Dodo hit with heavy fine for breaches of Do Not Call Register

Telecommunications company Dodo Australia has been fined $147,400 after the Australian Communications and Media Authority alleged that an offshore call centre made marketing calls on its behalf to numbers on the Do Not Call Register.

Telecommunications company Dodo Australia has been fined $147,400 after the Australian Communications and Media Authority alleged that an offshore call centre made marketing calls on its behalf to numbers on the Do Not Call Register.

It is the largest penalty paid since the Do Not Call Register legislation took effect in May 2007.

The fine came after the ACMA investigated “numerous” consumer complaints against Dodo and issued an infringement notice against it.

AMCA chairman Chris Chapman says Dodo avoided larger penalties by co-operating with the investigation and dealing with the matter before it got to court.

In addition to the stiff fine, Dodo has also agreed to a number of enforceable undertakings that set out the steps it will take to comply with the Do Not Call Register legislation.

Chapman says the case provides lessons for all businesses that use telemarketing. Put simply, if a business decides to use offshore call centres to make calls, it will be responsible for the calls that those call centres make.

“If you are in business and hire offshore call centres to make telemarketing calls, you need to be extremely diligent in overseeing what they do,” Chapman says.

“You can’t hide behind offshore call centres, because ultimately the calls they make are your responsibility.”

Related stories:

• Do Not Call Register may include business numbers
• Do Not Call complaints