Gotalk stung twice over telemarketing issue

By Ry Crozier on Mar 1, 2010 4:40 PM
Filed under Telco/ISP

Twin bites of the cherry?

Gotalk Telecommunications has been ordered to front the Federal Court over a telemarketing issue that the telco claimed to have resolved three years ago.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) gave notice to Gotalk that it would file a case last week - over an issue the telco claims was already dealt with by the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) several years ago.

ACMA said today in a statement that the case was over "numerous breaches of the Do Not Call register" made by two offshore call centres engaged by gotalk.

The calls were allegedly made between August and November 2007. The register came into effect in July the same year.

ACMA's case is at least partially related to the issue aired by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2008. A spokesman for ACMA declined to comment on the link.

In that investigation, gotalk telemarketers were found to have breached the Trade Practices Act. The telco entered an enforceable undertaking with ACCC to resolve the issue, which included paying compensation to affected customers.

Gotalk's chief Steve Picton said the telco would mount a vigorous defense of the latest allegations.

He told iTnews that gotalk had resolved the issues and not been found in breach since the original allegations by the ACCC.

Picton also said gotalk no longer worked with either call centre implicated in the case.

"ACMA is suing us for practices which mainly arose over two years ago and which we proactively took steps to fix," he said.

"Taking court action a significant time after the issue was resolved wastes court time and taxpayer money".

Gotalk stung twice over telemarketing issue

4 comments in this discussion

"Hang on, there may be a glitch here. It normally takes ACME 3 years to check up on complaints from the ACL biddies about russian mafia sites. Maybe they are applying the same process here and ..."

By btone

Tags

gotalk, telecommunications, telemarketing, accc, acma, dnc, breach, allegation

AAPT warned over Melbourne IT breach

ISPs stare down Telstra backhaul cost increase

ACMA to upgrade spectrum monitor system

Conroy sets 700 MHz spectrum reserve price

Breaking Stories

ATO commits to complexity

US ISP to rip out Huawei equipment

Peabody Energy uses analytics to boost coal capacity

Computershare completes US IT integration

Dotcom's 2FA patent might be invalid: lawyers

Comments: 4

Digger11 Mar 2, 2010 8:06 AM	Blaming it on the "off-shore call centre" ! hahahaha Gotalk have certainly been busted here - I will never do business with any company that causes Indians to call me and harass me day and night. These businesses are clearly just money hungry and have no interest in Australian jobs nor proper service. Now, if only we could bring in legislation to stop them knocking on my door - maybe a "do not knock register." We should organise a few rallies to support my wonderful idea.
Res Mar 2, 2010 8:10 AM	Me thinks there is more to this than meets the eye, and all will be answered in good time. Wonder what Mr Picton isn't telling us, after all there is always two sides to every good story.
iflowboy Mar 2, 2010 11:20 AM	Hi, This is an issue that will get worse before it gets better. These resellers are working on such small margins and their business models collapse without the use of these overseas call centres. The problem is that they will take these risks to search out business. This company appears to have got caught out - and so now GoTalk for now will be "NoTalk". The do not knock register is also a good one - but I think that is why God invented gates, peep holes and locks.
btone Mar 2, 2010 1:58 PM	Hang on, there may be a glitch here. It normally takes ACME 3 years to check up on complaints from the ACL biddies about russian mafia sites. Maybe they are applying the same process here and forgotten about the post it notes referring to the original action on the back of the picnic hamper in the tea room?