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.

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.

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 wanted to use iinet, but they don’t operate in Melbourne. I have heard good things about them.

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.