topic Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!! in Community Spirit

Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

katydidthat — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:34:59 GMT

Share your stories, your dramas, your complaints, comments and compliments.

Recommendations welcome.

Explanations even more welcome.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

katydidthat — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:39:21 GMT

This discussion started a while back when I posted a thread about the internet. A lot of people helped, but I still haven't a clue what to do. Anyway, in the last day or so the conversation started again in a different and totally unrelated thread and I was asked to move it to a new place 🙂

So ... here it is. And a bit wider than my needs.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

cueperkins — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:45:23 GMT

Not because I'm not interested Katy, just because it was getting confusing going from politics to telecommunications....or is that the same thing? Plenty of politics around telecommunications these days.

They all tell tall stories especially Telltale - aka Telstra - This is how we 'don't connect' Wireless. Don't get me started on their OS customer services. Last time it took 4.5 hours and 8 customer service reps to get my account refreshed. *Engage Primal Scream mode*.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

donnashuggy — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:48:38 GMT

Next time my internet goes down I am going to upgrade to Bigpond Ultimate High Speed Broadband.

My niece is here from Nimbin and she pays $7.95 per month for unlimited internet - I can't remember the name but when she gets back from the zoo I will ask her.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

cueperkins — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:50:24 GMT

Is that wireless or ADSL Donna? Contract involved? or pay as you go?

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

katydidthat — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:51:50 GMT

I know, Cue. I can't begin to tell you of my dramas with a couple of other phone companies. I don't know what it is ... I have sensible calm conversations with my gas and electricity providers ... but so many phone and net firms leave me screaming and hanging up.

I've been with one bank for the last 20 years, and 5 (at least) phone companies.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

cueperkins — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:59:51 GMT

It's no longer about what the customer wants Katy, or how we wish to purchase a service. I can't bear the thought of using Telltale if there's any possibility that I can give them the flick.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

*crikey*mate* — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:01:05 GMT

After 3 years of really dodgy compulsory Wireless Internet with a cap of 15GB a month (It took T 2 years to accept that the actual model of the modem was faulty after someone from here on CS worked out the problem from Interstate, and communicated with T and I via Conference Call before they listened and investigated and then it took them another 6 months and three other modems after that before they recalled it, - so we used to go through that 15GB in a week max)

(and T then had nothing to replace that modem with, so my Interstate mate supplied me with one of their modems on behalf of T (they sent him a Sierra to simulate an exchange of sorts) to get us through until now - and then we were able to make it last 2 weeks if we were really frugal)

Every fortnight, it'd take me hours fighting with Telstra, telling me there was something wrong, as I had usage meters on each of our devices, and we simply weren't using what they said we were - but they were adamant that we were. The stuff we did in that 2 years and the money we spent trying to fix it was insane!

I've finally got ADSL2 - 250GB a month (there's a wire to the modem, but then everything else in the house works wirelessly) for $20 less than we were paying for the wireless system, and we get free local and STD calls as well as free calls between 4 mobiles on the same account as well as between home and the mobiles.

So, no more dongles - and we should never ever run out of internet - and even if we do - for another $20 a month, I can get an additional 250GB!

*happy dance*

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

katydidthat — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:13:43 GMT

I hear you, Crikey. For years I stayed with T despite lousy customer service and incredibly high prices because I felt I was supporting the Australian Public Service and Australian jobs. Then I had enough ... but I'm finding the opposition is not much better.

Who are you with now?

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

cueperkins — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:14:34 GMT

Telltale BS thru their eye teeth on those USB modems.

For a start they hit the market with 32 bit firmware, after most computers were operating on 64bit. Nobody knew this of course and the glitches it caused almost sent me crazy until I googled it and found that thousands of other people were having the same problems as me. They were selling outdated hardware to the prepaid marketplace with no information at the time that users had to upgrade.

That's how much contempt they have for prepaid customers they can't con into a contract. Like who'd sign one with no guarantee of reliability?

On top of that their Broadband Manager program is so flawed you have to ring them every time you refresh your account to get it to charge at the right rate. 8 CS reps later...who wouldn't be wanting blood? They're HOPELESS.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

*crikey*mate* — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:23:40 GMT

I'm still with T - they just finally put ADSL2 through to this area - no one else has enough coverage to reach here for some reason so I've had no choice but to stay with them and make do with what they provided.

But I don't have to deal with the broadband peeps now - it's all through T business.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

katydidthat — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:51:51 GMT

Thanks, Crikey 🙂

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

katydidthat — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:54:41 GMT

Now, getting back to MY problems 😉 ... this is what I wrote in the other thread ...

Freaki, which aspects am I NOT confused about?

What I want is unlimited downloads on the internet, 2 mobile phone connections, and maybe a home phone line which I think you need for ADSL. NBN comes on here in May. Not sure whether to wait for that or not. Fed up with Dodo. Don't understand about routers. Need a connection where both my son and I can connect to the internet at the same time. Want a net connection where my son can't use up the allowance and leave me disconnected. And I want it all for about $100 a month. Telstra does offer something like this, but I don't know if I want to go back to Telstra. Not going back to Vodafone, either.

I looked at iinet, Dodo, Whirlpool, NBN and most of the other sites people have recommended, but none seem to offer exactly what I want, or they talk about things like BoB2TM or fetchTV and I just don't get it.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

cueperkins — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:55:26 GMT

Apparently Virgin have a prepaid deal on mobile phone for 29.00 per month where you get up to $500.00 free calls with no contract. That would be fine for me, & I'm guessing they're on Optus towers = 3.5 kms (which is no guarantee of reception when the network is inadequate). Internet wise their prepaid deals are much better than Telltales, but who knows. I have a Yagi antenna on my roof and an Omni, so I guess I could try them out.

Has anyone dealt with Virgin? Are they a pain? i.e. OS customer service is right out !! it's it's it's....UnAustralian.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

mum*of*goldens — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:07:21 GMT

For $120 a month with Westnet we get ADSL2 broadband which is unlimited downloads. [we have 1 desktop computer and 3 laptops that sometimes are going all at once, downloading TV shows etc]

That $120 also includes home phone rental, free local calls, $10 per month for each of the 2 mobile phones we have including over $300 worth of calls and texts, and a free protection pack for the internet which includes virus protection and an online vault.

Westnet are great, you always talk to an Aussie, and they are very helpful. After being with Telstra, Optus and TPG previously I have found Westnet much more efficient and excellent at customer service.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

katydidthat — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:12:10 GMT

I used to have a problem with Virgin ... as in Richard Branson ... but he's become such a leftie recently 😉

You can get cheaper call plans on contract, but it depends how much you need to talk, and for how long, and to whom.

One important thing I'd look at is whether you need to make a lot of calls to 13 or 1800 numbers because sometimes they are not free.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

donnashuggy — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:18:45 GMT

Is that wireless or ADSL Donna? Contract involved? or pay as you go?

All I know is that it is a sim card that she hot spots from her phone to her laptop (she said they use the optus network), I will get the name for you when she gets back

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

donnashuggy — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:20:25 GMT

I used to have a problem with Virgin ... as in Richard Branson ... but he's become such a leftie recently 😉

You can get cheaper call plans on contract, but it depends how much you need to talk, and for how long, and to whom.

One important thing I'd look at is whether you need to make a lot of calls to 13 or 1800 numbers because sometimes they are not free.

You should look at http://www.amaysim.com.au/ that is what my kids are on

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

cueperkins — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:24:10 GMT

I have to say I'm becoming more and more a neo luddite because I'm over all the sales BS. I don't currently use a mobile, because it's not reliable enough to replace the land line. I have never texted because the keyboard was impossible to see or use for a touch typist.

Personally I think this generation will end up with overuse of the thumbs.....lol. The new QWERTY ones seem easier, but I'm not that interested in texting everyone. It's a phone first & foremost & in my case, not even that.

Hey Mumofgoldens, I agree, customer service is my number one requirement followed by price.

Re: Phones, Phone Lines, Internet, NBN, Companies, Service, And All THAT!!!!

cueperkins — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 05:26:00 GMT

All I know is that it is a sim card that she hot spots from her phone to her laptop (she said they use the optus network), I will get the name for you when she gets back

The fact that she's in Nimbin, resembles the same type of rural infrastructure we'd have where I live. That's why I'm interested.