You can read about my experience with Optus: here, here, here, and here. In short, I have had some annoying problems and some major ones. I rang them to ask them if I can suspend my internet and mobile phone account (which is bundled) for the 3 months, as I will not be needing it. That’s a saving of $89 X 3 = $267.
When I signed up to the bundle plan, all I had to do was connect to a post paid plan ($49 cap plan) which was not on a contract, to receive the $39 broadband unplugged plan. So today I told them may I suspend these accounts. It seems contracts (i.e.: broadband) cannot be suspended, which is fair enough. So I asked for my mobile plan to be suspended, as it was NOT on a contract.
The call centre lady looked up my details and surprise surprise: I was on a 2 year $49 cap plan! What: that was my reaction. I told her I have been through this before over and over again. She read the note about the delivery fee error, and asked if I had my own handset: yes I do.
You see, now that they have put me on a contract, they cannot suspend the plan. Suspension fee is $5.50 per month. Instead the lady offered to give me $40 credit per month, and I only had to pay $9. But that did not include any calls made.
She did this all by looking up my details and saying: “I can see the note about the delivery fee error, which they have credited but still have you on a contract. I’m not saying you’re lying but….”. I cannot believe after 9 months of grappling with Optus, they still haven’t corrected the basic aspects of my problem, despite numerous calls/letters. After all this, she told me Optus generally doesn’t post letters to confirm phone conversations.
This brings me to an important point: Where is my guarantee that she has done what she has told me? Next time I ring up, what proof that I had of this conversation? Sure, technically she has to enter a note into database stating my reasons for the phone call, but what if she doesn’t enter the crucial information of my enquiry/complaint! This means, next time I ring it will be my word against Optus! This totally sucks.
I guess one way of avoiding this is by asking the name of the consultant you speak to, but they probably all use fake names anyways!
I have documented the deal that Optus has offered me, and this will come into effect from Nov 10th. I will keep you informed if this goes haywire as well, like everything else with Optus has.
This is very similar to my issues with Foxtel. Essentially, I disconnected but was wrongly charged for the next billing period. This dragged on for about 9 months. After many phone calls and letters from debt collectors, I finally had this resolved last through a competent call operator.
I think with a lot of these cases you’ll need to be lucky with the call operator and manager on shift at that time.
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9 months…oh my god. That must have been an experience, and extremely irritating/annoying, perhaps Mr Feedback worthy!!!!!
I note tpg are offering very competitive mobile phone plans, and no contracts.
[...] Ok, further to my post yesterday I rang Optus Customer Service today to ask about my bill situation. To those of you who have not followed my saga, please read this before proceeding. [...]
I will appreciate if you provide more details on this. Thanks.
hi jennifer, i have blogged all the details i experienced re this incident. the crux of the post was the fact that optus had not corrected one of the basic elements of my plan even after 9 months of grappling with them, and repeatedly telling them to update it.