Okay so as you know I've been away and have been patiently waiting for my line to get fixed so I can get up and running when my modem arrives which should be sometime mid next week.

 

Let's start at the beginning, I ordered the internet and phone to be up last Wednesday the 28th of November. When I ordered it the guy tried and succeeded in convincing me to get a mobile so I could get my internet for half price for one year. The dude was full of it and the only reason I was not taken in is due to the fact that my ID is not Australian and I had to get my girlfriend to organise it. There is no package where you get the net for half price and he even lied giving me a higher bill price a year later!!!

 

After many phone calls we had worked out that there was no such package and the guy was trying to get a dodgy deal done. That was annoying but not so much as to what happened next.

 

On the day my phone was to be connected nothing was done and there was a fualt in the line which means getting a tech out. The man came to my house and could do nothing and said he needed access to my place to fix the line. This incurs a $70 call out fee plus $30 for every 15 minutes he is there.

 

I spoke to my lawyer who told me this is not the case as it's their line and they deal with it. I informed the fault people that it is not my phone it is the line. I just bought the damn thing and saw it tested and even got to make a call on it in the shop. Next just to make sure I went next door to check again and hey it works!!

 

New appointment was for Thursday and I took the day off so he could come in and have a look. He didn't show nor did I get a courtesy call saying he was not coming and I had taken the day off. I work in sales and a day off costs me money not to mention the amount of credit I burned through on my mobile.....

 

He also left a note saying he had to come in to my place when he did show up the following day.

 

Last night my girlfriends father comes over for a curry and beer. We mentioned our frustration over the incident and he asked where the lines come in and we showed him.

 

We popped off the cover and there was a nice little tag showing which line was mine, we also noticed another line coming out of the wall and the fact that the circuit for my line in the board was not complete. So we took the hanging wire and connected it to the board and went upstairs and viola, my phone works!!

 

So basically these bastards tried to take me for a ride from the get go. I am royally pissed and will be calling Telstra to give them **** in a polite way of course so I can get free stuff.

 

I can not believe that we had it fixed in less than 10 minutes and two qualified Telstra techs couldn't and they tried to get a call out charge on me!!

 

On top of the salesman tring to scam me I am not a happy man!!

 

Good thing the internet is not too bad and that with the bundle I get great net for a good price or I'd be even more upset.

 

What do you guys think I should do or try to get out of them??

Edited December 8, 200717 yr by Snazzy

I'd be speaking to the sales person manager first of all. Doubt you'll get much, maybe a months free access to everything. That is probably pushing it though.

Dam telstra, im with telstra, great freebies like Gamearena and all the Gamearena servers but otherwise they are D*** Heads and i will personally take a S*** on them and post it on youtube if they rip me off

I have been on a half price deal with bigpond,$36 dollars a month for 12 gig then slowed, 1500/256.

 

this appearantly has now expired(the 1/2 price deal).

I was never told of this,and I can't see it anywhere in the contract....but they told me "all information is available on our website,kinda like "hitchhikers guide to the galaxy" where Arthur Dent finally finds his house is about to be demolished,by locating the notice " In the cellar of the council offices using a torch cos the lights didn't work,down the stairs that weren't there,on display in the the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying"beware of the Leopard".

 

Not happy Jan...!!!!!!!!!!!.

(reading the contract is all fine,but this was just sneaky...I wanna keeck them in the naauttz...).

We popped off the cover and there was a nice little tag showing which line was mine, we also noticed another line coming out of the wall and the fact that the circuit for my line in the board was not complete. So we took the hanging wire and connected it to the board and went upstairs and viola, my phone works!!

I wouldn't mention this to them as they could then accuse you of touching "their" cabling (the network border can be a bit of a grey area) ..... Just be happy you finally got it and it works.

I wouldn't mention this to them as they could then accuse you of touching "their" cabling (the network border can be a bit of a grey area) ..... Just be happy you finally got it and it works.

 

Yeah it's apparently a federal offense to screw with Telstra's equipment if you're not a licensed Telstra techie... In any case, they take letters very seriously, addressed to the higher-ups. Call tech support and be calm and explain your situation, saying the situation is unacceptable and you expect better from Australia's supposed #1 Telco. Yelling at a CSR will do nothing but alienate them and make them want to help you less... trust me, I've been at the receiving end of abuse for something that wasn't my fault, and your enthusiasm to help goes to about -10. Politeness and clear explanation however will generally let them see your side of the issue, and try to work something out.

 

I had something similar happen to me when I first got ADSL, if anyone knows what Pair-Gain is, I was on that... and four ADSL apps later, I was no closer to having it. I caught the tech outside at the pit one day, and wondered over to ask him some questions. Turned out that it was a 'hard job' and the other three techs had decided it was too much work and left it, with the result being "XDSL - Alternate path not found". BAH! Two days and two techs later, I had a 512kbps service, and once iiNet DSLAMed me, I sit here at 19mbps/1mbps .

 

By the way, you guys are not alone, a vast majority agree with you that Telstra are con artists:

 

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=873494

yes I did not pay my Telstra phone bill for 6 months because of a thing like this. they where trying to charge me $200 to get the phone on. I rang and ask why I was charged so much, and the call centre chic, said because they had to send someone out to fix it. I told her the I seen some duded in the hole out on the street. but no one came to my house. I said I don't have to pay for you to service your lines do I? she said ok, you can just pay $100 :o . she just drops the price by 50%. but I said NO Fxxxen way. I did not pay them anything while that $200 was on my bill, this went on for 6 months. they did not cut my phone off. and finaly. they said ok we will only charge you $70 connection fee. they do this to alot, most people don't fight like me. I have talked to dudes that own shops and they say the same thing happened, but they say they can not fight as they need a phone for their shops, so they just payed. What Granmars would fight. how much money to you think they have riped people off.

 

Bigpond or BigPong

and why did it took so long for high-speed internet to get to the bush?, telstra makes 2 billion $ from call charges. VOIP could cost them alot, and really hurt there share price. I use VOIP all the time now. you can't beta 12c untimed call to anywhere in oz.

Edited December 9, 200717 yr by Pudgeinabowl

I've had major problems with bigpond and telstra,

 

being overcharged (on a monthly basis),

 

thinking I was overcharged because of mind numbingly cryptic bills that can't be understood (ie credited for this and not for that)

 

having to make phone calls EVERY month to sort out what the hell I was and wasn't being charged for,

 

the stoopid automated options when ringing them EVERY month,

 

waiting up to 20 mins each time I needed to speak to someone

and then after finally getting through being put on hold for 10 mins at a time while being transfered to another dept.

 

Towards the end of my experience with bigpond I told them I had "had enough" and wanted to cancel my bigpond service,

(after ringing around and getting better prices from alternative companys)

After some difficult discussion (the person I was speaking to attempting to give me reasons to stay)

I held my ground and was put through to the "cancelations dept"

 

Well well well, This is where you get the service you want,

No BS, straight to the point and very helpful.

 

Within 30 secs of first speaking to them

"Yes Josh we would be happy to upgrade you to a faster service and match the oppositions price at half our regular price"

 

YES YES I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THAT!!!!!

 

(however that happiness was very short lived)

 

I was told that I should only go on this half price deal for 6 months "just in case something better came up"

So at the end of the 6 months i rang again saying I would stay with bigpond as long as I could continue the "half price" deal that I had negotiated.

 

And in a cold voice and quite rudely I was told that they would not be prepared to continue that deal, under no circumstances.

I explained the situation and all my problems I'd had in the past (in a nice way)

And was met with yet more coldness and no sympathy whatsoever.

 

So basically my advice to anyone using bigpond or telstra is to ring around and get a better deal somewhere else,

Armed with a better deal from other companys talk to them and tell them you want to cancel,see if they will match the oppositions deal

(just for the convienience of not changing providers)

If they will, lock it in for as long as possible (if it's worth it)

When they have finished being nice to you and want you paying top dollar again

Change providers ASAP

come on naked DSL

come on naked DSL

 

It's already available...

 

http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/1764

http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/1761

http://whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/1760

 

Enjoy!

I chose to deal with Soul rather than Telstra, as they enabled my regional exchange for ADSL2+ when Telstra would not. Even though Soul has its issues (customer service delays is the main thing) I am content ATM.

ok come on cheep unlimited naked dsl.

This is why I use Optus this is why my good friend Jeff has changed to OPTUS this is why I want to kill ever politician who thinks a CORPORATION has the country's best interest in mind and not the bottom line.

This is why I use Optus this is why my good friend Jeff has changed to OPTUS this is why I want to kill ever politician who thinks a CORPORATION has the country's best interest in mind and not the bottom line.

 

Although Optus is increasingly looking like the next Telstra. When you get to that size, it's hard not to want to line thy pockets

Hopefully this will be their last detrimental change for a while...

 

http://www.whirlpool.net.au/article.cfm/1765?show=replies

Smokey..... Forget telstra mate... I went on the rampage over 2 years to get ADSL in my house after being advised by Telstra that it was available prior to purchase...

 

Anyway... You have made your complaint to Telstra & getting nowhere so what you need to do is document the whole thing... remove the emotional aspect & make a report to the TIO.. (Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman) They will / should then give you a name & number of a upper level complaints manager within Telstra & you should make some progress from there..

 

Biggest frustration with Telstra is that you never end up talking with the same clown & have to explain the whole situation over & over & etc etc & get different answers every time... The direct case manager removes this.. Give that a go Smokey.. Oh! and you must be patient as they (Telstra workers) are sensitive creatures.

 

PS.. Document everything...Names, Dates, times & brief description of what has been discused..

The thing that annoys me the most is our great grandparents ect were taxed so we could have a friggin phone company just so they can sell it off, We the people owned it not the Government we pay them it's our tax and they think they are above us.

 

P.S if the TIO don't give you the answer you need look for the Minister in charge of telecommunications and contact them.

Edited December 9, 200717 yr by chambersAUS

Thanks guys for the advice, I will call them today. Not to worry I will be very polite and patient as I work at the a Travel call centre and know that people abuse phone workers.

 

I don't give the best or fastest help when I get yelled at. Hey sometimes you even go make a tea while you are "talking to your manager".

 

I am a bit worried about all this, I got a pretty good deal with the phone and internet. I got the fastet ADSL2 they have and am thinking I'd like a free upgrade to 20G download for awhile as I was thinking of upgrading anyway. 12G does not go too far...

 

I'll be calling today so I'll fill you all in.

I blame the pollies (Howard Libs) squarely for our predicament, in not structurally separating Telstra into wholesale/retail components prior to its sale. I don't believe in the privatisation of all public infrastructure.

I'm with you Wokeye.

Update,

 

Got a call from the complaints department and she was no help at all. I've asked for a manager to call me back so we will see how that turns out.

Cancel. Get iinet.

Too late now, I've had enough and just want internet in my house.

I am a bit worried about all this, I got a pretty good deal with the phone and internet. I got the fastet ADSL2 they have and am thinking I'd like a free upgrade to 20G download for awhile as I was thinking of upgrading anyway. 12G does not go too far...

 

I'll be calling today so I'll fill you all in.

 

Unless you plan on completely turning off the internet when you reach 20GB, I'd stay on Liberty, since you're looking at $150 per GB that you go over on the 20GB plan... and that can get expensive, really, really fast.

 

So sad you didn't consult with us first... what exchange are you on? ADSL2+ is only turned on by Bigpond when another provider is there first, which means chances are you could've got a better deal

 

Anyway, if they offer you any sweeteners, GET IT IN WRITING or else later they will deny they offered you that, and you will be stuck back at square one. Get the employee ID or some way to reference them, and get them to send out the terms in writing (or email, but better in a letter form).

The worst thing Psyrus is that he did consult us first!

yes I pay $100 per month for my unlimited dodo Internet 1500/256, but I got it the day before they stop selling unlimited. now that Howards fxxked off, it mite come back again. lets hope