After an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) investigation, the Federal Court ordered Dodo Services (Dodo) to pay AU$1.5 million and Primus Telecommunications Services (iPrimus) to pay AU$1 million in penalties for making misleading claims about their NBN broadband speeds. Dodo and iPrimus are both part of the Vocus Group.
Dodo and iPrimus admitted that their ‘typical evening speed’ claims made between March 2018 and April 2019 were misleading because they were not based on an appropriate testing methodology.
“Accurate information about broadband speeds, particularly during the busy period when consumers are most likely to use their services, is essential for consumers to be able to compare broadband offers and pick the best service for their needs,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
“The ACCC brought this case because we were concerned that the methodology which the Vocus Group used as the basis for its speed claims cherry-picked only the fastest speeds its network could deliver, and ignored the slower speeds many of its customers experienced.”
“These misleading speed claims meant consumers could not accurately compare different offerings and make an informed choice about their broadband provider,” Mr Sims said.
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