ACCC levels bullying claims at local ISP

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has charged John Russell, the managing director of Dataline, unconscionable conduct, misleading and deceptive conduct, false representations and undue harassment.

Dataline provide wholesale Internet services to small businesses, called virtual Internet service providers, who then onsell it to their customers.

Dataline is alleged to have provided bad service, lied about providing bad service, stolen it's clients customers, interfered with email and threatened to remove their service if they, among other things, didn't stop complaining to Dataline about it's bad service, according to the ACCC charges.

The matter is proceeding in the Federal Court in Brisbane, and a hearing is set for the 8 February, 2002.

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1. Is Dataline fully owned by Telstra? Anonymous -- 22/01/02

   Is Dataline fully owned by Telstra?

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2. Sounds like Dataline is just mirroring the exact same tactics as Telstra if you ask me. Hypocrisy at its finest - You gotta love it. Anonymous -- 23/01/02

   Sounds like Dataline is just mirroring the exact same tactics as Telstra if you ask me. Hypocrisy at its finest - You gotta love it.

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3. is toms' head up his **** Anonymous -- 23/01/02

   is toms' head up his ****

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4. This is why I don't resell other people's products - they use you as a cheap front and don't support you - just a retailer in the end. I stick to what I do best - development. No corny salesman stuff for other people's products. We build our own stuff and Dwight Walker -- 24/01/02

   This is why I don't resell other people's products - they use you as a cheap front and don't support you - just a retailer in the end. I stick to what I do best - development. No corny salesman stuff for other people's products. We build our own stuff and sell it or a license to use it. Beware of Mr Slick who wants to make you money but in the end is a big pain. Don't be the meat in the sandwich re computer supplies. It sucks. No-one wants to pay for computer support. So charge for it to make customers serious about whether they want your product at all.

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5. I was one of those unfortunates that had my email blocked by Dataline repeatedly (2 years) as they were having a dispute with my previous ISP. Enough is enough and I have sinced changed to another ISP who has no association whatsoever with DATALINE and t Anonymous -- 26/01/02

   I was one of those unfortunates that had my email blocked by Dataline repeatedly (2 years) as they were having a dispute with my previous ISP. Enough is enough and I have sinced changed to another ISP who has no association whatsoever with DATALINE and that is Telstra. No problems with my email now (Tom please get your facts straight first). I contacted the Communications Ombudsman and discussed my problems with them and they unfortunately couldn't do too much as it was between the 2 ISP's. Customers were literally held to ransom. Legislation should be in place for this never to happen again. Imagine not gettingsending your snail mail to/from Aust. Post.

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6. What has happened to Mr Russle then, I thought this was going to be sorted out earlier in the year and I've heard nothing since. This excuse for a human being riped me off for over $65,000. Because of the threat of being sued back I could do not Anonymous -- 08/10/02

   What has happened to Mr Russle then, I thought this was going to be sorted out earlier in the year and I've heard nothing since.
   This excuse for a human being riped me off for over $65,000.
   Because of the threat of being sued back I could do nothing, the ACCC didn't want to know either.

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