THINGS THAT SHIT ME: “NOT HAPPY JAN”
To say that I am not happy with Optus, is a f*%king understatement. Pissed off, annoyed, angry and upset doesn’t begin to cover it either.
THE PEOPLE VERSUS OPTUS
1. It took them 2 weeks to send a technician to reconnect my service at my new address. To add insult to injury, I have been charged during this time whilst I had no service.
2. My phone and internet was suspended. When I rang up they told me I had used 100 GB for the month. Ummm, unless my split personality has a nasty addiction for watching porn on the net all day every day, I think there may be an error. When I rang back, the technician told me that whoever told me that was wrong. It was in fact 22GB, which was only 2GB over my allowance. Phew, I thought. How much could a measly couple of gigs over my allowance cost me?
3. They charged me $300 for 2GB of excess usage!! Looking at the fine print in my contract, I am charged 15c per MB when I go over. That doesn’t sound like much does it? Exactly what they want you to think, which is why they don’t actually tell you how much that is per GB – $150!! I have no issue paying for excess usage, but WHY is it charged at such an exorbitant rate?!? I can buy 1 GB for $20 on a prepaid internet service, and for $99 a month on my plan, I not only get 2oGB of internet, but also unlimited local, mobile and interstate calls. So how the f%*K can they justify charging me a $150 for 1 GB?!!
Oh, I know, it’s so they can put me between a rock and a hard place, and then offer to “help me”, by offering a 50% discount on my excess usage if I go up to the $130 plan a month. Considering Optus never even used to charge excess usage fees, but just slow down your service, I think this is a massive wrought. It sucks. Oh, yes, they sent me emails to say I was approaching my limit, but to my Optus address which I had to create to set up my account with them, but never use. Funny, how they checked with me what email address I wanted my bill sent to!
4. Because I have no service at home, I have had to spend $60 this month on pre paid internet and then another $80 on prepaid mobile, on top of the $130 I am paying for my suspended service. I feel like I am hemorrhaging money out of my bank account to Optus. Here Optus, here’s my pay, go on take it, take it all.
5. When I tried to write them a letter, there was no address, only a contact form. When I filled that in with my complaint, I was told that I had to call. Ummm, I’ve just got off the phone with someone who just keeps reciting Optus’ policies and procedures. Needless to say, I’m not keen to call up again from my mobile which I am now paying a gazillion dollars per minute for (because you cut off my home service), to be placed on hold in your automated telephone queue, to then be told I can set up a payment plan. I don’t want to freaking pay it back, I want this ludicrous charge taken off my bill!
6. The pre paid mobile internet service I have had to use in the interim (which by the way cost $99 for the key alone) continually cuts out. When I asked what was wrong with it, I was told because it operates off a mobile tower, that it can cut out just like a mobile does. Hang on a minute. Why didn’t you tell me that before I bought it, and secondly, how come I have crystal clear mobile reception in my home, yet your mobile internet service doesn’t?! I live inner city, not at Ayers Rock. It is also so slow, that I want to chuck my laptop through the window.
Needless to say I won’t be renewing my contract with Optus. It shits me that these large companies rip off consumers, and we are left feeling powerless to do anything about it. I can’t take them to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, because the excess usage fees were in the contract I agreed to. How about not disguising it as 15c per MB, which doesn’t sound like much even to the tech savvy person.
What are you “not happy jan” about this month?
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- Gaynor Alder
- Gaynor Alder
- Bad Optus
- Gaynor Alder
- Gaynor Alder
- Gaynor Alder
- Gaynor Alder
- Bad Optus
- Gaynor Alder
The reasons too hate Optus…
1. Remember when they first started, early 1990’s and they had ads on tv saying just dial 1 in front of the number you want and it will be billed by optus – well that’s great – great when you are living in share accommodation while at Uni, and a flatmates dodgy boyfriend decides to call everyone he knows overseas from the phone in our house, and that phone is in my name. Needless to say, I was unaware I owed anything to Optus, because I had never used them – then I got a court summons for unpaid debts! This was eventually fixed with much arguing, and much hair pulling.
2. Back when there was Foxtel and Optus vision, my partner and I made the sad mistake of choosing Optusvision. Well, after our contract was finished, we canceled and tried to organise Optus to collect the box that sits on top of the Tv. They couldn’t make it any time we were home, and so they assured us that even though we were still being sent bills, because we still had the box that the charges would all be fixed once they had the box. After 2 months of this, we were moving house, called quite desperate now for it to bloody be collected – no, sorry – we will get it from the new address. We move, do they turn up – no. By this stage I am calling on a daily basis pleading for them to get their act together and they finally set a date and time – 6 months now after we finished. So I wait, wait, wait – they don’t turn up – call, and they tell me they knocked and knocked and I didn’t answer the door – why, wrong address – yes they were at the old house. Finally – 7 months after the end of our Tv contract the box is taken away.
3. I stupidly after all of that had a mobile contract with them, and they listed my name, address and mobile number in the white pages without my permission – thanks I love getting freaks trying to sell me things calling me on my mobile!
4. 18 months after the pay Tv debacle – I get a rude we will take you to court if you don’t pay your pay tv bill. Yes, I apparently owed them for the entire time I had the box, despite all of their assurances. I won the battle in the end.
Moral of the story – if it came down to sending messages via smoke signals or using optus – I would chose smoke.
Oh my gosh, I feel your pain!! I won a case against Virgin Broadband (you know that $59 plan they had at home including phone calls) by taking them to the TIO. The service dropped out every 2 minutes (not an exaggeration) and then NO ONE would answer the phone even after an hour on hold. I googled it and people were going ballistic about them on the net for the same reason. Took me a while to get it sorted, but I finally won my case and got my 24 month contract cancelled. Ummm, you can’t just bill someone for a service that doesn’t work and then refuse to answer the phone?!? DODGY. Even though I won my case, I had to pay some of the bill. It took them 6 months to send it and then when it arrived I paid it a few weeks late, and they gave me a bad credit rating!?!?!?! I was livid. I have tried to have it removed by the people who manage your credit rating but Virgin insisted they sent me the bill and reminder letters. Would that be the bill you sent dated in July, that I received in the post in December?!
you should try iinet.THe thought of phone service providers is ironic, seeing there is no actual service.
My sentiments exactly – what service?!? Don’t even get me started on AGL who kept billing me for electricity long after I had cut them off. Each time I would ring up and explain, they would apologise and then they would do it again. I even had the CEO involved, but, yep, you guessed it, another bill. I bet they are still sending bills to the person who lives there now.
I wanted to use iinet, but they don’t operate in Melbourne. I have heard good things about them.
I had sooo much trouble with Optus when I lived in Brisbane… hated calling them and wasting an hour at a time waiting for them to answer the phone!
I hope you get it all sorted soon… they are hopeless!!
Quite happy with Telstra… excellent coverage… if you go over your GB allowance, it just slows down to dial up speed until the next billing cycle. You can get good bundle deals at the moment too. We just changed our account into a bundle package. I haven’t had any issues with their customer service either
I have been using iiNet for a few years now and I can’t tell you how fanastic they are, the speed is awesome and the customer service is second to none, any problems I’ve had (can be counted on one hand), they’ve sorted it out in one phone call and it was always an error my end rather than theirs.
Sorry, just saw your comment about iiNet not being in Melbourne, what about Westnet, they are now owned by iiNet, not as fast but service is amazing too and they are reliable.
Thanks Sam – I will definitely look into them when my contract runs out in October. Power to the people!
Hey Gaynor,
I just saw this posted today assuming they will be national, another option for you:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/no-cap-on-broadband-downloads/story-e6freuy9-1225830271942
It’s a pity you are locked into a contract until October, and I can’t believe that they don’t just shape you if you go over your cap.
Good luck.
wow… that really sucks for you. I’ve had a very similar predicament (with optus) this month… but a totally different outcome!
I got the notification saying I’ld used 80% of my usage (20gb plan) in the first week of February. I was like… What?!?!?!…. The most I have EVER used was just over 7gb for an entire month.
Got onto the phone immediately (around 2am)… straight through to the Indian call centre.
I got someone who I could actually understand and was quite friendly. After much discussion, (and listening to my despair)… and said I should not worry… and I should have “sweet dreams” because he will sort it out for me.
Next day I phone optus again… through to the Sydney office. Operator says that I should disconnect our wireless router, as it sounds like someone is hacking into my system (most usage was between midnight and 11am).
So I disconnect it thinking that will resolve the problem. but no… my usage still went nuts! Back on the phone to the Indians in the middle of the night.
Turns out that I had downloaded some stupid programme for smilies (which I would normally NEVER do… but a friend recommended it). I deleted that programme, and my usage came to a grinding halt.
I had just a few mb left to last the remaining 2 weeks (and I have an online business). But my friendly little Indian who told me not to worry fixed it up and gave me an extra 10gb to get me through the month!
He did say this was because (1) he could tell I was being honest and he could see from my history that I don’t normally use this much and (2) I’m a long term optus customer – 15+ years!
But I’m on the $99 plan too… and my email said they just slow my system down if I exceeded the 20gb….
I’m really sorry to hear that you’ve had such a bad experience… and a costly one! If it was me – I would not be happy if that had happened. For 2gb they should have just slowed you down or given you some extra usage as they did for me. Now… they lose a valued customer! tsk tsk.
You post awsome articles. Bookmarked !
outstanding post! great advice, will take on board!