9 August - Part two - the litany continues

9 August 2010 

I call Optus I eventually get through to a customer service representative,  I ask Shane (ID=CP396399) to have Optus call me back either Tuesday 0900 to 1200 or Wed 1300 to 1400 or Thursday 0900 to 1300,

10 August

get an SMS that says it is from Optus, "please call 1509".

I phone 1509 - I get a recorded message "We are sorry but that service is not available from your number". 

Sigh...

11 August

So at 2pm I get a call from 02 9027 8000 - unfortunately I was unable to take it at that time, but a few minutes later I call back (02 9027 8000) only to get a message saying that I cannot call this number and to try one of the customer service numbers.

So I call Customer Service.

After some 4 levels of key presses and listening to messages, I get thru to someone, only for them to hang up on me (I think they were trying to put me on hold, but maybe they were having a bad day - see http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/769200).

Unfortunately next chance I get to call I get thru to Toby from online Sales Support, he got an earful of my frustration, after listening to 4 levels of "press 1 if you want....", I suggested that Optus was almost as bad as Telstra (sorry for swearing there!)

Oh and Toll apparently delivered the phone on 5th August as Optus informed me that was going to happen. Well today I find out it was attempted to be delivered at 0817 hrs apparently. 

Consignment number OD 88907838  Ph. 131531

<IRONY MODE>Nice that you told me before I actually asked today (11 August).</IRONY> TOLL would have left a note to say the parcel could not be delivered, if only they could have found the address. Hey at least some good news, even though it is after hours (the Optus line is closed for the night) at least I can get through to TOLL, too bad the phone has probably been sitting in their warehouse for a week and they are having trouble finding it.

Actually - it's worse, TOLL have just got back to me (after hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to say they found it. Apparently they had instructions to deliver to Unit 10, 6 Something Street, Suburb. (There is no 6 Something Street BTW). I wrote on the web site (OPTUS) to deliver to

Suburb Shop, Units 5-6, 10 Something Street, Suburb, Any staff can sign for it. 

Sigh...

Okay - you would think that would be enough....

But every time I get through to Telstra - er I mean Optus, I have to go through the whole story again. Part one (previous) from 7 August - Shane the original CSR didn't have that message from me to you yet, then today 

when I phone the help number, nobody could access this information either. No body could change anything because it was the wrong department or they didn't have authority or they couldn't access that information. 

It would seem that on Sun 1 August when I tried to order both phones online, somehow you tied the 32 Gb iPhone to 04xxxxxx43 not 04xxxxxx76 (I mean Mid July I requested a micro-sim for my soon to be released in Oz iPhone4 for 04xxxxxx76). I received the Micro-sim about 28 July. Actually also the call made mid July I asked your CSO to call me back the next day anytime between 0900 and 1300, no I never received a reply.

There has been a tradition of Optus not being very macintosh friendly. I remember about a decade ago Optus were advertising their Broadband with the ad filled with imacs, except they specifically excluded supporting the MacOS from technical support is someone was having problems getting connected to the internet. Here is a link to a discussion in 2006 about this problem. 

So - I am reluctant to have the 32GB iPhone4 returned to you to be 'reset' or something at your offices where hopefully I would receive it in a week or two (and you would have paid multiple courier costs etc...) so hopefully you will be supplying the 32Gb iphone attached to 04xxxxxx43 on the $29 plan for the extra handset cost of $20 (which was the costs planned for when I logged on 1 Aug 2010 for the ordered 16Gb iPhone4) and not the $26. Hopefully you will see the extra $144 ($6 x 24 months) in 'costs' on your part will be offset by not having to courier the phone back and forth, having your staff "reset" the phone when you must be very busy with lots of iPhone issues with all your new iPhone customers, and have me even more disgruntled at having to wait wait wait...

Now on the topic of waiting. Apparently I cannot order a new iPhone4 plan for 04xxxxxx76 and only register an 'interest' - didn't I do that in mid-July? As the phone is currently on back order for about 4 weeks. Sigh, so me (04xxxxxx76) who has been waiting for an iPhone4 since about Jan 2010, tried to get in ASAP - I would have called Midnight 30th July - but I had to travel interstate - I ordered the two iPhones as soon as I got home Sunday 1st August)

So now - I am about to try to 'express' an interest, for an iPhone4 32Gb for 04xxxxxx76 on a $49/month plan with a handset cost of $15/month. One possible good thing could be that by the time I get my phone the price of the iPhone4 may have dropped or even iPhone5 may be out by then. 

Hey I just remembered, on Aug 1 when I ordered both phones apparently the online bonus was 2 months free access? I wonder what happened to that? (2x$29 plus 2x$49 = $156)?

This is an amazing story - I should put it on a blog!

Vodaphone/3 are looking better all the time......

(I have been waiting for the iPhone 4 on my 04xxxxxx76 number since I knew I was coming out of contract in March 2010).