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Forum Index : Off topic archive. : "Extinct Bird" broadband - be careful!
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| domwild Guru  Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Am a "bird" landline customer at $12.90 per month. When a Phillipino call centre tried to sell me wireless broadband at $9.90 (75 Mb for up/downloads) I asked for the "small print" via email, but this was not company policy! There was also no 15c extra charge Telstra charges for connection to "bird" in addition to the usual connect fee (local call). A second time they called my son but I allowed myself to be talked into a verbal two-year contract - my mistake. Bird uses the circuits of Optus and the Optus map showed me being in the 3G area. Tried the USB modem (cost $24.90 delivery) three times and did not get broadband speeds. Phillipino call centre told me breaking the contract costs 12 months @ $9.90 or $240. Spoke the magic two words: "Communications ombudsman!". Transfer to Aussie complaints call centre, then transfered again and told Melbourne Level 3 technician the Optus map showed me in 3G. Their maps showed something different, so accounts cancelled the contract - loss only amounted to $24.90 for modem, which I had to send back - at extra cost. Spent one hour on the phone and listened to a lot of music. Feel sorry for customers, who cannot ring from work or home as more important matters concern them, like reading to their children or budgeting for the mortgage. 75 MB/month is not much and amounts to about seven times reading you emails plus this forum plus fieldlines, this is where "bird" makes the money. Would have used broadband for Skype to save on telephone bills. It was surely mentioned to me with a Phillipino accent, that it was a two-year contract, but I was probably not listening or was sleeping. Sad to hear that "bird's" Complaints and Conciliation section will also be outsourced to the Phillipines at a loss of more Aussie jobs. "Bird's" Accounts section seems to be still in Aussie hands and so is Melbourne Level 3 techs, but for how long???? Another thing, is "3" using their own circuits for wireless broadband or are they relying on towers of other carriers, which are overloaded?? Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5036 |
I've tried a few other service providers in the past, but have always gone back to Telstra. Yes its more expensive, and the phone support is a joke, even at the Telstra shop you can expect to stand in line for 30 minutes. But the service is just more reliable from my experience. I cant get ADSL or ISND, so I have a NextG 7.2 modem router, using the next G network. I get 1.5M to 3M download speed, 5 gigs data per month before speed limiting, at $89 per month. I live about 30km from town, but with an external aerial I have full signal strength, even in torrential rain. My Dad uses a 3rd party provider, riding on the Optus network. Even though he lives in Toowoomba, somehow his service was affected by the bush fires in Melbourne, 2000km away! He had no phone or internet for several days. "Oh but its cheaper son!" The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1211 |
Well when telsux decided to cancel the isdn all they could offer me was that nextg crap. $4k over 2 years with no bailout if it doesnt work. I went and looked at the govt site for sat broadband and foundout I did qualify for the rebate. Within 2 weeks of me getting the letter I had a sat sitting on my roof.  I went with Westnet and for $31 a month for the first 6 months on a 12 month contract and 3 gig of bandwidth, then I own the sat and decide who I want to go with. Unfortantly the sat in Oz is considered 3rd world and I do get drop outs but compared to telsux's nextg for price and service i reckon i'm on a winner. 
Cheers Bryan |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Thanks for the replies. Let's hope our pollies work out some sort of cheaper broadband soon. In the bush I am on NextG with either no bar signal strength or one bar. With a $140 aerial I get two to three bars, so I am part of the 2% of the population without reliable broadband. Sometimes I get the message: "Emergency calls only". I suppose that means the service is down. Glenn: Sorry to read it costs nearly 12x$90 or more than $1000 per year for the pleasure. Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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| petanque don Senior Member  Joined: 02/08/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 212 |
Perhaps you should suggest to “Phillipino accent” they have a contract for 2 years and they said they should provide you with the service that they have agreed to provide and that unless they are prepared to honour the contract you will stop paying and expect a refund. |
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| petanque don Senior Member Joined: 02/08/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 212 |
P.S. Remember you asked if there were any special conditions and you were not provided with them. So you were lead to believe there were none. Ring up tech support and ask why it doesn’t work (act dumb) they will eventually ether fix it or say they can’t provide you with the service. Ether way you will be on the way to resolving the problem. |
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| domwild Guru Joined: 16/12/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 873 |
Don, Problem as resolved after Melbourne tech looked at their more accurate signal maps compared to Optus and they decided I was not in a reliable 3G area. Credit dep. then cancelled the contract. By the way, the Phillipino call centre repeats the conditions twice (with a bad accent), once the sales person, then the supervisor, so legally they cover themselves re "fine print". Problem is also, they have my credit number, so they take the money out automatically. I have never had to ask a bank to cancel any further demands on my credit card. They will surely want to charge me for that. Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up. Winston Churchill |
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| petanque don Senior Member Joined: 02/08/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 212 |
While I don’t know what bank you are with. I would hope that they would try and keep your money secure. This would mean preventing unauthorised withdrawals. The banks represent you not people who think you owe them money. Who you owe money to is none of the banks business. Or you could just cancel the card. I would think a verbal contract would be very difficult to enforce. They would have to get the two call centre worker and get them into court logically this is unlikely to be worthwhile to them. My suggested remedy you don’t pay they don’t provide the service that they never provided in the first place. Send them an email asked how to return the modem. I know of dissatisfied Dodo customers as well. |
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| brucedownunder2 Guru Joined: 14/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1548 |
Yes, I had a similar problem with call centre 'sellers" who insisted I try one of their 3g phones..In the end agreed to try it (only try it) they sent it and then turned my old mobile off(bugger) .. In the end it took me nearly 2 months ,without a mobile ,cause they turned it off. After 2 visits to Telstra's saleshop, I funally got my old phone nymber back and connected ,,plus I got something like $60 credit. Never again ,, Bruce Bushboy |
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| dwyer Guru Joined: 19/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 573 |
Hi Yes I had same problem with Optus dont care about disablity service and got my lawyer to act for me and recieved sorry and small compansation but refuse to remove : "WE HEAR YOU" that insult to people with hearing disablity like myself and other deaf people also Optus staff you pack of bastard MY ZOO mean Aussies are like pack of animals  low life .
Dwyer |
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