Thread: Have I been dudded ?

Forgot to add GST in my last post, so it's now $73.51 for 648.16Mb and you could throw in around $42.00 for the phone line because I only used it to make a whopping $0.68 worth of calls last month (need line for internet otherwise would disconnect and get a prepaid mobile).

Note from Telstra on port scanning FYI

'Port Scanning' may sound like something pirates and spies got up to in days of old, but it's actually a sophisticated aspect of online crime. A port is a place where information goes into and out of a computer. For example 'www' traffic goes via one port, while email traffic goes via another. Criminals use sophisticated programs to scan PC's remotely and identify unprotected ports. They can then hijack the PC to send out spam or steal personal details without the owner knowing. So closing any unused ports, along with adequate and up-to-date security software, is essential protection for your PC.

Living where I live I cannot get Broadband but I have an ISDN connection that runs at 64k. It cost me $109 to install and I pay $45 per month line rental which gives me two lines and I pay $29.95 a month ISP fees to Telstra.

Because I have it all on one bill with my mobiles I get a discount (Not much but at least a discount)

Last month Telstra just changed all the permanant dialup plans to unlimited downloads which makes me happy and I can be connected for 10 hours without being logged off.

Now you may say 64k is not very fast but coming from 12k to 24k to me that is lightening fast.

Because I live in an area that is suseptable to storms in twelve months I have had my ISDN modem box replaced 6 times all free of charge because Telstra own the ISDN box.

We have got to know the Telstra tech quite well and we just have a cup of coffee ready for him when he turns up.

Just yesterday we had him here for six hours tracking down a lightening fault where the line had been struck.

Because when we have a fault we don't ring the the normal number but the small business division they are very prompt and always ring you back after the job has been done to see if every thing has been done to your satisfaction.

So as you might gather I am extatic with what I have.

Originally Posted by Zed

I just dont like to see people abused or the victims or rudeness when they are just doing thier job. you dont like it - put yourself in thier shoes - I bet they dont like it either.

I dont think you have to be too sensitive about the feelings of people whose job it is to get their hands in your pocket (for your money I mean) The best strategy with these suckers is to deliberately waste their time because like the android police in the film THX 1138 they have a "budget" that each potential customer is "worth" so just let them talk and dont even listen (go away and get a beer) and at the end when theyre trying to make you feel guilty about wasting their precious time just say no thanks. What about those marketing turkeys that ring you up then hang up a few times to make you feel hassled while youre standing there saying hello over and over and then finally call and talk to you and say that youre possibly going to win a mortgage payout prize and then start to ask you all manner of questions until you hang up on the cheeky b@stards (the answers to which get sold to all manner of databases)
Only good telemarketer is a dead one. (unless theyre from a third world country and otherwise have no employment options)

I did telemarketing for a while to make ends meet.

It was for roof restoration and they wanted us to say "we are in your area...bla bla bla" I couldn't lie like that, so that job didn't last long LOL

I did do a few sales and the commision was worth it if you can BS really well, but not me. But just remember and try to be polite cause some of these telemarketers are just entering back into the workforce from either being full time mum or being unemployed for a very long time and some are even disabled. When they ring me, I say, its a tough job, been there but no thanks. And they agree, it is hard to keep pushing on from one abusive person to the next. To keep morale high to get that pay packet at the end of the week.... so please, just be polite and say thanks but no thanks.

I am polite to telstra customer service, but after 5 or 6 holds and moved on from one section to the next, ya patience wears thin.

If I could find out the name & address of the company doing the marketing or even the real address of the company they're flogging, I'd be a bit kinder to the poor telemarketer. I'd really like to start ringing a few of the directors of these companies at a time that's convenient to me...just to give them some of their own back. But if the telemarketer won't tell me, then they are fair game.

I tried ADMA and also the telemarketers industry association for a list of their members...sure, they're going to give that out...they might get nuisance phone calls.

Of course, our gutless politicians of all colours won't do anything to wipe out this scourge...they get too much graft in their pockets from the scumbags, and little johnny's twirpy son is the head of a telemarketing company himself. These people are the sludge on the bottom of the gene pool, and the sooner they are marched to the guillotines the better!

Aaaah, that feels better.

in fact our gutless politicians have been quite happy to assist in passing out our details to all and sundry in the form of the electoral roll.

I quote from a document about an audit of the electoral registers

"The AEC is authorised to provide electoral information to a range of external users. Most electors would be unaware of the extent to which personal information provided in order to enrol, and data extrapolated from AEC systems, is available for secondary purposes. "

as of july 2004 they've tightened up on this a bit and are no longer allowed to SELL :eek: the infomation.

those in Victoria might also be interested in a change in the law which has just come into force - the best bit is at the end so read on

quoting ....
The Victorian Fair Trading Act 1999 (FTA) has been recently amended. The amendments, which take effect on 30 August 2004, will insert a new Division 2A in the FTA which will regulate 'telephone marketing agreements' between a trader and a consumer (under which the total consideration payable by the consumer is either greater than $100, or not ascertainable at the time of making the agreement).

The new provisions provide that:

- a telemarketing agreement commences on the date of the telephone conversation in which the agreement was reached, provided that the consumer has given 'explicit informed consent' to the agreement

-records of the consumer's 'explicit informed consent' must be kept by the telemarketer and made available for inspection by Consumer Affairs Victoria

- consumers must be advised in telephone marketing conversations of their cooling-off rights

- consumers must be sent a prescribed cooling-off notice and the terms of the agreement (in writing) within five days of the telephone conversation or any longer agreed period

- a cooling-off period of 10 days commences from the date of receipt by the consumer of the cooling-off notice and the copy of the agreement

- there is a six month 'penalty' cooling-off right where the trader fails to send the cooling-off notice and the copy of the agreement, and

- consumers can exercise their cooling-off right by telephoning the trader.

Additionally, under the new provisions, the hours of telemarketing are restricted to 9am–8pm on weekdays, 9am–5pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and precluded on public holidays.

9am to 8pm, it makes me sick. I don't see how they should, unsolicited, be able to ring you at ALL.

Cheers

Why not get an unlisted number if it really annoys you

Its my business number

Bugger That really sucks:eek:

Joys of home office . No point whining, just vote with my feet.

and you get charged extra for a Silent Number, $2.93 a month + GST with Telstra last time I looked ... probably gone up since then. A source of annoyance everytime I check my phone bill. :mad:

I personally can't see how they can justify charging an on-going fee for what is going to be just a byte of information in your record which will be set to either 1 or 0 depending upon your choice. Set and forget. When they are selecting info for the phone book they just have to filter on that flag.

When they are doing directory enquiries their software just has to go

if silent number flag = true
then
call "play silent number recording"
else
call "reading the number out loud program"

i.e. yet another rip off

Effectively I am being charged for their loss of revenue because scabby marketers can't look my number up in the phone book and hassle me.

If memory serves me right they don't even offer you a silent number when you set up a phone account ... you have to ask for it and then they sound all surprised and tell you about the charge trying to put you off.

end of rant!

On saturday I got Optus broadband, 200Mg download then throttle down to 28.8. This morning I got a love letter from Optus saying "you've reached 80% Mr Zed..."

it doesnt take long to chew through 200Mg these days!

on the plus side at least I dont get increased fees.

I may have to upgrade to the unlimited plan, it will be hard to go back to 64k...