ZDNet previously reported that the ISP and mobile phone vendor had closed and rationalised capacity across its entire network, resulting in a stream of customer complaints and claims from Dingo blue that recent congestion - which left many users receiving busy signals all day long, sometimes for days on end -- was due to the latest redeployment of dial ports combined with school holiday demand.
However, unless service levels return to what they were prior to the recent redeployment following resumption of school, a number of Dingo blue users say they will be cancelling the ISP's services.
"It's a pity, but it looks like Dingo blue -- which up until this last week had always given us here in Perth thoroughly satisfactory service -- has gone the route of trying to pull the wool over our eyes, in the hope of us remaining loyal customers," one Perth-based ZDNet Australia reader said. -To me, loyalty has to be earned. I've now had several evenings during which I have encountered busy signals all evening. On others I have been denied access for that whole time. This is totally unacceptable...I'll give them a week and if the situation has not improved then I'm gone."
Another disgruntled customer e-mailed ZDNet Australia and said he too was considering terminating his contract with Dingo blue. -If on the day following the school term resumption I'm still having dialup problems, I'll be switching to a non-Optus aligned ISP. I think the Australian consumer has a right to expect - especially in this day and age - high quality, seamless service regardless of who provides it. Dingo blue have been good to me up until this week, but I'm damned if I'll pay for shoddy service or poor access."
Another ZDNet Australia reader said he would abandon Dingo blue if its excuses -don't hold water in ten days time", and a Tasmanian student - who claims he hasn't been able to connect for almost a week - won't be waiting for the new school term to recommence before deciding whether or not to remain loyal to Dingo blue.
-The drop outs and busy signals are always happening. Today alone it took us three hours to connect. My brother, father and I are all taking shifts dialling in. One thing is for sure, they have lost our business."
With complaints coming in from Bundaberg, Queensland, Bunbury in Western Australia, as well as Perth, Newcastle and Tasmania, many Dingo blue users are complaining that regional Australia and capital cities other than Sydney and Melbourne have been worst hit with reduced service levels by yet another service provider.
-The fact remains that never since Dingo blue has been in existence has there been the level of busy signals at regional POPs (points of presence) as there are now. Regional POPs have a reduced capacity. Sydney and Melbourne are largely unaffected, probably because redeployment has probably occurred in their favour... Regional Australia and other capitals are shafted once again," said a Newcastle nurse.
Dingo blue refused to say whether it had any intentions of returning the network to its previous state, but said it expects -current congestion will be relieved over the coming weeks".
-Of course it is an individual customer's decision as to whether they remain with their current ISP or not. We are confident that those customers who stick with Dingo blue will enjoy a good quality service moving forward and we expect to see customers of other ISP's come to Dingo blue for our service," the company said.
Dingo blue is very naive.