Making a complaint

What should I complain about?

Unsolicited telemarketing calls

You can complain about receiving a unsolicited telemarketing call if:

• it was received more than 30 days after you registered your number
• it was received before 9 am or after 8 pm on a weekday
• it was received before 9 am or after 5 pm on a Saturday
• it was received anytime on a Sunday or a Public Holiday
• it was not terminated by the caller when you requested it
• if the caller did not properly identify themselves and their employer
• if the caller did not advise of the purpose of the call
• if the caller did not provide you with information on request
• the phone number that the call came from did not display on your phone or was not suitable for return contact
• if, when calling the phone number that the call came from, you weren't able to get information about the purpose of the call and the caller.

Unsolicited marketing faxes

You can complain about receiving a unsolicited marketing fax if:

• it was received more than 30 days after you registered the number
• it was sent outside the allowable faxing times
• the fax marketer did not provide you with the required information
• the fax does not provide an opt-out address
• you receive more than 10 marketing faxes from a particular marketing advertiser in a 24-hour period.

How do I make a complaint?

You can complain by:

• completing the online complaint form
• calling 1300 792 958

It is important to provide as much information as possible about your complaint.

How to make an effective complaint

The more information you can provide about the call or fax you received, the more useful the information will be for the ACMA's compliance and enforcement activities.

When complaining about telemarketing or research calls, useful information includes:

• the time and date of the call
• the number on which the call was received
• the name of the company that called
• contact details of the company that called
• what products and/or services were offered in the call
• the number that displayed on your phone during the call (or information stating that no number displayed)
• whether you have a pre-existing relationship with the company that called you.

When complaining about marketing faxes, useful information includes:

• the telephone number to which the fax was sent
• the telephone number that received the fax
• a copy of the fax.

What happens when I make a complaint?

The Do Not Call Register team assesses all complaints for a potential breach of the Do Not Call Register Act and/or the relevant industry standard. If a complaint appears to raise a potential breach, the complaint is forwarded it to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

The ACMA takes a graduated approach to compliance and enforcement, and any action taken is proportionate to the seriousness of the non-compliance. What, if any, action will be taken by the ACMA will depend on the circumstances of each complaint.

Where the ACMA finds it has reasonable grounds to believe a telemarketer or fax marketer has breached the legislation, it has a number of enforcement options available to it. 

The majority of complaints are resolved informally through education and industry engagement. If the ACMA commences an investigation, it may take several months to complete. The ACMA may contact complainants for further evidence and information during the course of an investigation, if required. The ACMA will write to complainants at the end of an investigation, to notify them of the outcome.

For more details on the complaints-handling process, including the informal and formal stages, visit the ACMA Website.