Gabba 4102
26 September, 2012

To:
Kahla Fowler
Customer Relations
Optus

Dear Madam,

As you know from past correspondence, I have had great difficulty getting useful service out of my Optus wireless dongle.  I use it to access the internet on a prepaid basis. A/c 93229678000112.  During the month of May, however, I got some use out of it from time to time so I was rather of the view that I had finally cracked the system. 

When I logged on this evening (26th) however, I was disabused of that notion.  I logged on around 7pm and had great difficulty getting any connection at all.  After repeated tries I did however get a connection.  The connection did not allow me to load anything, however.  Even Optuszoo would not come up!  So that looked like an overload situation.  I figured out however that maybe 7pm was a peak time and I might have better luck later.

I did.  At 9pm I got connected straight away and even managed to log onto a page on the net.  That was the sum of my success, however.  I could not get onto any other pages.  Overload was again the obvious diagnosis.

You obviously cannot provide the service you advertise so I think you should buy back my dongle.

In the absence of a constructive reply I will raise the matter with the TIO. I might let SingTel know too.  You really are a disgrace.

Gabba, Brisbane
Qld 4102
28 March, 2012

TO:
Paul O'Sullivan
CEO
Optus

Dear Sir

Re: 0422 813761 Prepaid internet access

I have an Optus wireless dongle that I use mostly for when my Telstra cable connection is down.  I live half way up a hill just across the water from the CBD so it is reasonably satisfactory in that application.

When I bought it, however,  I also had in mind that I would be able to use it on the rare occasions that I am away from home for any length of time.

I was at the Wesley hospital today for a procedure that involved a lot of waiting so I loaded up $15 worth of prepaid credit on my account and  took my netbook along to do some net surfing while I was waiting.  It was hopeless.  I did manage to access one of my usual sites but as soon as I clicked on a link, the connection dropped out.  I basically had no reception at a site only 5 minutes drive from the Brisbane CBD.

I am astounded that the reach of your service is so limited.  I paid $15 for nothing.   Would YOU like to pay $15 for nothing?

May I suggest that you extend to 6 months the time I have to use the $15?   I am much minded to bring your poor service to the attention of the TIO but I await your response first

Gabba
Qld 4102
21 January, 2012

TO:
Paul O'Sullivan
Chief Executive
Optus

Dear Mr O'Sullivan,

You seem to be very poorly served by your staff.  A letter of enquiry that I wrote to Optus went unanswered for over a month so it took an appeal to the TIO to squeeze out an answer.  And when I got an answer (from your customer relations man Daniel Campbell) the information he gave me was wrong.

I was enquiring about how I get more time to use money I have paid towards prepaid access to your wireless internet access.  When Mr Campbell finally got off his behind he rang me to say that if I topped up $50 at a time I would get more than 30 days to use the money.  I asked him to put that in writing, which he did.  All very well if it were true.  But it is not.  Upon logging on I found that I would have to pay $80 to get such access.  How come your senior executives don't know the basics?

My use of your service is only sporadic so the time given to me to use the money is important.  I note that for mobile phone service I have to do only a $30 topup to get six months to use the money.  Why is it not the same for computer topups?

If $50 had in fact given me 6 months to use the money,  I would certainly have gone for that option.  Instead I did only a $15 and 15 day topup as my immediate requirement for your service will be  over the next few days only.   So, far from getting $50 or $80 out of me, you got only $15!

I also note that users are expected to subscribe to services called "RevUp" and "OWB".  What does that mean?  Your site gives no clue.

I hope you have the courtesy to give me a prompt and thoughtful reply to this letter.  If you do not, I will be writing to Singtel, not the TIO this time. I have done so before when confronted by past instances of Optus obtuseness.