Robbed by Telstra!

[Niximus]

I just moved home and wanted to get Naked DSL there.

As I am in a group of townhouses the ISP said that they need an active line to convert.

No worries, I organise for Telstra to activate the existing phone line there and when it's up and running I put through the request to convert the line to Naked.

All goes through, working fine...Telstra bill shows up with a $299 ****ing charge on there (although it doesn't say what for). That is not including the 30 days line rental I paid.

On top of that they have line rental for my OLD PLACE for 23 Jan - 22 feb when I asked for that line to be disconnected on Jan 15!

I am so glad that this is my last Telstra Bill ever. They can go get ****ed as far as I'm concerned.

 

[likka]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Sounds like the phone line was not only activated, but also required to be connected to the exchange.

Thus the $299 charge.

All initial phone line connections include this charge.

 

[Niximus]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Sounds like the phone line was not only activated, but also required to be connected to the exchange.

Thus the $299 charge.

All initial phone line connections include this charge.

The people before me had a telephone. There was no need for anything other than activating a new service on an existing line.

 

[Underdog]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

The people before me had a telephone. There was no need for anything other than activating a new service on an existing line.

Was it on Optus cable?

Do you also know if this phone line was ever active? The cabling could be inplace but without ever having a service connected. In such a circumstance, the $299 fee applies.

Also, if you are in a group of townhouses, do you have an MDF somewhere? If so, Telstra are only obliged to assure connection to the MDF, not necessarily to your townhouse. Connecting to your townhouse may incur an additional fee.

 

[NQ Hawk]

I am so glad that this is my last Telstra Bill ever. They can go get ****ed as far as I'm concerned. ___________

You wont regret it, I ditched them ages ago and have used a phone a few different different carriers since.

Always ask for ALL connection fees and early contract cancellation fees before you make your choice, there all out to get as much cash out of you as possible. Its a competetive market shop around, remember some of the lesser known carriers will only direct debit.

Just for the record I am with aanet for internet and home phone and have pre paid Vodafone mobile they both suit me.

 

[Hasus]

My DSL has clothes

 

[Niximus]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Do you also know if this phone line was ever active?

Well before we bought the place there was a phone plugged into it.

 

[Borgsta]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Um Nick surely they told you when you rang them that there would be a charge? When I rang they said it would cost $299 so I said thanks but no thanks and went to Optus.

 

[Niximus]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Um Nick surely they told you when you rang them that there would be a charge? When I rang they said it would cost $299 so I said thanks but no thanks and went to Optus.

I connected via their web chat interface. The lady said it would be something like $69 connection unless they had to send a tech out to me, there was no tech. There was no need for a tech, the previous occupiers had only recently disconnected their phone.

 

[likka]

Good life lesson for you then.

Do some homework and get the full quote before you proceed.

 

[Niximus]

I am so glad that this is my last Telstra Bill ever. They can go get ****ed as far as I'm concerned. ___________

You wont regret it, I ditched them ages ago and have used a phone a few different different carriers since.

Always ask for ALL connection fees and early contract cancellation fees before you make your choice, there all out to get as much cash out of you as possible. Its a competetive market shop around, remember some of the lesser known carriers will only direct debit.

Just for the record I am with aanet for internet and home phone and have pre paid Vodafone mobile they both suit me.

I don't have a traditional home phone line anymore at all. I needed one to convert to a Naked DSL line but now I just use Internode's Nodephone service. It is included free in my broadband plan, plus $10 per month worth of calls (goes a long way when you can call any fixed line for 18c anytime untimed). It works just like a regular phone, you just plug a standard phone into your router and input the settings. I can call anyone and I can be called from any regular phone. Also I have friends and family with the same thing and can call them for free.

 

[Underdog]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Well before we bought the place there was a phone plugged into it.

That doesn't really mean anything. Phones can be plugged into a soft dial tone service which allows access to 000 and Telstra. This doesn't count as a phone connection.

Unless you know all the answers to the above questions I posted, there isn't really a justification to complain.

How old is your group of units?

Could there be a central main distribution frame where the Telstra lines run into then out to all the townhouses?

Was the old phone on Optus cable?

Is there a small grey connection box on the outside of your house?

 

[Niximus]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

That doesn't really mean anything. Phones can be plugged into a soft dial tone service which allows access to 000 and Telstra. This doesn't count as a phone connection.

There was also a computer that was also connected to the line and there was a in-line ADSL filter still attached to the outlet when we moved in.

If they had ADSL, required a line filter, had a phone plugged into it, it is pretty safe to say that there was an active phone line here.

Unless you know all the answers to the above questions I posted, there isn't really a justification to complain.

How old is your group of units?

Could there be a central main distribution frame where the Telstra lines run into then out to all the townhouses?

Was the old phone on Optus cable?

Is there a small grey connection box on the outside of your house?

As I said they said something like $69 unless they had to send a tech to out. The line was previously active so all that should have been required was to re-activate it, there shouldn't have been any technical problems requiring attention. If there was any problem other than technical (such as it being an optus line previously, I should have been told no?

The building is 20 years old.

Unless you know all the answers to the above questions I posted, there isn't really a justification to complain.

When you talk to a sales person and they tell you what the connection fee is, that should damn well be the connection fee. Had they said "this phone line was on optus, to connect will be $300" i would have gone elsewhere.

Anyway whatever the outcome I am rid of them forever.

Also there is the matter of the additional month Jan-Feb for a phone line at the old place that was supposed to be disconnected on January 15th. Which also has a charge for "dial up internet calls to Tesltra" - ?????

Then there is why the $299 is listed under "Other Charges and Credits"? Why are they afraid to specify what I am paying for on my bill?

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

When Telstra onnected the line, was there any minimum term? If so, you'cre $299 coud well be a fee for ending the contract early.
Yes, you aren't actually disconneting - but you also aren't any longer using them as a retailer and therefore any contract is being terminated early. Its a racket, especially when you were getting a connection purely in order to get it switched to some other provider but Telstra are scum and fiddle everything like this that they possibly can - usually within the law, but perhaps not always.

 

[Niximus]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

When Telstra onnected the line, was there any minimum term? If so, you'cre $299 coud well be a fee for ending the contract early.
Yes, you aren't actually disconneting - but you also aren't any longer using them as a retailer and therefore any contract is being terminated early. Its a racket, especially when you were getting a connection purely in order to get it switched to some other provider but Telstra are scum and fiddle everything like this that they possibly can - usually within the law, but perhaps not always.

Their product information didn't say anything about minimum terms, I made sure to check that as I knew I was changing it right away.

Also I'm no lawyer but I would think that for there to be a minimum contract term there would need to be a contract i.e. I would have had to sign something, for everything else you have contracts terms for (like mobiles/gyms/foxtel) you sign a document acknowledging it.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Their product information didn't say anything about minimum terms, I made sure to check that as I knew I was changing it right away.

Also I'm no lawyer but I would think that for there to be a minimum contract term there would need to be a contract i.e. I would have had to sign something, for everything else you have contracts terms for (like mobiles/gyms/foxtel) you sign a document acknowledging it.

Contracts made online are contracts. No signature but nevertheless enforceable contracts. Or so I'm led to believe.
If you read the terms and conditions and it wasn't mentioned, then it shouldn't be that.
It could just be Telstra being pricks, probably the only thing they are genuinely good at; or the billing software outsourcer could have bungled, something EDS - assuming this goes through them - are extraordinarily good at (in Australia or India).

 

[Underdog]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

When you talk to a sales person and they tell you what the connection fee is, that should damn well be the connection fee. Had they said "this phone line was on optus, to connect will be $300" i would have gone elsewhere.

This isn't the case in the telecomms industry. Generally it's because customer service reps are not privvy to many of the technical details. This is industry wide. Additionally, the separation of Telstra retail and wholesale means that the rep possibly had no way of knowing who the old provider was.

People ask for ADSL2 from iinet, internode etc and get told they can get it, they are then required to place an application, at which point a number of assessments are performed on their cabling. Often a customer will be on a Pair Gains System or there will be no free ports. As such, they can't get ADSL2.

Customer service reps people are not technicians and as such, can only inform you of the products with low level analytical skills.

This rep informed you of the standard connection fee and advised you that it was possible a technician may be required and that will increase the fee. He/she can't do much more then that.

 

[WALL-e]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Went to Optus after being loyal Telstra customers and getting nothing for it. took the home phone, internet and 3 mobiles.

Telstra can piss off.

 

[Niximus]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Well I called Telstra.

The first thing I brought up was the extra month charge for my old service that has been disconnect. The girl was able to confirm that it had been disconnected and reversed that charge.

Then I said about the $299 "other charge".

She confirmed that it was a connection fee with a technician. but had to put me through to another department to go further.

I asked what the technician does and would I have had to give them access to the property. She said that yes I would have needed to be home for the technician. I then told her that in fact I was on the Gold Coast at the time and there was no way (unless he broke in) that a technician got into my house.

She put me on hold and checked my account, she couldn't find any record of a technician visiting the property but again put me through to another department.

I got through to a guy and told him the story and that I had been redirected to him. He apologised and said that isn't what he does and redirected me to yet another department.

The next lady I got did some more checking before telling me that they would correct the connection fee to the $59 it should have been.

All up after 40 minutes on the phone my bill for $340 was reduced to $80.

 

[Underdog]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

I asked what the technician does and would I have had to give them access to the property. She said that yes I would have needed to be home for the technician. I then told her that in fact I was on the Gold Coast at the time and there was no way (unless he broke in) that a technician got into my house.

Good work on getting the fee reduced. Often after continued persistence they'll do just that.

Having said that, the above girl was wrong. They only require access to the network boundary point which could be a Network Termination Device or MDF. Neither would be inside your home.

 

[Niximus]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Good work on getting the fee reduced. Often after continued persistence they'll do just that.

Having said that, the above girl was wrong. They only require access to the network boundary point which could be a Network Termination Device or MDF. Neither would be inside your home.

Perhaps she had more information and there was a specific charge on the bill stating a type of technician job that needed to be in the home.

Regardless though a technician didn't visit, they checked their records and the charge was incorrect.

 

[tess]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Well done Nick all it takes is a call sometimes.

 

[Niximus]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Well done Nick all it takes is a call sometimes.

Yep, though I'll be interested to see the cost of that call, had to call from mobile on the way to work and it was 40 mins to a 13 number.

 

[WALL-e]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Same deal goes for Foxtel, something you're pissed off at, just call and tell them, they'll fling you around departments but you'll eventually get it fixed. The just bank on people not calling or getting sick of being moved from department to department.

 

[Underdog]

Re: Go f&%k yourself Telstra!

Same deal goes for Foxtel, something you're pissed off at, just call and tell them, they'll fling you around departments but you'll eventually get it fixed. The just bank on people not calling or getting sick of being moved from department to department.

At least they can fix it, unlike resellers.