$299 Telstra Connection Fee Was Charged without Any Work Done

Smerch on 14/01/2016 - 18:59

Good Day!

So we moved to a new property which is a 6 month old unit with new Telstra phone box 3 meters away from the door. The house has multiple phone jacks all new.
I requested connection through Telstra web chat and chose a casual $75 plan which is a phone line with an ADSL2+ 100GB per month with no contract.
Also the extra deal was that the $59.99 connection fee would be waived.

On the day we moved in, they sent a Telstra technician who came in with a phone, plugged it into the phone jack, checked the phone line is working and left.
Now we got the bill for $750…

Firstly, the charge of $356 will be waved because it was for early termination of the contract that I did not sign.
Secondly, the $299 connection fee can not be waved.

I called them and they checked with the technician. He confirmed that he built the phone line from the exchange box to the phone jack in the house.
They insist on me paying for the services that were not provided and they do not care about that the phone jacks, wiring and Telstra box outside were not touched by their technician at all.

So who do I email to get this sorted? I will start with ACCC but not sure if they care either.

Thank you for your time reading all this :D

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Comments

  • neil on 14/01/2016 - 19:16
    +4

    I will start with ACCC

    TIO is what you need.

    • Smerch on 14/01/2016 - 20:14

      Thank you mate!
      We lodged complaint with TIO.

  • 2pro4sho on 14/01/2016 - 19:48
    +2

    $299 fee is for new connections when it's the first time a line has been connected to a property. The work may have already been done and as you're the first person in the property it means that fee falls onto you. Unless you can prove this fee wasn't explained you won't be able to get out of it with the tio.

    • Smerch on 14/01/2016 - 19:57

      From Telstra:

      The $59 standard home phone connection fee for new Telstra
      customers is waived. If a technician is required additional
      charges apply:
      • telephone line with a technician visit – $125
      • new telephone line connection or cabling work – $299.

      There were tenants living in this property for the first 6 month after it was built.
      Although I am not sure if I can proof that they used the line.

      And we did not ask for the technician to come in.

      • kipps on 14/01/2016 - 21:48
        +1

        If you're renting hit up the landlord to rebate the fee to the extent it exceeds $59.

        • Smerch on 15/01/2016 - 07:25

          I will try that if Telstra gets away with complaints.

  • [Deactivated] on 14/01/2016 - 19:51

    Like mentioned above talking to the TIO will solve everything you mentioned. (If indeed they were in the wrong)
    Bit off topic, but considering the place is only 6 months old, why didn't you go with nbn?

    • Smerch on 14/01/2016 - 20:00

      THE NBN ISN’T AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA YET, BUT YOU CAN GET A HEAD START
      Sadly

  • Diji1 on 14/01/2016 - 20:00
    +3

    TIO. Just do the minimum necessary to rectify the situation - it sounds like you already have unfortunately wasted your time and money - and then go to the TIO.

    Telstra blatantly uses bait and switch tactics along with ripping people off with absurdly high prices such as what you have paid for the unwary. They will just continue insisting that you owe it to them, don't bother - go to TIO, Telstra is only intent on extracting as much money from you as possible, nothing else, and they will only stop it if the TIP tells them to.

  • inherentchoice on 14/01/2016 - 21:54
    +1

    Glad I don't get price gouged by Hell$tra.

  • woteva on 14/01/2016 - 22:06
    +2

    The work would have been done before you ordered the connection. Just because the tech did nothing on the day, does this mean they absorb all the cost of pre-work done ?

    • akyeeeahdude on 14/01/2016 - 22:09
      +2

      Yes this is true. When you build a house, you can request they come out when the services trench is open to lay the cable to the house and install the box on the side. That is what happened when I built. Although, they only installed a point (always goes in the front room of the house) once I called them requesting connection after I had taken handover of the house. Then I had to pay the $299.

  • mskeggs on 15/01/2016 - 18:45
    +1

    If it was the first time a landline was activated at that address, you have to pay $299. If it is reconnected it is $59.
    No Telstra tech will turn up for a $59 reconnection, it is effectively just an administrative change. Since the tech did show, I expect you will find it was a first time connection.
    Consider also that many renters just use mobiles these days, especially if they are only there for 6 months.

  • Smerch on 07/03/2016 - 14:48

    Thank you again for pointing out the TIO(tio.com.au).

    After I lodged the complaint I still had to pay the balance of my proper invoice.
    Then someone from Telstra called and confirmed that they will waive the disputed amount.

    So its all good now.

    • realfancyman on 12/03/2016 - 15:56

      good news!

    • dealhunt on 18/05/2016 - 11:50

      Because once you make a complaint to the TIO it skips these uneducated outsourced people (whose only skill is making marketing related phone calls) e it deals directly with the management, pity Telstra also had to pay TIO's fees.

  • [Deactivated] on 05/04/2016 - 19:22

    I moved three times within last 5 years and every time it happened to be a new building. I have been with Internode naked since they don't need an activated phone line (like any other naked ADSL?).
    Every time I move Internode tried to convince me to pay $299 Telstra line activation fee and I refused every time trying to explain to them that naked means no active phone line is necessary. What worked for me was calling Internode customer support in the evenings after their full of energy day sales people go home. Almost always a tired service person over the phone would gladly confirm the reconnection fee will be waived if I stay with them for two years and wont even mention Telstra activation line bull$*t fee!
    Call them after hours you will most likely get a more laid back person who has a heart, at least it worked for me!

  • [Deactivated] on 05/04/2016 - 22:00

    I have been hit with this fee on my old house (very old building) after being with Optus for 3 years. I had to go through the TIO to get it back.

    I'm not so sure about the moving into a premise that has been cabled but not yet activated. I'm pretty sure when you buy a new apartment these days, it's already cabled properly and you just need to call Telstra to get it activated. I don't think a techie is involved.

    I remember renting a place a long time ago where it was brand new but had leads already setup for Cable Internet/TV. I guess the installation still involved putting the Cable box outside the building, so required a technician and thus was billed/rebated (but installation was free back then on a 24 month contract). That is for Cable though, I think a phone line is already in place usually.

    Maybe others here would have a better idea.

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