Account closure and disconnection, fees added

[MarkMaleny]

I had an ADSL prepaid broadband account with Telstra for many years. I am long out of contract. I closed it last month. The agent "Ash" told me I would get a $50 refund by cheque this month for unused credit. Today a new bill arrives from Telstra with the $50 credit ..... PLUS a bogus charge for $125 under the made-up category "Casual Plan Fee". Of course you struggle to contact them. Chat does not work, callback does not happen. How can I get this erroneous charge removed from my account?

[Rohan123 · Accepted solution]

Hi @MarkMaleny 

Try this number, not sure if they will help you, but at least you get to talk to someone and they should be able to see the charge on your account. Telstra billing 1800 461 799

Or the the app.

https://www.telstra.com.au/mytelstra

Send a message (blue icon, bottom right of Get Help screen) and if Codi sends you somewhere else, Type Speak to a consultant

[Jupiter]

The "Casual Plan Fee" isn't a bogus charge. It was a part of some very old plans, so it is most likely valid.

In saying that, I'd doubt that they would enforce it if you asked them to waive it.

[MarkMaleny]

I've complained to the TIO about this. There is no way this is a valid charge. In addition, the CSR I spoke to was very clear that I had no further obligations and that I would definitively receive the $51 credit as a cheque or bank credit.

The immense difficulty I'm having in getting this bogus charge reversed means that most people hit with the charge will just simply give up and pay it, when they should be getting a refund. This is classic sharp practice and if it were a small business, I'd be reporting it to my local Better Business Bureau or equivalent.

[Jupiter]

You mean Consumer Affairs or the ACCC? Better Business Bureaus are an American thing, and the ones that exist in Australia are private companies..

The charge you are disputing is in your contract. When Telstra first ventured into casual plans, they included that charge to recoup the administrative costs that they thought they'd accrue if people moved providers more often than the 2 years that were in the standard plans (who got charged ETCs instead if they left before the 2 years was up).

[MarkMaleny]

I've been with Telstra for over 7 years, most of that time out of contract

[Jupiter]

Yes, but the conditions in the plan you last sign up for remain in force until you change plans.

So, if the plan that you last signed up for had that contract condition, the it still applies (altough I would have thought that some common sense would apply on Telstra's part and they would waive it given you remained connected on it for so long).

[MarkMaleny]

I've spent several hours trying to speak to someone about this, sitting at my computer in "chat" and on the phone. It's impossible. The disrespect and disregard Telstra has for its customers is staggering, a sign of a creaky old monopoly business that lost the plot some time ago.

Let the Ombudsman sort it out.

Testra are welcome to ding my credit. I'm old enough and wealthy enough not to care. I sure ain't paying these thieves one damned cent.

The bottom line is that they have stolen $51 from me. That's what's the reality is.

> but the conditions in the plan you last sign up for remain in force until you change plans

When I went off contract, those conditions were voided. My son is a lawyer, so don't try to con me please.

[Jupiter]

There is no such thing as "off contract". A service agreement is still a contract, ask your son about it.

[MarkMaleny]

Finally got through to a CSR (picked up the phone immediately, which surprised me after waiting hours yesterday ... I must have just got lucky for once) and she sorted it out on the spot.

You can delete this thread.

THANKS FOR THE 1800 NUMBER, WHICH I NEEDED AND COULD NOT FIND ON THE TELSTRA SITE