{"id":304,"date":"2014-10-10T10:36:13","date_gmt":"2014-10-09T23:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/?page_id=304"},"modified":"2014-10-10T10:36:29","modified_gmt":"2014-10-09T23:36:29","slug":"telstra-and-phone-lines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/Personal\/Technology\/ADSL\/Telstra","title":{"rendered":"Telstra and Phone Lines"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nStupidity of Telstra Business Practices<\/b><\/font>
\n
\n\"\"
\nTelstra needs to look closely at how it does business. No longer can you take a broken
\nphone to a telstra business office to get it replaced. You see they have leased out the
\nmanagement of this institution so it is much harder to access non-profitable services. <\/p>\n

\nOne of those services is replacing a phone. If you want to replace a TELSTRA OWNED phone
\nyou need to ring up the callcenter and then once you have been authorised you return the
\nphone to the local POST OFFICE. <\/p>\n

\nYes. That is the Post Office, the same one that has been cutting down on their public service
\nactivities for years. You can no longer get a replacement phone book at the Post Office (Telstra will post them out), or
\nan income tax form (You get them from a News Agency), but you can get a replacement phone there.<\/p>\n

Notice of Complaint<\/b><\/font>
\n
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Failure to meet agreed appointment.\n
  2. Failure to meet agreed connection time for new service\n
  3. Anticipated Failure to meet maximum service time\n
  4. Provision of misleading and\/or inaccurate and\/or deceptive
    \ninformation regarding failure to meet agreed connection times.\n<\/ol>\n

    This letter sets out to document the facts with my attempts to connect a basic
    \nphone service at xx xxxxxx Place, Ingleburn. It also sets out to document what
    \nI believe I am entitled to in compensation resulting from Telstra’s inability
    \nto meet minimum performance standards. It also attempts to document the action
    \nthat Telstra should be immediately undertaking to rectify this situation.<\/p>\n

    \r\nContacts with Telstra\r\n\r\n6-January-2000\r\n\tOrdered a new phone line (02 9618 xxxx) by calling 132200 after I tried to\r\n\torder the phone at the business office and was told that was not possible\r\n\tdue to a localised computer failure. The employee taking my call was new to\r\n\tordering new phone lines and neglected to get a contact phone number -\r\n\talthough there was an existing service in the house in another name and\r\n\tthis service was to be in my name. I told the employee I wanted the line to\r\n\tbe connected as soon as possible. The employee gave me an agreed connection\r\n\tdate of 13th January. I agreed with this date.\r\n\r\n11-January-2000\r\n\tContacted Telstra on 132200 to confirm the time of the appointment. The\r\n\tappointment was confirmed as an all day appointment - most probably being\r\n\tbetween 10:30am and 5:00 pm. As a result I planned to take the day off.\r\n\r\n13-January-2000\r\n\tTook time off work to stay home waiting for Telstra. They did not arrive.\r\n\tContacted 132200 just after 5:00 pm, and was informed that the appointment\r\n\thad been cancelled, and that a notification had been sent out on Tuesday\r\n\t11th January in the mail because no customer contact number had been\r\n\trecorded. [Note: This was a second line so there was a number for the first\r\n\tline; also my mobile number is in the phone book].\r\n\r\n14-January-2000\r\n\tContacted Service Order Management Team on 1-800-352-579. Spoke to Darren\r\n\tafter a while. He informed me that there were no cables from the exchange\r\n\tand that it was most likely mid-march before this service could be\r\n\tconnected. I attempted to make a claim under the Customer Service Guarantee.\r\n\tMy arguments appear below. He was not helpful. He felt that the letter was a\r\n\tnotification under the Customer Service Guarantee of a cancelled\r\n\tappointment, and also declared that the agreed connection date was not an\r\n\tagreed connection date.\r\n\r\n\tContacted  Telecom Customer Referral Centre on 1-800-011-333 with my details\r\n\tof the claim. They informed me that it would be 5 working days before I\r\n\theard back from them. Also they advised that no claims could be made until\r\n\tthe service was connected.\r\n\r\n\tContacted Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman concerning Telstra not\r\n\tmeeting Minimum Service Levels.\r\n\r\n\tLetter sent on 11th January arrives. Telstra is providing misleading and\/or\r\n\tinaccurate and\/or deceptive information regarding failure to meet agreed\r\n\tconnection times.\r\n<\/pre>\n
    In their letter dated 11-Janruary-1999 Shannon Sant, Customer Service
    \nCo-ordinator for the Sydney South Region stated that ‘Construction is currently
    \nunderway to rectify this situation, and you will be notified as soon as this
    \ncable upgrade has been completed. He also noted that there is a ‘Shortage of
    \nunderground street cable available’.<\/p>\n
    In conversations with the Customer Services Order Management Team it was stated
    \nthat they had no idea when work would be started, but had an anticipated
    \nmid-march completion date. This indicates approximately 8-9 weeks until a
    \nservice will be available.<\/p>\n
    \nThey also stated that there was not a single unused pair in the cable from the
    \nexchange.<\/p>\n
    \nI have examined the path from the NetPop (Network Point of Presence \/Exchange)
    \nin Ingleburn to the termination point at the corner of xxxxxx St and xxxxx
    \nPlace every day for the past few weeks. I have not seen any evidence of works
    \nalong this route. If any external plan work were being performed I would have
    \nseen evidence of this work. Further it cannot be argued that the cable has been
    \nlayed and is being terminated in the exchange for a couple of reasons – Firstly
    \nthe cable is layed before being terminated in the exchange; and secondly it
    \ndoes not take 8 weeks to terminate a cable – even a large one.<\/p>\n
    \nIt seems to me more likely that the planning is underway for this new cable –
    \nrather than actual construction.<\/p>\n
    \nTherefore Telstra are giving incorrect or misleading information in their
    \ncommunications with customers. Obviously this letter is a form letter and
    \nshould be corrected.<\/p>\n
    \nAlso, by definition shortage means that the availability is limited. The letter
    \nfrom Telstra notes that there is a shortage, whereas phone conversations noted
    \nthat rather than a shortage there was a total lack of availability of pairs.<\/p>\n
    \n\tWhen Telstra finally dealt with my complaint they confirmed that
    \n
    \n\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/td>\n\"\"<\/p>\n
  5. Construction was not underway when I got this letter.\n
  6. The letter was being sent to the legal department to be re-written more
    \n\taccurately.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
    Claim<\/p>\n
      \n
    1. Telstra did not notify me that the appointment was cancelled.\n
    2. Telstra is required to pay the Customer Service Guarantee from 14th January.\n
    3. Telstra is required to expedite pulling new cables to meet the service
      \nguarantee<\/p>\n
    4. Provision of misleading and\/or inaccurate and\/or deceptive information
      \nregarding failure to meet agreed connection times.\n<\/ol>\n
      \r\nReasoning\r\n\r\n1. Telstra did not notify me that the appointment was cancelled.\r\n\r\nUnder the Telstra Customer Service Guarantee [Telstra CSG], as well as the ACA\r\nTelecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 1997 [ACA CSG 1997]\r\nunless reasonable notice is given of a cancellation of an appointment is made\r\nthen a payment of damages is payable to the customer under section 235 of the\r\nTelecommunications Act 1997 [Telecom Act 1997].\r\n\r\nWhilst the [ACA CSG] does not define 'Reasonable Notice' the [Telstra CSG]\r\ndefines it as 'One Working Day'.\r\n\r\nWhilst I can find no definition of Notice under the [Telecom Act 1997], the\r\n[Telstra CSG] or the [ACA CSG 1997] I have been able to locate a definition in\r\nanother Telstra document. This document was also from Telstra (CAN 051 775 556)\r\nand relates to their Big Pond Direct Internet Service. It states that notice,\r\nin the absense of proof to the contrary, in the case of mail shall be '\u20263 days\r\nafter the date of dispatch'.\r\n\r\nThe first I was NOTIFIED of the cancelation was when I spoke to the Telstra\r\nEmployee after 5:00 pm on 13th January.\r\n\r\nSince this notification was not Reasonable Notice since there was not One\r\nWorking Day prior notification I am entitled to a payment of one months line\r\nrental.\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$11.65\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n2. Telstra is required to pay the Customer Service Guarantee from 14th January\r\nuntil the service is connected.\r\n\r\nWhen I contacted Telstra on 6th January, 2000 I was given an agreed connection\r\ndate of 13th January 2000. This was the data proposed by Telstra and I agreed\r\nto it. Some time on or before 11th January, Telstra determined that they did\r\nnot have the physical lines to be able to install the service on 13th January.\r\n\r\nHowever Telstra had agreed that the 13th January was the Agreed Connection\r\nDate. Since this date is on or before the limit imposed by the [Telstra CSG]\r\nand [ACA CSG 1997] this should be the date that the CSG starts. Nothing in the\r\n[Telstra CSG] states that Telstra is unable to bring forward their Agreed\r\nConnection Date to a date before that required by the CSG.\r\n\r\nIn fact the [ACA CSG 1997] states in 7(2) that a 'Carriage Service Provider may\r\noffer a shorter connection period than the maximum connection period'. Also\r\n7(4)a states that a carriage service provider must comply with an arrangement\r\nwith a customer for a connection to be provided 'ON THE AGREED DATE'.\r\n\r\nI am therefore making a claim of one months line rental from 14th January until\r\n20th January 2000, on the assumption that the line remains un-connected. I am\r\nfurther claiming $40 per working day from 21st January.\r\n\r\n\t14th January - 20th January\t$11.65\/Day\r\n\t21st January - Connection\t$40.00\/Day Subject to connection after 21st January\r\n\r\n3. Telstra is required to expedite whatever means necessary  to meet the\r\nservice guarantee\r\n\r\nThe [Telstra CSG] states that it is the aim where there is no available network\r\ninfrastructure or spare capacity in a community of more than 2,500 people that\r\nTelstra will '\u2026Aim to connect a standard telephone service\u2026within certain time\r\nperiods\u20261 month from application' . The [ACA CSG 1997] further states that 'A\r\ncarriage Service Provider must comply with a request by a customer for\r\nconnection to a specified service within the guaranteed maximum connection\r\nperiod, unless Telstra have agreed with the customer to connect on another\r\ndate.\r\n\r\nThe guaranteed connection period is further defined as 'the period within which\r\na carriage service is provider must connect the customer to the standard\r\ntelephone service under the relevant planning document having regard to the\r\nnature of the site which the customer is located and the degree of access to\r\nthe communications infrastructure at that site.' In [Telstra CSG] the inferred\r\nperiod is 1 month.\r\n\r\nUnder these requirements Telstra have no option but to make all reasonable\r\nefforts to finish this new connection within the 1 month specified in the\r\nstandards.\r\n\r\nHowever since Telstra agreed to an earlier connection date, they are now in\r\ncontravention of the standard and need to make all efforts to expedite any work\r\nrequired.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA complaint has been lodged with the Customer Referral Center on this matter.\r\nIt has also been lodged with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. This\r\ndocument will also be forwarded to both parties.\r\n\r\n<\/pre>\n
      I have included details of the damages that Telstra paid me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Cumulative Cost Failure to keep Appointment of 13-Jan<\/td>\n<\/td>\n$11.65<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Failure to Supply Service on 14-Jan<\/td>\n$11.65<\/td>\n$23.30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Failure to Supply Service to 20-Jan<\/td>\n4 Days<\/td>\n$46.60<\/td>\n$69.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Failure to Supply Service from 21-Jan to 27-Jan<\/td>\n4 Days<\/td>\n$160<\/td>\n$229.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Failure to Supply Service from 28-Jan to 3-Feb<\/td>\n5-Days<\/td>\n$200<\/td>\n$429.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Failure to Supply Service from 4-Feb to 10-Feb<\/td>\n5-Days<\/td>\n$200<\/td>\n$629.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Failure to Supply Sercice from 11-Feb to 15-Feb<\/td>\n3-Days<\/td>\n$200<\/td>\n$749.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
      When Telstra finally connected the service and calculated the CSG they did not
      \ninclude an ammount for the cancelled appointment. I decided to stand my ground and
      \nthe CSG person stated that they would need to talk to their supervisor. I
      \ncannot actually remember hearing back from them but I know they did decide to
      \npay me what I was owed under the CSG.<\/p>\n
      \nWhen the line was connected their was concern by the linesman that there was
      \nnot going to be enough pairs in the street for the connection. It was with some
      \nluck that someone had a line disconnected and I took their line. I have never
      \nworked out who that was.<\/p>\n
      \nWhen I receieved notification of this credit on my bill I requested that Telstra
      \nrefund this ammount so that I could pay a Telstra Bigpond Direct account of about
      \n$500. The customer service representative aggreed to this on since they were not
      \nable to transfer the ammount between accounts. They were under no obligation to
      \ndo this, and their rules say that they cannot.<\/p>\n
      \nBasically Telstra lost money on this job.<\/p>\n
      \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
      Stupidity of Telstra Business Practices Telstra needs to look closely at how it does business. No longer can you take a broken phone to a telstra business office to get it replaced. You see they have leased out the management …<\/p>\n
        Telstra and Phone Lines<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":293,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5cfmK-4U","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/304"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":305,"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/304\/revisions\/305"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.radio-active.net.au\/web3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}