Telstra and their new fees

[GoTheCell]

Most people have seen the new fees Telstra is bringing in as of 14th Sep 2009. Basically, if you pay your bill using any method other than direct debit you are charged a fee. If you do use direct debit most of the banks charge a fee so you can't win.

If you go to the supermarket do they charge you a fee for paying at the register?

If you get petrol do they charge you a fee for paying?

And the list goes on...

I plan to fight these fees all the way to a Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman decision (or further if required) and let you all know how to not pay it.

They are bull---- fees and there is no reason we should need to pay fees simply for paying our bills.

I will keep you all posted below on the progress.

 

[GoTheCell]

New fees:

$2.20 "administration fee" for each payment made through the mail or at Aust Post.
Fee for using mastercard, Visa or Amex - increased to 1% (up from 0.69%)
Diners club increased to 2%.

The letter then says to avoid this fee you should pay using direct debit, BPay, by phone using credit card or online using credit card.

 

[GoTheCell]

I got a response.

> Dear Gary,
>
> Thank you for your email dated 14/8/09 regarding your complain.
>
> We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused you. We
> appreciate your time to email us since this gives us the opportunity
> to address these matters. We value your feedback as it helps us to
> identify areas needing improvement in the services we deliver to our
> customers.
> Please be advised that fee does not apply to payments made by:
> * BPAY and BPAY view
> * Pay by Phone with credit card
> * Online via Telstra.com with credit card
> * Centrepay instalment payments. Additional payments will be charge the fee if made in person or sent through the mail
> Telstra Bill Assistance Program (TBAP)
>
> Please do not hesitate to contact us via www.telstra.com if you
> require further information or assistance.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Yours sincerely,
> Jade
> d366431
> Telstra Representative

So it all goes back to direct debit or you pay a fee.

 

[Roysa]

i pay everything via internet now anyway... who goes to the post office and pays nowadays?

 

[GoTheCell]

I asked the following to see what would happen:

And how does that help someone without a credit card?
How many people simply wont put their back account details online because of security fears?

You are recommending people use credit cards to pay a bill knowing they will
be charged a fee for such payment, a fee you have increased for no reason.

I dont get charged a fee for paying what I owe when I go to the supermarket. I don't pay a fee simply for paying for the vast majority of things I purchase and this is unwarranted and I will not be paying it.

Please remove these fees from my aco****s or I will be have no choice but to take this further.

Regards,
Gary

 

[GoTheCell]

i pay everything via internet now anyway... who goes to the post office and pays nowadays?

My Mrs does for a start and so do a lot of people. Do you use credit card to pay via internet or does it come from a cheque/savings account?

 

[Roysa]

CC why?


for people without credit cards i see the issue but what percentage dont have a CC now?

Im not agreeing with the fees i just dont think anything can be done.

 

[GoTheCell]

They also said nothing could be done about the constant spam emails telstra send advertising everything. I got them removed.

It's simple. Unless you stand up to them they get away with whatever they want.

 

[Captain Obvious]

Well, they gotta try make up the loss when they paid out Sol

 

[PeterB]

Not an issue. I pay everything via Bpay.

 

[MinusZero]

I took this up with Etoll too, they wanted to charge $3 for a printed statement. So i sent them a list of how much it would actually cost. They didnt really care. I guess with them, there is no other choice or competition.

I am up to speed with computer and internet happenings but it annoys me that these companies think that everyone is online all the time. Why should i use my precious download limit to pay etc.

Dont you just feel like sending a ream of paper and say, here print on this since it seems to cost you too much.

GTC, maybe you should bill Telstra for your time taken to pay the bill, a percentage of your internet fee, cost of printing the receipt at home, unnecessarily high overcharge fee for grief caused and money making bonus for the CEO of GoTheCell Pty Ltd (Used for the Golden Handshake) hehehe

I would make it to be:
Personal Time: 5 mins at @$25/Hour = $2.08
Internet Fee: $1
Cost of paper and printing of receipt $2
Unnecessary Overcharge fee: $5
Money making bonus for CEO: $20

Total: $30.08

Service is an afterthought for these companies. They charge you for a service and then charge to pay for the service. But yet you still have to stay on hold for hours and then wait for days for problems to be fixed.

I had problems with Telstra and thats why i left them. I had been with them for over 8 years, but loyalty counts for jack. They only care about the green *rubs fingers*

 

[GoTheCell]

It is just a case of them trying to make more money by charging people for something they shouldn't be charged for. They are a Company and they look at nothing but the bottom line.

Some fees are justified. A fee for simply paying your bill is not.

 

[-brenton-]

I reckon MinusZeros idea is excellent, it would be funny to see the response, if you got one.

 

[MinusZero]

Or send them a picture of a seven legged spider

http://www.fun-with-english.co.uk/2008/11/story-of-7-legged-spider.html

 

[Andrew S.]

I pay everything online so for me it isnt really an issue.
However having said that, i think it is totally disgraceful of Telstra to adopt this policy.

Subscribers are turning away from Telstra in droves and this issue will only cause more dissatisfaction. Just have a look at some of the threads on Whirlpool expressing disgust with Telstra. There are pages of them.

Optus and the others will have a field day with this, and rightly so.

 

[Easy Tiger]

I believe Optus charge the same fees and have for a long time?

 

[GoTheCell]

Not an issue. I pay everything via Bpay.

And how much do you get charged for this by your bank?

All I want is a fee free method to pay a bill. I am prepared to offer them cash and I don't expect to be charged for them taking it.

 

[GoTheCell]

Update.

Telstra have gone quiet so I have lodged a complaint with the Telecommunications Ombudsman.

I gave Telstra their chance to respond and they did nothing so we go to the next step.

 

[PeterB]

And how much do you get charged for this by your bank?

My bank doesn't charge me a fee for using that service.

 

[GoTheCell]

ok, update again.

Telstra have given me their usual response in an email saying nothing that is of any value. I have informed them I have lodged the complaint with TIO.