Thread: Troubles with Telstra

Hi,
When trying to to sort the account of my late father in law we were billed $15 late payment on a $3.60 credit bill ie. $15.00 - $3.60.
They take some beating.
Regards

I've just got off the phone from Telstra. They rang to explain the credit amounts in the four emails I received this afternoon.
The credits in the first 3 emails add up to $480, being 3 x $150 + $15. That is the wireless broadband and late payment taken care of, the remaining $15 I'm not sure about as my Filipino is not strong . The $1809.70 credit is for the disconnection of the 50G wireless broadband package.
After they explained the emails they asked if the complaint was now closed, I told them the matter would be closed when I saw a bill with the credits applied. they were not happy to hear that, I explained that I'd been told 3 times that the problem was sorted and I was not going to believe it till I saw the next bill. I guess I'll know when my bank balance does not change on the due date. My current bill is for $457.10, including the disputed $150, my next bill should be in credit for $22.90
They were a bit upset that I didn't believe the credits had been applied. I asked why I had to go to the TIO to get this resolved, there was about 30 seconds of complete silence (I wasn't going to speak first) before I got a big apology for my inconvenience. I said it wasn't personal, I was just sick of the incompetence of the Telstra billing department and a company that won't listen to the customer.

Telstra is a very weird company. So many sections which none of them communicate with each other. I signed up for ADSL for my place which meant getting a home phone line enabled. So They activated the phone line and then told me that there are no spare ADSL ports in my area so I can't get internet. I shrugged my shoulders and said cancel the whole lot because I don't want a landline without internet...So everything got cancelled and it didn't cost me a penny.

Then months later I get my mobile bill from Telstra and it is in credit by about 600-700bux. There was no reason for the credit, and being the good fella I am, I rang them to explain that my account was credited and there is no reason for it to which I am aware. The girl on the other end kept telling me "yes, your account has been credited", to which I replied "why?" which seems like a reasonable question. The girl couldn't see why, only could see that a credit had been applied to my account. So I said "well, I don't want to be receiving a massive invoice in a few months time to repay this wrong credit". She said that the issue is now finalized and there will be no chance of receiving a invoice to repay. This was years ago.

So I didn't have to pay my telstra bill for about a year because I only spent about 40-50bux a month winner winner chicken dinner!

ps: oh and I tried to get ADSL again a few weeks ago in the telstra shop down the road. I had my licence, name, address, telstra account "name" etc. but I didn't have my telstra account "number", so the girl couldn't pull my account details up on her computer...

Originally Posted by Kuffy

..........................
to which I replied "why?" which seems like a reasonable question.......

There's your problem, you asked a reasonable question. Also they don't like it when you ask "why".

My Gran had the answer to that "because why is a crooked letter and you can not make it straight."

Regards

Originally Posted by A Duke

My Gran had the answer to that "because why is a crooked letter and you can not make it straight."

Regards

And "Z" is no better; that's the end of the alphabet, so too the end of this conversation.... that's how my dad put a stop to useless or otherwise issues being discussed were "why" was the reply!!

A letter to Andrew Penn, CEO of Telstra brings pretty quick results. Suggest that you are taking it to the Telecom Ombudsman if not sorted in 14 days.

Dd you not read the part where I said that I contacted the TIO?

This thread reminded me that I still have a cheque from the then Telecom Aust dated 090690 for 10 cents. If I remember correctly it was for the difference in stamp duty on a travelling allowance payment. I worked. yes I did work not like a lot of the staff, for the PMG / Telecom / Telstra as a Tech Officer for just under 34 years all over the country regions of WA.

Technology did me out of a job and the way Telstra was going I had had enough of the BS that was going on and so called team leaders that were promoted because of their tecxhnical inabilities and crawling abilities. The only equip I did not work on was Morse Code and the latest digital exchanges and power generation equip.

The last week we had a late bill that did arrive by post mail with a 15 dollar fee for an account that we never recd. The local garage/ post office tells us that the account could not be paid as the account number did not have enough digits in it which it did. So into Bunbury I go to sort this out and lo and behold there is another account in their system with a late fee attached that we never got. Paid both and queried why we did not receive the accounts via the post mail system which we have used for all time - no explanation.

We have had the 30 dollar late fees credited and hopefully this will be used on the next account.

Mike B

Wait till you try to close an account.
My wifes phone had been out of contract for at least 2 years. We were sick of the billing stuff ups from Telstra so decided to go with another carrier and close the account.
They tried to charge us $800 for early termination of the contract. When I pointed out that the contract ended 2 years earlier they apologised and said that would be the end of it.
Well we received a bill every month for varying amounts ranging from less than $2 to several hundred. All stating a fee for early termination. I started documenting my conversations with Telstra billing. Who I spoke to, the date and the outcome. When the next bill arrived I would tell them of previous conversations and the outcomes. They would all invariably apologise and say the matter was closed. Of course another bill would arrive next month.
Finally they sent me a bill for, I can't remember exactly but it was around $38,000. I rang and said I would be making a complaint to the Ombudsman. Never heard from Telstra again. Except to offer me great deals on a new mobile contract. You can probably guess what I tell them. I'm not allowed to say it on this public forum.

Hi,
If it is a deceased account it gets even more interesting. My previous post was trying to sort one out. I could not help wondering if it was being sorted by a lawyers firm if some junior clerk would just keep paying the bills with out question until they ceased.
Regards

It seems to me that the only way to get an acceptable result from Telstra is to get the TIO involved. The only two times we have had billing problems with Telstra we have had to resort to getting the TIO involved. It is a sad indictment of that organisation that a third party has to become involved to sort out what are usually one department not communicating to another.
On both the occasions when the TIO became involved I tried, unsuccessfully to get the recordings of the recorded conversations, as they would prove beyond a doubt what I was being told by the Telstra representatives. No can do they said, can't even get a transcript, I think I might start recording my conversations with Telstra, after notifying them of course.

OMG! I always thought that dealing with telephone companies was the same world wide.
My dealings with Time Warner / now Spectrum
and
Verizon / now Frontier are a Sunday School picnic compared to Telstra.

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

It seems to me that the only way to get an acceptable result from Telstra is to get the TIO involved. The only two times we have had billing problems with Telstra we have had to resort to getting the TIO involved. It is a sad indictment of that organisation that a third party has to become involved to sort out what are usually one department not communicating to another.
On both the occasions when the TIO became involved I tried, unsuccessfully to get the recordings of the recorded conversations, as they would prove beyond a doubt what I was being told by the Telstra representatives. No can do they said, can't even get a transcript, I think I might start recording my conversations with Telstra, after notifying them of course.

Don't be too discouraged John. We've had an ongoing 18mth battle with internet issues with TPG who keep blaming Telstra's infrastructure for the problems. A number of customer service staff and techs have promised to sort it, but alas we still are paying for a dodgy service....Gets worse as even the TIO wasn't much help so I'm just resending the request to sort it weekly.; hoping that eventually the "squeaky wheel will be oiled" so to speak... Heard on the TV yesterday that the ACCC was getting involved in the NBN fiasco of service speeds; hopefully not a PR exercise..
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