Not Being Billed for Mobile Plan - What Would You Do?

Armadeal on 15/04/2025 - 12:50
Last edited 15/04/2025 - 13:30 by 1 other user

So about 13 months ago a friend of mine (definitely not me) swapped from a monthly mobile phone plan to a 12 month pre-paid arrangement. The service provider for both the monthly plan and the new pre-paid plan was/is the same.

There was a part monthly payment made at the time of changing plans which is why my friend (not me…) didn't think much about the pre-paid plan not being charged - as the name would suggest - on commencement of the plan. 12 months later this friend (…) realised that they still had not been charged and the plan had auto-rolled onto a new 12 month arrangement without taking payment.

Wwyd?

Poll Options

  • 11
    Contact the service provider to let them know about the error
  • 60
    Wait until the service provider makes contact with you
  • 1
    Another option?
Mobile Billing System

Comments

  • Fredfloresjr on 15/04/2025 - 12:52
    +5

    Bikies to knock his door on the 15th month

    • jv on 15/04/2025 - 12:54

      Yep. That's what they do.

  • Benoffie on 15/04/2025 - 13:08
    -2

    Need to contact them. They do have the right to still issue an invoice. In NSW (assuming that's where the telco is based), I think it's 12 months from date of last provision of service.

  • MS Paint on 15/04/2025 - 13:13
    +2

    Lucky this is your "friend" and not you.

  • brad1-8tsi on 15/04/2025 - 13:14
    +6

    It's their system problem, not your friends.

    When magazines were still a thing a mate won 12 months Modern Motor subscription. 8 years later it was still arriving every month.

    • elgrande on 15/04/2025 - 17:19

      Still all in plastic to this day I assume..

      • brad1-8tsi on 16/04/2025 - 07:10

        nah. The guy was/is a car nut and a GP so they got read and then when into the waiting room.

  • freefall101 on 15/04/2025 - 13:18

    I would tell your friend to make sure the cash is in a savings account, ready to be paid if needed. In the meantime, cash in on that interest, but they'll fix it eventually.

  • JIMB0 on 15/04/2025 - 13:47

    Just play dumb. I'm sure there's a limitation to how far back they can charge.

  • 87percent on 15/04/2025 - 14:25

    is friend 100% certain they weren't charged? but i would switch providers

    • pjetson on 15/04/2025 - 15:17
      +4

      I would switch providers

      To a cheaper one than free?

  • radicalvin on 15/04/2025 - 14:56
    +3

    Back in 2010, I got the iPhone 4 with Vodafone on a 24months plan. Not sure what happened but instead of billing me $39.95/month they credited me $189.95 a month. Hence, ended up having ~$4k credit at the end of my plan. When the plan ended, it started to debit me $39.95/month. I kept it going, went crazy on roaming, etc, and finally managed to draw down the credit at the end of 2017, where I ported out my number.

    All good runs must come to an end ;)

    Moral of the story, just leave it, but be ready to pay it back

    • Craze on 15/04/2025 - 20:30
      +1

      Wow that's pretty crazy! Goes to show poor internal controls/audits!

  • stuffandthat on 15/04/2025 - 15:36

    Cancel and run.

  • RogerLoger on 15/04/2025 - 16:03

    Perhaps they mailed the invoice, and it fell into Australia Post's automated letter chewing machinery (computerised sorting)?

    Legally, there is no obligation to pay a non-issued invoice, but there is a legal obligation to pay for the service. Best course of action is to tell the mobile company, then await the invoice. Also, have them note in their records when contact was made and the reason. I'm imagining them sending a bill for late payment!

    • st1ng on 15/04/2025 - 21:24

      Most (all?) telcos now email invoice. If you opt for posted invoices there usually is a surcharge. Exemptions apply for some people.

  • AustriaBargain on 15/04/2025 - 16:26

    Start the car.

  • CaptainJack on 15/04/2025 - 16:44

    I'm sure you've got enough on your to do list.

    I wouldn't be going out of your (friend's) way to chase up someone for not charging you (I mean your friend).

  • tsunamisurfer on 15/04/2025 - 17:09
    +1

    Put money aside as if you have to pay it tomorrow.

    For now STFU, I meant your friend not you.

  • peteru on 16/04/2025 - 13:32

    Whatever you do (your friend does), also take into account the potential loss of the phone number if the telco decides to cancel the SIM that appears to be on an inactive account.

  • coffeeinmyveins on 17/04/2025 - 10:23

    Consider it an interest free loan until they give you an invoice for several thousand one day.

  • jlien on 23/04/2025 - 10:10

    this literally happened to me about 7 years ago on telstra, I was on a great F&F plan so didn't want to lose it. Didn't want to sign up to anything new, but wanted a new phone.

    They added the new phone (samsung s7) to my account as a MRO option over 24 months. But for whatever reason i didn't receive the charges on my new bill. Didn't think too much of it and figured it'd fix itself soon enough. I had the phone and was already using it, my existing sim was working so kept using it. 2,3,4 months rolled by and no charges. At about the 6 month mark guilt got the better of me and got onto the online chat to ask them about it.

    They checked and could see it in the system but the order was stuck on "provisioning" and asked if i still wanted the phone or not. I said "huh i already received it 6 months ago" They were surprised and had to get their supervisor etc, but eventually got back to me, apologised and said they'll process it.
    I asked them am i going to be charged MRO for the first 6 months that was missed, after some negotiation they agreed to drop it and have my MRO end at what would be the original 24 month mark.

    Next bill came, still no MRO, same for a couple months after that. Contacted again same thing. They put it through proper this time. Got it on the bills going forward. Kept my chat logs & interaction ID just in case.

    15 or so months later when the MRO was meant to end, i went into the online system and it still showed 9 more months left, so i contacted them yet again. Giving them the old interaction logs and after confirming they waived the remainder.

    In retrospect, i guess if i wanted to I could've just let it ride out permanently and kept the phone for free; but 9 months off out of my 24 month plan was pretty sweet, at the time i just didn't want to suddenly be billed for the whole phone in a single bill.

    • Kelpei on 24/04/2025 - 09:04
      +1

      One of the users above had Vodafone credit him $4k over his 24 month plan. Now that's a Vodafail!

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