PROFIT & REDTAPE V CUSTOMER SAFETY

[Representative]

I am curious if Telstra have any policy that ensures customer safety over profit and redtape, especially for the elderly and those with ,medical priority assistance. Recently I have found that Medical priority assistance allows an ill customer to wait 2 and a half weeks for a voip service, with the potential to place their life at risk. After at least 10 hours of telephpne conversations this matter has not been escalated. Any other customers, experience such difficulties or those that are assisting an older or frail person? I ask, is it going to take the loss of life before this kind of thing is remedied? Also what is the point in complaints when they wont be processed any time soon and by the time it is the service would either be up and running or the customer deceased?

[Jupiter]

Is it a new connection or a conversion from an old style phone serive to NBN?

And just be aware that the NBN service won't work if there is a blackout.

[343GuiltySpark · Accepted solution]

Id also strongly recommend having a fully charged mobile phone and a medical alarm with built in mobile sim.

[Representative]

It would help if Telstra would install the Smart Modem Gen 2. And you are incentive's, we are speaking of an ill 70 + who is not tech savey and has a life threatening illness! He is supposed to be a medical priority assistance customer. So instead of thinking its ok and he should have a mobile, which he does and that has not been without its problems, contact the correct person to have my fathers service installed, which he is already paying for installed.

[Representative]

Yep Telstra are recieving larger than usual call volumes. As usual

[DrQ]

As a public forum, no one here has access to account information. It is a peer-to-peer community forum. Telstra notify NBN Co that they need an appointment and that it is for a PA customer, but the next appointment date is provided by NBN Co. Telstra can't force NBN Co to give them a sooner appointment, NBN Co under their requirements are meant to prioritise PA customers to give them sooner where possible but without access to all the details no one can look into it here so can't give any more specific information.

[343GuiltySpark]

This time of the year, there are more faults due to the storm season and other natural disasters.

As per Jupiters question earlier, is this a new service or an existing service that is impacting the phone service?

[Representative]

Thanks for the effort to respond Juniper, but it shouldn't matter if it is a new connection or not its supposed to be treated as a priority and so far it has taken longer than a normal connection etc, There are many reasons and other issues, that shouldn't be affecting us and other consumers in this country. I find that accepting their jargon and reasons is no longer acceptable. If I brought a car and it arrived with no wheels and I paid for it I would be annoyed. Same thing pay pay spend countless hours on the phone and so on is no acceptable. Thanks for trying to help

[Jupiter]

You are right, there shouldn't be much difference in treatment as to whether it is a new connection or a transfer to NBN (other than if it was a transfer, then he should still have an active phone service).

If you filled out the Priority Assist paperwork and it was approved, then the connection should have either been made within 48 hours, or a mobile or satellite phone organized as coverage in the meantime while NBN Co connected his property. (Although for a new connection, he can be temporarily listed for 28 days while you get the form lodged).

If the paperwork hasn't been lodged, then he may not have been listed as a priority assist customer and the normal connection timeframes would apply (which are pretty much completely in the hands of NBN Co).

[Representative]

I have advanced technical skills and are aware of the procedures etc. If I wish to share my experience or opinion then thats my prerogative. There is no other satisfactory outlet to do so. Other people may have similar frustrations, so I put it out there, I am in the process of doing a petition and writing to parliament representatives regarding this matter and othes relating to the telecommunications industry in Australia and how the this effects the aged primarily and other people. You may find this unacceptable and thats your prerogative. But before you answer a post like this again perhaps you will consider I am genuine in saying my fathers life is at risk not having the service he pays for., Telstra directs refunds and other matters that are not resolved etc to crowd support, this really does happen. How can crowd support assist in that matter other than share their experiences as a possible solution, Can they give a refund? So how is me posting the truth of a matter any different? In posting I had also hoped that a Telstra representative would attempt to assist me as I have spent 20+ hours on the phone and chat from 3.12.2018 to date.

[DrQ]

I know the experience of trying to get things done. I have severely disabled family members and we went through 5 appointments with NBN Co being cancelled with priority assistance approved and listed on the service and only ended up having someone show up on the 6th appointment after I took NBN Co to the TIO because NBN Co refused to just do their job. The govt doesn't care, neither side, they don't care about the aged or the disabled.

[ProfessorPhone]

I'd suggest you get a Mepacs medical alarm. Mepacs is non-profit, and is owned by a public hospital, and now operates throughout Australia. It uses Telstra mobile. It has it's own back up battery supply internally, and can operate for over 24 hours.

[Representative]

They approved on my say so and old records, However I have requested this form 5 times now, thinking if he completed it and sent i sooner than the allowed 28 days, he would be taken more seriously. He has been with Telstra all his adult life but was tricked like many elderly people by Commander and his service for voip was transfered to them . I managed to get him out of the contract. He has a existing Telstra adsl internet service, but no modem as the other company used their own, This is another matter all together which he received no support on when he queried telstra. He is coaxial cable, NBN connected,. His account for Telstra adsl has been upgraded to the home adsl 100 G phone package, but a technician hasnt been sent yet with the modem and his number has not been ported. I have had a call back from Telstra after already spoken half the day away. They are trying to foist of a sat phone now, But its too late, by the time the technician and phone arrives he will hopefully not had an emergency and his renewed service will have been finalised. This time I am on hold for 30 minutes so far.

[Representative]

Thanks for the advice Professor, I will look into this but in the mean time my father has and will still be without a phone, Its more than just the principle of the matter now and I am having serious trust issues with Telstra. But again thanks, I will let other elderly people I know of this service if they are not already aware.

[Representative]

I just liked your comment, but not your situation I hear you and i am so sorry for your experience. This is not an isolated experience, we are forced to just accept the excuses and internal . If someone does have an urgent situation or die due to their insufficient service, So I guess you would then get a Royal Commission, but hey the person is still dead etc. Complaint process is more lengthy than annoying enquiries. I too am afraid that the appointment may to be cancelled,

[Representative]

NBN came out last year and installed their equipment. And a sticker on the outlet and paperwork to prove it There is no longer a copper line service. He has cable conectivity. His internet has always remained with Telstra but his voip service was elsewhere due to a scam. The overseas representative after numerous calls finally accepted that it was not a copper line service. There has been a lot of problems. Such as no notes, and failed promises to escalate and so forth. Emails without order or receipt numbers, then spending a couple of hours on the phone to get to the bottom of it and representatives not having a clue then suggesting he should be a priority assistance case, He is supposed to be. I asked each time to send form for his Dr to complete as he has already done this for his power supply, 5 times so far I have requested this. He is waiting for the equipment you refereed too as he upgraded his internet to a plan with the offer. His voip has been one headache after another. By the time the technician comes out to install his equipment it will have been 18 days or so since the initial upgrade etc. Technician difficulties such as telstra outages due to NBN service is not my problem or an excuse.