Comms regulator cracks down on Dodo

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Dan Warne14 February 2008, 5:59 AM

Cut-price ISP Dodo, the subject of ongoing controversy over customer service and billing issues, has been directed to clean up its act by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.


Bargain-basement ISP Dodo, the subject of ongoing controversy over customer service and billing issues, has been directed to clean up its act by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

The communications regulator told Dodo it must comply with industry codes of practice relating to complaints handling and billing.

The ACMA investigated Dodo after a formal request by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, which had been receiving swelling numbers of complaints from furious customers who were unable to contact Dodo's customer service staff over technical faults and billing errors.

ACMA said if Dodo did not start complying, it faces civil penalties, such as financial damages in a possible customer class action.

ACMA said Dodo had contravened the industry codes due to failures in its policies and procedures. Its enforcement action has been in train since September 2007, however ACMA was unable to make an amicable arrangement with Dodo. ACMA says it was forced to move to enforcement proceedings against Dodo in December.

Dodo appealed the enforcement and ACMA re-affirmed that enforcement would go ahead in January 2008.

Dodo has been a regular in APC's online news:

  • In June last year, it launched "free broadband !". The only catch: you had to pay $32.90 line rental fee, and once you used the broadband at full speed for more than 50 seconds, you could be hit with another fee of up to $29.00, and soon after, your broadband speed would drop to dial-up speeds.
  • In November last year, we reported on the tsunami of customer rage against Dodo, with 6,056 complaints about Dodo to the TIO -- almost double the 3,341 complaints made about Telstra BigPond (despite BigPond's massively bigger customer-base).

In the most recent results issued by broadband community Whirlpool.net.au, the company scored worst on customer service, with 53% of people saying they had to wait 20 minutes or longer to get a person on the phone.

Furthermore, 61.5% of people surveyed said Dodo's customer service was "below average" or "awful". Another 45% of people said they'd previously left Dodo because of poor customer service, while 32% said it was because of poor network reliability.


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tin:

I have no sympathy for Dodo...

Back when they started up, they advertised an unlimited dialup plan, then chucked people off for using it too much.
We got chucked off even though before signing up I had asked them about our level of usage (which they said was fine).

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Ozzy:

When I wanted a cheap ISP - dodo was priced right. I realised that a cheap ISP meant there would be problems and less support, but I was willing to put up with this for the price.

Now that I can afford to spend more - I've moved to another ISP - with better support, etc...

Get real people - you get what you pay for. Dodo still serves a need for people that don't want to pay much and are prepared to put up with the lesser support. You can't have it both ways.

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous1:

http://idiotinternet.dyndns.org/monitor.html

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Norm:

People,

Do you not realise that you get exactly what you pay for? If you want the full bit, pay lotsa money and go to Tel$tra or one of the other big name ISPs.

If you're happy with lower standards of service and support, pay less and go to someone like Dodo.

Personally, I'm with aaNet. The support is mainly peer based through forums, but there is a 9 to 5 helpdesk, weekdays. I'm happy with that 'cause that's what I pay for.

Always wanting something for nothing... Sheesh



29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

John from Pine Rivers:

Ha Ha Ha aanet I hawe had them they are #2dodo constant cut offs, exuses about telsra line problems.No thanks.Now we are with bigpond and it's no more cost as aanet & no problems troublefree service.
john

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Sydney Lawrence:

Notice very little comment on Dodo. Bet that had it been Telstra the story would have been different.

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

James:

Yes, and if Dodo played the role Telstra does in everybody's Internet access, it would also be different. Notice also that Dodo have a fraction of Telstra's retail marketshare (which is even referred to /in this very article/) and public profile. Is there a point you're trying to make?

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Me:

Nah !! ... Web admins don't seem to work throughout the night (slack buggers). Come on editor ! get the horsewhip out ! Get on to the slackers before Labor scraps the AWA's :)

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Rod:

I say the same thing if it would have been teltra i could not imagine the title and comments.

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

raindog:

When and if DODO have the size and reach to negatively affect as many consumers as Telstra do then I am sure the will attract the same levels of scrutiny and public disdain.

Whilst many of DODO's practices have proven contemptible the have only directly affected the relative few that have been lured to subscribe with them.

There is not one Australian user of Telecommunication that has not been negatively affected by the negative manoeuvring, skulduggery, and restrictive trade practices of Telstra.

Would you care to mention where Telstra stands in customer satisfaction surveys or in TIO complaint figures? Because as you are well aware Sydney, Telstra sits in a similar position of notoriety as does DODO.

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Craig:

Well Sydney, that's because Telstra have a household name, have the experience, have the resources, have the ability, have the infrastructure, have the money, yet do not provide good quality service in comparison to many other ISP's in Australia. They are shareholder focused rather than customer focused which is really not acceptable.... unless you are a shareholder (which I assume you are). In other words, they should know better. They can do better but they won't.

Dodo is a horrible company that is for sure, but they are not holding Australia back. Personally I think anyone who signed with Dodo is exactly that... Honestly, why sign up with a company that is called Dodo?

That is why people rag on Telstra. Purely and simply because they SUCK and they have the ability to not suck anywhere near as much, yet they choose not to.

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse