The ACMA has published and is starting to publicise Optus’ undertaking in regards to its telemarketing activities, some of which were a bit on the annoying side. I can say that personally; the letter the ACMA sent me after a complaint is after the jump.
I went through a rough patch with Optus telemarketing callers on my home number some time ago. This annoyed me deeply, not just because I loathe telemarketing, but also because I’d already signed my number up to the government’s Do Not Call register. I wasn’t an Optus customer, and they had no reasonable reason to contact me. But the calls kept coming.
I’m not always the most patient of people (it’s a common trait amongst tech journalists), so I didn’t just sigh inwardly and/or curse at the telemarketing representatives involved. Instead, I gathered a little information as to who they were representing (any responsible telemarketer has to disclose this kind of information by law; if they refuse to do so, they’re most likely scammers a la the infamous “Microsoft Technical Support” calls) and put through a complaint to the ACMA regarding it.
The calls did seem to stop, and I’d largely forgotten about the whole issue until this morning, when the following form email landed in my inbox:
Dear Mr Kidman,
ACMA Accepts Enforceable Undertaking from Optus
I am writing further to a complaint that you lodged with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA), about a telemarketing call you received from Singtel Optus Pty Ltd (Optus).
The ACMA has finalised its investigation into Optus and on 16 August 2011, the ACMA accepted an Enforceable Undertaking from Optus. Under the enforceable undertaking, Optus has agreed that for two years it will:
• Keep comprehensive records of telemarketing calls that it makes or that are made by call centres on its behalf;
• Audit these records on a monthly basis, and report back to the ACMA (so as to give the ACMA early visibility of any problems); and
• Implement robust procedures to record customers who have opted out of receiving further telemarketing calls.A copy of the undertaking can be found on the ACMA website at http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_410062.
If you do receive any further telemarketing calls, please lodge a complaint online at www.donotcall.gov.au or by calling 1300 792 958.
Thank you again for taking the time to lodge a complaint.
So far, so good, although the wording on “keeping records” isn’t entirely a promise to never do it again. Anyone else out there consistently hit with telemarketing telco calls?