When the Coalition took over the NBN rollout, not only did they destroy a nation building game changer, they have caused enormous problems by imposing a “Cease Sale” order.
Essentially the Cease Sale provision prohibits Telstra from supplying most types of new copper and HFC services to Retail and Wholesale customers after the Cease Sale Commencement Date for a Rollout Region. Generally, the Cease Sale Commencement Date occurs 10 Business Days after the Region Ready for Service Date (RRFSD) for an NBN Rollout Region and applies to premises that are either:
- NBN Serviceable; or
- identified in the NBN Co Service Qualification System as being Frustrated.
In other words, they are forcing people to sign up to the NBN, which would be all very well if they had the technicians to actually provide the service but they don’t.
And it gets worse.
In March this year, my Telco provider made a porting mistake that caused my business service to be disconnected. They agree that it was their mistake but Telstra will not let them fix it because it would involve reconnecting the copper line that was mistakenly disconnected.
I placed an order with Telstra to have the NBN connected but they cannot do it yet. I have been given countless time frames all of which have come and gone – the latest is possibly on the 19th of May. Meanwhile, my business has no EFTPOS or security.
We have lost thousands of dollars and many regular customers. Our staff is abused daily because of the lack of EFTPOS and our clients have been enormously inconvenienced. We are also at great risk with no security.
The complaints section of Telstra has been outsourced to the Philippines and there is absolutely no communication between them and the local NBN sales team, both of whom tell me different things. There is very obvious resentment on the Australian end where they have told me that the people in the Philippines don’t know what they are talking about. My experience leads me to agree.
When I said in frustration to the Telstra NBN salesman that the NBN should be blown up his response was “tell me about it – it’s a nightmare.”
I lodged a complaint with the Telecommunications Ombudsman back in March but what it boils down to is that no-one can override this government directive. All it would take is for Telstra wholesale to flick a switch to reactivate my copper line while I am waiting for the NBN to be connected but they can’t or won’t.
I have spent hundreds of hours over the last month and a half trying to fix this, trying to find someone with a modicum of common sense and the initiative to understand there is a very simple solution. I even contacted my local member who did what she always does, completely ignored me because she is too busy handing out pamphlets at the railway station and having her photo taken drinking cups of tea with locals.
A quick look on the internet shows many people are suffering from this same ridiculous government imposed rule.
Yesterday I was told that there is nothing more that can be done and they suggested I contact the Minister because it is his rule that is causing the problem. Since Malcolm Turnbull was the Communications Minister who imposed this idiocy, he will be my next port of call.
As Mark Day from the Australian said, “If “customer service” is really code for not giving a damn about the poor fools who believe they might live the advertised dream, perhaps MTM will come to mean Malcolm Turnbull’s Mess.”
So much for backing small business!
