12 June 2009

Telstra Line Works Customer Extortion




On Tuesday 9th June 2009 Telstra embarked on a works project that involved downtime of telephone line services to its customers. Unlike power and other utility companies, Telstra failed to notify its customers of the downtime involved.

During this period many customers have been effected without the function of a telephone line, including the elderly.

One such elderly customer called to notify that their telephone line is not working. The response they got from Telstra, was in order for the 'repair person' to come out and investigate would cost the customer $117, and that it would take a week to fix.

Unsatisfied with the answer, and after a few more telephone calls from another location, the customer after threatening Telstra with the Telecoms Industry Ombudsman, was told that there were works being carried out.

Telstra has:
deliberately not informed its customers of works carried out
knowingly not informed the customer that works were carried out.
attempted to extort monies from services that could not be done.

Since the appointment of Solomon Trujillo*, Telstra services have declined dramatically.

Telstra has :

sacked 8,000 employees,
closed 5,000 public telephone boxes,
lessened bill information, making it easier to defraud the customer,
complaints have risen 240%
share value has dropped 40%.

* resigned as CEO of U S West Communications, Inc. just before the company became the subject of a federal criminal probe for overstating nearly a billion dollars in profits. [7] He was not charged by the justice department and has denied any knowledge of accounting irregularities.

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