Complaint of Internet dumping -- where a user is disconnected from their Internet connection and reconnected over a premium rate number, sharply increasing their bill -- increased by 175 percent in 2002-03 over 2001-02 to a total of 3,496 complaints.
Although the Ombudsman tends to refer to the Telephone Information Services Standards Council (TISSC) cases of Internet dumping where the complaint involves not being warned of charges that will be incurred when the computer redials, the TIO has run some test cases in the area.
One complainant contacted the TIO about charges on his telephone account for two international calls to Guinea Bissau, which were the result of a friend surfing free pornographic sites on the Internet. The TIO visited the Web site in question and noted that when the modem began to redial there was no warning given to the user that there would be charges to the telephone account as a result of the action.
"The TIO held the view that where neither party had any control in preventing the disputed calls from being made, it was fair and reasonable that the service provider assume the loss as it was better able to provision for such losses than the complainant," read the case study provided by the TIO. "The provider agreed to waive the charges in this case, and in a number of similar cases raised by the TIO."
However, the carrier in question was apparently "concerned" at the TIO's stance, and raised the issue within the Australian Communications Industry Forum.
Earlier this year the federal government moved to restrict the practice of Internet dumping by limiting the amount consumers could be charged for using premium 190 numbers. The Australian Communications Authority subsequently set the call cap at AU$250.
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