No compassion from telecoms provider

Flaneuse

I decided to cancel my landline phone to save money - given the additional costs related to having cancer - and just keep my mobile. Rang my provider today - yes, The Big T. I have landline, internet and mobile with them. Told the wee girl why I wanted to cancel landline. No word of "Sorry to hear that." She launched into lengthy and complicated questions about what I use my internet for, how much I use the landline, etc. Then told me that if I cancel the landline (it and the internet currently cost me $89 a month), I'll have to pay $150 a month to have "stand-alone" internet. I said "That's ridiculous." She said "Yes." Then launched into a sales pitch: "I can offer you a new package with landline and internet and a free tablet for $94 a month." I explained yet again that I don't want the landline. She said, "Well you don't have to use it." She then launched again into an explanation of how great the tablet would be "for when you're out and about," I said, "I don't go out and about. I'm having chemotherapy. Perhaps you missed what I said at the start: I have cancer. You're not helping. You're complicating everything. Don't change my package. Just leave it the same for now." And I hung up. Now I've lodged a complaint. If they don't respond I'll lodge a complaint with the Telecommunications Ombudsman. 

Zoffiel

Arrgghh! 

kmakm

Have you tried Optus? We abandoned Telstra in 1999 when we moved and wanted to connect to the internet. Telstra wanted to charge us $280 for the privilege. Optus did it for free.

Flaneuse

@kmakm Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Telstra. I live in a so-called "Smart Community". Ha! When the estate was built eight years ago, T put in all the infrastructure. Everything underground: electricity and high-velocity fibre-optic cable running phone, internet and TV. Monopoly until all homes built. Not allowed to have unsightly TV antennae on roofs. When the NBN came along, we were told nothing would change. Then that changed. We were forced to have NBN hubs put in: slower and costs more. One big hitch: they forgot to consider TV. NBN only runs landline and internet. I contacted federal member - four times before I got a result after threatening to go to the 7:30 Report. I asked for a letter signed jointly by management of NBN and Telstra saying what was going to happen. Suddenly they realised the implications for TV. They provided the letter, saying we had to accept NBN and that they were "seeking a solution" to the TV issue. Nothing since. That was at least two years ago. I know one person who changed to Optus and one who changed to iinet who've had problems with TV and Telstra refuses to help because they no longer have a Telstra account. I don't want the same thing to happen to me. My TV keeps me sane. If I don't get a response through the Telecoms Ombudsman, I'll go to 7:30 Report.

kmakm

@Flaneuse  

Zoffiel

Yep. It's the big T here or nothing unless you want to go for totally unreliable fixed wireless through a third party provider. Cheaper? No. Monopoly? Not much.

Flaneuse

Rock and Hard Place.

Kiwi Angel

   

Romla

I’d said that a monopoly and speak to the AUst Consumer and Competition Commision as well as Telecommmincations Industry Ombudsman.The latterwere great helping us with the crazy and dangerous wiring we were given for NBN.Problem came about when a split in Telstra over who owned the poles and wires and hence who was responsible nbn or Telstra.We are with Internode who are owned by iiNet who are owned by tpg - Been happy with service and price.I raised Cain for months however bombarding them with emails .The deciding factor that got things moving  was public liability - tripping over wires running thru our garden and trees.

PatsyN

@Flaneuse I have no choice but Telstra. My street is known as a black spot and some days there's nothing and other days there is. I've come to terms with that but when they want to charge you extra for the very service they can't provide I find it totally affronting to see this message pop up on my screen quite regularly. Why is there even a message like this? I get charged extra every single month!

Romla

Have you tried pushing public liability by using your health situation with both Telstra and the TIO ?

Flaneuse

@PatsyN That message is disgusting.
I've finally got a response from Telstra after lodging an escalated complaint. Not as cheap as I would have liked, but less than I was paying before for internet and landline. Got an apology for the fact that "the consultant did not resolve your issue the first time" - but clearly there was no sympathy. Very cold manner. Still haven't received paperwork for new contract, though.

Zoffiel

I refused to move to the wireless NBN because it absolutely sucks here. Mobile reception is shabby also. I kept my ADSL but they keep circling wanting me to change. For the moment, because the wireless is hopeless, I can keep my landline, but it is only a matter of time. The ADSL fails every time it rains, and the speed is glacial but it does work most of the time. It's not like I want to download movies to the smart tv I don't have

Flaneuse

Telecoms in this country is the greatest disgrace I've ever seen, with this mishmash of technologies - when we could have had fibre everywhere at less cost than the joke of an NBN is turning out to be. It's unbelievable in a so-called "smart" country such as ours. Even in France, where they're incapable of communicating anything until the aged carrier-pigeon has had his mid-morning coffee, and then only within local kick-a-football range, it only took me twelve days to get landline, broadband and TV working (all through internet). Certainly, this is a big country with big distances and individual challenges, but it just takes the will to recognise that telecoms are important to people's lives, and the plan for fibre WAS there. But we can spend billions on other things.

kmakm

Couldn't agree more @Flaneuse. One of my 'favourites' is the $1,100,000,000 successive Victorian state governments have spent subsidising the Formula 1 car race here. A CAR RACE. A niche 'sport' at best that only the super rich can compete in. I know it's not federal money but good grief it GRINDS MY GEARS. Somehow it's OK to let tens of thousands of homeless people sleep on the streets and deny potentially life saving drugs to scores of the unwell, as long as we can watch the cars drive fast round a lake. GARRGH 

Flaneuse

@kmakm oooh yeah - The great god sport! Never any trouble finding money for that. But too hard to tax the rich properly and house, feed and protect the poor. Less and less for indigenous housing, foreign aid etc. I'd better stop now or I'll be in danger of going right off focus of BCNA!