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

 Moorooka, 4105

                                18 January, 2000

Chris Anderson

CEO

Optus

Chris, baby,

         Your repeated ignorance in failing to respond to my letters and emails really makes me polite towards you  --NOT.

          But your ignorance will do you no good.   I am not going to go away.  I will persist until this matter is resolved.    So be a good boy and fix it NOW -- thus saving a lot more bother for all concerned.

           I reproduce below correspondence that you should be aware of.  Note my recent letter to the TIO.

           

(Dr.) JOHN RAY

                                     Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    18 Jan 2000                                         Dear Mr Eustace,

                        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?  Still ignoring me --despite your earlier intervention with them. I got a dismissive email on Friday from a Ms Michelle Ford that totally ignored my internet concerns but that is all. According to an email I received on 12th from our Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman "The TIO has received confirmation from C & W Optus that the matter

concerning the Internet service is currently under investigation by its

CEO's Office" so they know what is going on but are apparently running around like headless chooks trying to decide what to do. Sorry for the barnyard allusion but if you have ever seen fowl decapitated you will know what I mean.

If the Optus Internet problems become generally known, it will greatly reduce the value of Optus in any sell-off so I am sure your CEO at C&W in Britain would be most keen to forestall what your Australian loonies seem determined to bring down on their heads.  Please therefore let him know what is happening here or give me his email address so that I can do so.

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

                                    24 Forest St., Moorooka,

                                    Qld, 4105

                                    16 January 2000

Michelle Ford

National Customer Relations Manager

C&W Optus

                                          

Dear Michelle,

                        I have been thinking about your title as National Customer Relations Manager and have come to the conclusion that you should be interested in ALL the letters that I have sent to Optus in my generally unsuccessful attempt to find some signs of intelligent life there.

You will see that many were sent to your CEO himself and you will also see that I remained polite for a long time before I began to get really annoyed at your ignorant treatment of me. So I attach my file of correspondence with Optus in full below -- comprising letters, faxes and emails.

                        For instance, just look at the fax I sent you on 15th November.  Can you imagine any responsible businessperson totally ignoring that?  Optus did.

                        Are you concerned?                        No wonder C&W is thinking of selling off Optus.  I would be too.

                        If C&W do decide to hang on to Optus, however, they clearly need to sack the lot of your lazy and arrogant head office staff.  I am thinking of emailing the head of C&W with just that suggestion -- with your last email to me as a prize exhibit.

                        If you wish 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 Wearily,

       (Dr.) John RAY

Dear Dr. Ray 

                        I refer to the issues you have raised regarding your Cable & Wireless Optus (CWO) Services. 

                        After investigating the matters raised I would like to confirm that National, International and Information calls have been barred from your CWO Local Telephone Service. International and Information calls were barred on 15 November 1999, and National calls were barred on 14 December 1999. Due to the delay in actioning your barring request, compensation of $315.90 was credited to your account on 10 January 2000, as per the Customer Service Guarantee Standard.                         I have found that contrary to your allegations, after each request you have made to CWO the matters raised have been either addressed by that Department, or referred to the appropriate Department for actioning.

                        According to our records, on 22 December 1999 a Customer Fault Management Consultant, Bruno, contacted you regarding the call dropouts your reported, which occurred when connecting to your modem. Our records show that Bruno suggested several alternative modem settings and was able to confirm with you that your connection had not broken whilst using the new settings at which point Bruno provided you with his e-mail address, to ensure that if you had any repeat of this fault you would be able to contact him and a further investigation could take place. According to our records you have not made any further contact with him and the matter was considered resolved.

                        Our records indicate you were contacted several times regarding the issues you raised, by telephone, mail and e-mail. On several of these occasions CWO Representatives found your conversation to be abusive and offensive and terminated the calls.

                        Cable & Wireless Optus regrets any service difficulty you have had with your Local Telephone Service, and we would request that if these matters recur, that you contact our Customer Fault Management Department on 125 125 to ensure that these matters are addressed and resolved in a timely and efficient manner. Our Customer Fault Management Department is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Yours sincerely 

Michelle Ford

National Customer Relations Manager 

Cable & Wireless Optus 

Tel : 61 2 9775 9050 

Fax : 61 2 9775 9077 

Email : michelle.ford@cwo.com.au

  Michelle,

       Thank you for your email of today (Fri. 14th).

You typify all that is wrong with Optus.  YOU JUST WILL NOT

LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS.  It is when customers are repeatedly ignored

that they get abusive out of sheer frustration with you.

       I am not going to repeat myself in this matter. Instead I am

going to attach to this email just two of the previous relevant

letters that I have sent to Optus.  READ THEM!  And then reply to what

I have been asking for nearly a month now.

       Yours disgustedly

       (Dr. JOHN RAY)

Dear Dr. Ray 

Thank you for your recent correspondence addressed to Mr Peter Eustace, Group Head of Media Relations, Cable & Wireless London and Mr Chris Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Cable & Wireless Optus (CWO), highlighting your dissatisfaction with the CWO services. Due to the nature of the issues you have raised, your email has been forwarded to myself to ensure they are investigated and that appropriate action can be taken.

I will respond to your issues via email within 24 hours. 

Cable & Wireless Optus welcomes the opportunity to discuss ways in which it can improve its services for customers. 

Yours sincerely 

Michelle Ford 

National Customer Relations Manager 

Cable & Wireless Optus 

Tel : 61 2 9775 9050 

Fax : 61 2 9775 9077 

Email : michelle.ford@cwo.com.au 

Dear Dr. Ray 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, resolution of the matters you have raised will require further investigation. This will be completed by close of business Friday 14 January 2000.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter and please accept my apologies for the delay. 

Michelle Ford 

Dear Dr Ray

I am sorry to hear of your problems with Cable & Wireless Optus. I have passed your letter to my colleagues in the press office in Sydney. I hope they will be able to move things along for you.

Peter Eustace

Group Head of Media Relations Cable and Wireless plc +44 171 315 4495 peter.eustace@plc.cwplc.com

Dear Mr Eustace

                        Thank you for your prompt reply to my email.  I am glad that C&W have at least one decent and competent employee -- even if I did have to go half way around the world to find one.

                        Regards

                        (Dr.) JOHN RAY

 Moorooka,

                                    Qld, Australia, 4105

                                    10 January 2000

Dear Mr. Eustace,

                        I apologize if I am not directing this email to the most relevant person in C&W but your web page has few email addresses and you seemed nearest to what I want.  Please pass this email onto whoever might best deal with it.

                        Basically, I want to let C&W know what a load of clowns they have running "Optus" -- their Australian operation.  I have recently switched my local phone service to them and have had nothing but trouble since -- trouble that Optus do their best to ignore.

                        They first failed for two months to put a bar on long distance calls from my phone -- despite dozens of calls from me to their so-called "help" line asking them to do so. Only when I wrote to our Telecommunications Ombudsman about them did they get off their behinds.

                        They now seem determined to ignore all complaints that their service is not Internet friendly.  When I had my phone service through Telstra, I had no trouble getting onto the Internet but now I am with Optus I get call dropouts all the time.  I have written even to the Optus CEO (Chris Anderson) about this but I have yet to get a single response from anybody at Optus about the problem.  They all seem to be total ignoramuses without even the courtesy to acknowledge letters addressed to them.  I get the impression that they do not want C&W to have a local call business in Australia and are doing their best to sabotage your corporate objectives in that field.

                        I shall have to go to the media soon to tell everybody in Australia not to subscribe to Optus if they want to get onto the Internet.  I thought somebody at C&W might not want that to happen.

                        Sincerely,

       (Dr.) JOHN RAY (Email: Jonjayray@Hotmail.com)