Early Recharge on Optus 365-Day Recharge Plans Will Result in Loss of All Remaining Days

I just want to share my bad experience with Optus’ 365-day plan so others don’t make the same mistake.

Be aware that when you recharge, the new 365-day plan starts immediately on the day of recharge, not at the end of your current plan. This means you lose any remaining days from your previous plan (data rolls over).

In my case, I recharged early under the impression that any new 365-day recharge would simply extend from the end of my current plan — like other “long expiry” services do. Instead, my early recharge caused me to lose 38 days, roughly one-tenth of the plan’s inclusions.

When I contacted customer service, they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) do anything to fix it, even though Optus’ own website says that long-expiry plans can have expiry extensions of up to 84 days. Apparently, Optus considers the 365-day plan different from a “long-expiry” plan.

Source: https://www.optus.com.au/prepaid/faq
"Expiry extension is the ability to stack your expiry period. When you recharge before your expiry period ends, any remaining days you have will be added to your future recharge. For example, if you recharge $35 on day 25 of your current recharge, you will have a 31 day expiry period on your new recharge."

So it may be reasonable to expect a ordinary customer to know and understand Optus treats its own 365-day and long-expiry plans differently? That’s absurd. The terminology is confusing, the policy isn’t clearly explained, and the customer service team just shrugged it off.

This feels like a deceptive and unethical business practice. Optus should be upfront about how these plans work, not rely on fine print or technicalities to make customers lose paid time. It should be a warning at the time and place of recharge.

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Comments

  • +1

    i have a 25% off offer for the 365 day recharge making it $262.50

    • I have been offered 50% off for another 365 days. just waiting for black friday deals to come along before deciding.

  • Expiry extension is only available on Epic Data. What plan are you on?

    • +1

      Source: https://www.optus.com.au/prepaid/faq

      Epic Data and Long Expiry FAQs

      https://www.optus.com.au/cis > Optus Prepaid Epic Data:

      Expiry Extension: allows you to accumulate up to a maximum of 84 days if you recharge
      before expiry.

    • 365 day plan, which i assumed was long expiry per faq page

      • 365 is a recharge, not a plan. Their are 6 plans listed on their page. Each one has a different construct. Each one has different inclusions, expiry and behaviour.

        Suggest it should be made clearer for those longer expiry products that they make it clear is 365 days from recharge, not end of your current expiry.

        • 365 day is a "pre-paid plan" on their website right now https://www.optus.com.au/prepaid/sim-plans
          I'm looking on the website (not app/mobile) and there are 7 plans listed on that page - not 6 so maybe you are on the app if you just see 6?
          It's even listed in the exact same section as the $35 one that they use as an example in their own FAQ's the OP has posted so thats another inconsistency.
          If 365 days isn't a long expiry then what would be? Theres nothing I can see on their website specifically marked as it.

          OP - FYI Google even says "Optus' 365-day prepaid mobile plans, which are long-expiry plans with a 12-month expiry period…"

          • +1

            @Webber000: as per that webpage, they are each different recharge $amounts of the same single Flex Plus plan - not Epic Data - with no mention of Expiry Extension anywhere

            • @tonester: He is confusing PostPaid plans with prepaid recharge amounts.

              Webber000 Plans are listed here: optus.com.au/cis

              Select prepaid.

  • +4

    This feels like a deceptive and unethical business practice.

    Whatever it is, it is dunce. It's not just them, Boost do it too, and I assume others. They're effectively penalising those exact users they should be rewarding for prompt payment and brand loyalty.

    • +1

      rewarding for… brand loyalty

      The reward for brand loyalty is getting shafted, as has always been the case.

      • Not always. But seemingly for a long time now.

    • I think the last time I recharged Boost 12-month prepaid, the current plan expired first and only after that the new 12-month voucher was applied. It was last year though, so I might be mistaken.

  • +1

    They are relying on the fact that when it comes to renewing again in a year's time you will probably have forgotten.

  • Why are you recharging early?

  • +3

    Regarding recharging early- sometimes people may be travelling and have no reception or even significant life events due, so perfect to get some of the fiddly or not super important items done when it suits.

    • One way around this is to use ‘Autorecharge’, with a calendar reminder to check your recharge card is still current closer to the date due. It’s harder for them to steal days then.

  • If you Trust your Telco
    ( autorecharge)

    Had hacks on my Optus and Recently Dodo was Affected
    Left Dodo not that long ago.
    Doubt i was affected by Dodo but they are very quiet for Comms companies.
    But just back with Optus now.

    Always had Telstra as main.
    Will never leave them although not perfect and they are dearer just have more confidence in them.

    If my plan expires and I lose data or minutes
    My bad luck.
    But as a few people discover they need to update the page if it doesn't make explicit what will happen to existing time/dates entitlements.

    Optus case been cagey for years let's admit.

  • Hi @sakanasama
    Like you, I would have thought the 365 day is a "long expiry plan" as it certainly is with other networks. Their own website shows it is a "prepaid plan" https://www.optus.com.au/prepaid/sim-plans (its the last one on that page) and it is on the exact same section as the $35 one that they reference as an example in their FAQ's.

    However I know other networks don't stack expirys so I am not surprised.
    I had an issue with Amaysim last year (who run on Optus), and got an email asking me to rate my experience after doing webchat with them. I gave them the lowest score and about 30 minutes later got a phone call from someone who actually wanted to help (rather than the normal customer service who read a script) and he actually did fix it and follow up - so HOPEFULLY you get an email from Optus…
    I would also recommend you jump on live chat to them again and try a different agent based on what their FAQ says. Tell them you will accept them restarting the plan, extending it, adding a monthly package to run after it or adding credit or partial refund - be flexible incase theres something the agents can do "easily" they may just do it.

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