies now offer online customer mailboxes for documents and notifications, claiming environmental benefits. However, these digital solutions often create problems for users. Consumer advocates are calling for clear regulations to address these issues.
Online customer mailboxes are convenient for both companies and customers. However, issues arise when users miss important notifications or encounter access or download problems. A recent survey revealed that:
One-third of consumers have experienced negative experiences with digital customer mailboxes.
46% of users have missed notifications about new documents.
35% have encountered access problems.
22% have had difficulties downloading documents.
Consumers highly value the ability to access documents even after their contracts end. They also desire clear information about the types of documents stored in notifications.
The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv) demands:
Free and mandatory notifications: Email alerts should inform users when new messages or documents are available.
Alternative delivery: If notifications are not retrieved, they should be sent via another channel, such as mail, free of charge.
The survey was conducted in autumn 2023, involving 1,000 people aged 18 and over. 775 of them used online customer mailboxes.