Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    10 October 2000

Paul Kennedy

Optus

      

                                    Re: Phone 07 38922313;  A/c no. 2057 7675 0001 85

Dear Mr Kennedy,

                 The credit that you passed to my account does not appear on my statement just received (Period 7 Sept to 6 Oct).  Please advise.

Please also check the period covered by the statement for broken-off calls and credit them.  The problem has gone away again lately but it was pretty pesky a couple of weeks or so ago.       

            Yours faithfully,

(Dr.) John RAY

Moorooka 4105

                            27 Sept 2000

Michelle Ford Optus

Michelle,

You seem to have have entrusted my recent enquiry to a Paul Kennedy.  Mr Kennedy seems to have a bad case of the familiar Optus complaint of ignoring customers.  I reproduce below the relevant correspondence.  Please give Mr Kennedy a kick where he needs it.  If I do not soon get some sort of reply to my email of 18th., I will have to restart the familiar TIO merrygoround.  You lost the last two rounds so do try to be smarter this time.

Yours faithfully,

John Ray                   (07 - 38922313)

Michelle

My internet connections are once again being broken off a lot --during the "handshake" phase.  I now get dropped at least once a day -- and I use two different ISPs, so it is not an ISP problem.  Please advise your current policy on compensation.

John Ray                  07-38922313

From: Optus User

Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2000 12:46:39 +1100 

Dear Mr Ray, 

If you are experiencing handshake issues and dropped connections, please forward to me a copy of your account statement indicating which billed calls you feel were involved. These will be reviewed.

Regards, 

Paul Kennedy

Customer Relations

 

Paul

Optus does not detail local calls on its statements to me but all calls to my ISP numbers of less than 2 mins are obviously abortive as you can do nothing useful in that time.  My ISP nos. are (07) 33805000 and 32401500.  Only you can check up Optus records on how often such rapid disconnects have happened this month.  Optus do not give mere customers such records.

Please advise further

John Ray

Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    13 July 2000

Michelle Ford

Optus

                                           

Dear Michele,

                        The incompetence of Optus seems to know no bounds.  In response to a high-level complaint levelled against you by the TIO, you finally agreed around a month ago to credit my

account with $140 to compensate for all my dropped internet connections.  Yet my statement just received shows no such credit.  Please have another go at getting it right.  Your stupidity in this matter just makes extra work for all your staff.  I will let Mr Wallace in London know of your folly

soon.

                        (Dr.) John RAY

., Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    29 March 2000

                                          

Dear Mr Wallace,

                        I have been extremely patient but Optus are still refusing to communicate with me in any way regarding my complaint against them.  Our official telecommunications regulator here in Australia (the TIO) has just told me that they are moving towards "raising a formal complaint against C&W Optus" in the matter so their ignorant approach is not going to get them far.  Are you aware of their swinish attitude to customers affected by the technical inadequacy of their systems?

                        They do appear to have made some improvements in their systems since I started complaining, as call dropouts during the internet "handshake" process are now rare.  The cure is not complete, however.  Just last Friday I had to make four calls (two each to two different ISPs) before I got a stable connection.

                        Please try and get these pig-headed ignoramuses to negotiate a settlement of this matter with me.

                        Yours faithfully,

        (Dr.) John RAY

Mobile Phone: 0413 836248;  Landline phone: (07) 3892 2313. 

Email: Jonjayray@start.com.au   or:  Jonjayray@hotmail.com   

                  Moorooka, Qld., 4105                         3 April 2000

               Re: 07 38922313

  

Michelle Ford

Customer Relations

Optus

                                        

Michelle,

May I quote you?  "C&W Optus now considers this matter closed". You were wrong, weren't you?  The TIO have now put you on the mat over my complaint.  When are you going to become a decent enough human being to treat your customers the way you would like to be treated?  Trying to fob people off with a heap of bullshit does you no credit and will not work in the long run anyway.

John Ray

.,     Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    21 March 2000

Telecoms Ombudsman

                    Your Ref.: C/99/58155

Dear Mr. Pinnock,

....................

.....................

       I advise that the problem I had with Optus is now partially

solved in that I rarely now get my internet connections broken off. 

Neither I nor my ISP have made any changes to our systems recently so

Optus have obviously increased the capacity of their system recently or

otherwise got their act together.  My request now, therefore, is to

have all PAST call charges cancelled where the connection lasted for

less than 2 minutes.  I obviously could not do anything significant in

such a short time so such calls were obviously the ones I did not terminate myself.                                                    

       Yours faithfully,

       (Dr.) John RAY

., Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    11 February 2000

TIO                                          

Dear Ms Mandarino,

                        Something amusing to start your Monday morning off:

                        You may be aware that "Dingo Blue" is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Optus.  It is their "internet-oriented" arm.  Did you know that Dingo Blue actively discourage use of Optus local lines?  To get the best deal from them, you have to switch to using Telstra local lines.  You can get 30c per minute mobile calls from them if you have a Telstra landline but it costs you 55c per minute if you have an Optus local line.  Incredible but true!   I confirmed this (Ph. 1300 551455) with one of their senior people ("Shane") today. They use ONLY Telstra local lines. SO OPTUS'S OWN INTERNET SPECIALISTS WILL NOT USE OPTUS LOCAL LINES FOR INTERNET-INTENSIVE TRAFFIC!  Does that speak volumes or not?  Optus will no doubt huff and puff about it if you tax them with it but deeds speak louder than words, don't they?

                        In the light of this, the attempts by Optus to flim-flam me into believing that their local line system has no problems in handling internet traffic are quite disgraceful.

                        To contact me per phone please try my mobile first: 0413 836248.  Otherwise try (07) 3892 2313.  Email to: Jonjayray@hotmail.com.

                           Yours faithfully,

                           (Dr.) John RAY

                                     Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105                                    11 February 2000

CEO

C&W

London

Dear Mr Wallace,

                        I have just found out something weird about Optus that amused me greatly but which may amuse you a lot less:

                        You are no doubt aware that "Dingo Blue" is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Optus.  It is their "internet-oriented" arm.  Did you know, however, that these internet specialists actively discourage use of the Optus local network?  To get the best deal on cellphones from Dingo Blue, you have to give them your landline business too -- which is fair enough.  BUT you have to switch over to using TELSTRA local lines for them to take your landline business!  You can get 30c per minute mobile calls from them if you have a Telstra landline but it costs you 55c per minute if you have an Optus local line.  So Dingo Blue actively and ferociously discriminate again users of the Optus local network --charging such users nearly twice what they charge users of the Telstra wires!  They thus virtually demand that their customers rip out their Optus local lines.  Incredible but true!  I confirmed this (Ph. 1300 551455) with one of their senior people ("Shane") today.  They use ONLY Telstra local lines.  SO OPTUS'S OWN INTERNET SPECIALISTS WILL NOT USE OPTUS LOCAL LINES FOR INTERNET-INTENSIVE TRAFFIC!  Does that speak volumes or not? Optus management will no doubt huff and puff about it but deeds speak louder than words in my book.

                        In the light of this, the attempts by Optus to flim-flam me into believing that their local line system has no problems in handling internet traffic are quite disgraceful.  I am begining to think that the whole of Optus is some sort of madhouse.

                           Yours faithfully,

                           (Dr.) John RAY

Michelle,

I haven't forgotten you.  I am just waiting to see what the TIO do before I see what further action I need to take. Below is an extract from a letter I sent them yesterday.  You COULD act on it yourself and save everybody a lot more messing around.

But, knowing you, I suppose you won't even have the manners to acknowledge this letter.

John Ray

., Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    11 February, 2000                                        

Dear Michelle,

                        I got your latest attempt to flim-flam me yesterday and have forwarded copies to both Mr Wallace and the TIO for their further attention.

                        I enclose copies of the two emails I sent to the TIO about you.  If you think this matter is closed you will need to think again.  I suggest that you start thinking now. That's your job, isn't it?

                        Yours faithfully,

                        (Dr.) JOHN RAY

                                    Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    11 Feb., 2000                                        

TIO

Dear Ms Mandarino,                        Optus are still trying to wash their hands of my complaint.  And their grounds for doing so are totally spurious.  I reproduce below an email I received from them yesterday.

                        They are trying to use as a red herring the unsurprising fact that the line connected to my place is a normal one.  So what?  The techies tell me that the reason for their system being bad at coping with modern high-speed modem traffic lies not with the quality of their landlines but with the "Gate" connecting their system to the Telstra wires.  It is apparently stable only up to baud speeds of 33.6.  I am told that if I had an older 33.6k modem, I would have no problems.  In other words, Optus do not have the capacity to handle modern modems properly. Modems running at 56k are a recent development and Optus have not kept pace. They are obviously trying to cover that up.

                        All that is by the by, however.  The bottom line for me is that I had no ISP connection problems while I was using a Telstra local line but I have frequent problems now that I am using an Optus local line.  Optus are not addressing that at all. They seem to hope that I will just go away.

                        In a feeble attempt at buckpassing, Optus try in their latest letter to blame my ISP for the problems but I have rung my ISP at times when I have been having problems only to be told that their system was running well below capacity at such times and that they were not having any problem with it.

                        I do not expect Optus to fix their Gate problem overnight but I do expect them to come clean about it and compensate me for the losses it has caused me.  If you cannot get them to do that I will have to see if the media can.  So please get back to them on this.  As I have said before, what I seek is that they credit me for all broken-off calls.  I would be prepared to negotiate details of such a credit if they would climb down off their high horse long enough to talk to me about it.

                        Their letter follows:              Yours faithfully,

                        (Dr.) John RAY

Dear Mr Wallace,

                        Thank you for your reply to my Email of 20th January regarding the slackers at Optus.  I advise that since then I have still not got a single peep out of them.  They still seem to hope that I will just go away.  As it would be a very easy matter for me to send out a heap of emails about them to our major news and current affairs organizations, that is pretty childish thinking on their part.

                        I reproduce below the last email I sent to our Telecommunications Ombudsman about them.

                        (Dr.) JOHN RAY

                                    24 Forest St., Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    10 Feb 2000                                        

Optus

Dear Michelle,

                        Why are you so ignorant?  Do you think that ignoring letters addressed to you is good manners?  How can you expect other people to be polite to you when you are so rude to them? The way Optus ignores its customers would make anyone rude.

                        But despite your many attempts to ignore me I was proved right in the STD barring matter and I will also eventuallty be proved right about the congestion at your Telstra Gate.  So please get on with fixing my complaint before I take matters to the media.  I can assure you that sending a heap of emails to the media about you will be no problem for me at all.

                        I reproduce below my last email to you which you have so far seen fit to ignore plus some letters that I have written to the TIO about you.

                        Yours faithfully,

       (Dr.) John RAY

                                    24 Forest St., Moorooka,

                                    Qld, Australia, 4105

                                    10 Feb., 2000                                        

CEO

C & W

Dear Mr Wallace,

                        As the email attached below reveals, the ostriches at Optus are still trying to pretend that the only possible problem with their system could be with their local lines, whereas the techies tell me that the problem lies with congestion at the "Gate" connecting their system to the Telstra wires.  They sedulously avoid even mentioning that problem.  They do hint at the real nature of the problem by identifying the high speeds used by modern modems as being at the core of the problem but take refuge in outdated government standards to excuse their inadequate capacity.

                        The bottom line is that I had no problems connecting to the internet whilst I was using the Telstra wires but now that my local service is with Optus, I have constant problems.  If they are such dinosaurs that they don't want their wires to be used for internet traffic, they are going the right way about achieving that.

                        I have also checked with my ISP at times when I have been having problems connecting to them and have been told that they were running at that time at only 50% of capacity and were having no problems with their system.

                        I do not expect Optus to fix their Gate problem overnight but I do expect them to come clean about it and compensate me for the losses it has caused me.  If you cannot get them to do that I will have to see if the media can.

                        Yours faithfully,

                        (Dr.) John RAY

Dear Dr Ray  

I refer to our conversation and testing of the Cable & Wireless Optus (CWO) line on the 18 January 2000. 

The problems you are experiencing are not related to our line. All tests have shown that your line is clear of any fault. You confirmed during that conversation that you do not experience call drop outs with voice calls. If there was a fault on your line you would be experiencing call drop outs on both types of calls, as the CWO exchange can not identify any difference between voice and data transmissions.

Therefore you are liable for all calls made from your line. 

Our tests have indicated that your data line is above standard requirements for connection speeds. The minimal Austel requirement for connection is 24000 kbps and our reports show that your connection speed varies between 45333kbps and 46666kbps.

We refer you again to your ISP. 

For further information on the Internet you may want to have a look at the Internet Industry Association Web Site on www.iia.net.au.

Cable & Wireless Optus now considers this matter closed. 

Yours sincerely 

Michelle Ford 

National Customer Relations Manager 

Cable & Wireless Optus 

Moorooka,

                                    Qld, Australia, 4105

                                    20 Jan 2000                       Graham Wallace

CEO

C&W                 

Dear Mr Wallace,

                        I wish to draw your attention to the irresponsible behaviour of your senior staff at Optus -- your Australian operation.

                        It will do enormous damage to Optus if it becomes generally known in Australia that their network is not Internet-friendly.  I am on the brink of sending out press releases to all the major Australian news organizations to tell them exactly that and what are Optus doing?  Denying that there is a problem.   They are trusting in the Goebbels "big lie" technique, despite the fact that it did not do Dr. Goebbels much good.

                        When I changed my local phone service from Telstra to Optus, I began to get contact with my ISP constantly broken off -- usually soon after I had got online.  I rang my ISP to complain and as soon as I described my problem to their technician, he said, "I'll bet you've got an Optus local line". I agreed that I had and they said that broken internet contacts were a common problem for people using Optus wires.

                        I contacted Optus and their technician rang me about it.  He acknowledged that it was common for users of Optus local lines to have problems with broken Internet connections and proceeded to talk me through about an hour's adjustments to my software that were supposed to solve the problem.   That lot of adjustments did some good but not much.  I am now trying new adjustments in the hope of eliminating the problem.

                        So the technicians know that the Optus system is very difficult to use with the internet but your senior Australian staff are pretending not to know that.  I have asked them to refund the cost of all my broken connections but they refuse point blank.  Unless you can be persuaded to talk sense to them, I will have no option but to pursue my claim on them by other means -- and publicity is a good means.

                        I reproduce below their final word to me on the subject:

                        Yours faithfully,

                        (Dr.) JOHN RAY

Dear Dr. Ray,

Thank you for your e-mail of 20th January 2000. I have requested further information from Cable & Wireless Optus regarding the issues in your note. Please rest assured that this matter is being investigated fully. We will reply to you shortly.

Yours sincerely,

Graham Wallace

Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    19 Jan 2000                      

Michelle Ford

Optus

                   Re: 07 3892 2313                 

Dear Michelle,

                        Well, yesterday was definitely the day when Optus finally decided to talk to me.  It took me an awful lot of emails to achieve that end but I suppose I must see your various calls as progress of a sort. 

                        I note however that:

A: My ISP call dropout problem has not at all as yet been fixed.

B: You have refused point blank even to discuss so far any reduction of my phone bill to account for the many extra calls your touchy system has forced me to make.

                        I am most irritated by BOTH these failures but advise that I will tolerate A: for the moment if you fix B: promptly.

                        Unless you act soon, however, I will have to take further action to energize you.  I do, for instance, now appear to have the email address of the CEO (Graham Wallace) of your parent company in London.  You would not be pleased to hear the things I am inclined to tell him about his Australian operation.

                        You seem very much inclined to dismiss what I say but I advise you on this occasion to discuss matters with Chris Anderson first if you are thinking of doing so again.

                        To assist your thinking I reproduce below an email I sent first thing yesterday morning to Peter Eustace in the UK.  I would think of sending something similar to Graham Wallace.

                        To contact me per phone please try my mobile first: 0413 836248.  Otherwise try (07) 3892 2313.  My Email address is: Jonjayray@hotmail.com.

                        Yours faithfully,

       (Dr.) John RAY

Dear Dr. Ray 

After testing your Cable & Wireless Optus line we have found no fault. Unfortunately, we are unable to assist you further with this matter. 

I have spoken with Flatrate regarding your service, who I believe will contact you directly. 

For any further information please contact me directly on 02 9775 9050 or by email. 

Regards 

Michelle Ford

Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105                                    18 Jan 2000

Chris Anderson

CEO

Optus

                            Re: 07 3892 2313

Dear Chris,

                        Where do you find all these feather-brained females to put into responsible positions at Optus?   The long-awaited response from Optus to my many emails came this morning from a cracked record named Michelle Ford.  All the techies -- including your own -- know that call dropouts to ISPs are a common Optus problem but she seemed determined to blame ME for the problem. She sure knows how to win friends and influence people! 

                        I can see that I will have to explain my problem to Mike Moore on "A Current Affair" before I get anywhere further with this.

                        Yours faithfully,

       (Dr.) JOHN RAY