Late Payment Fees

Question

Very disappointed with Telstra's late payment policy. Firstly, organising a 'payment extension' doesn't mean you avoid the late payment fee. According to Telstra staff, it simply ensures that your service isn't cut off. But seriously, what kind of company cuts off the service of a long-time customer when a bill is paid a few days late anyway? I get paid monthly on the 25th, and my Telstra bill is always due on the 20th, so I wanted to change the date to make it easier to pay on time. I was happy to pay the five days difference. But even after repeat requests, Telstra continue to say a flat-out 'no'. I know it's my responsibility to pay on time, but Telstra have absolutely no interest in making it easier for their customers. During a recent chat with a Telstra rep I was told the policy had changed and that payment could now be made 14 days late without incurring a fee. So, with this in mind I paid my bill on the 26th. But lo and behold, my next bill included a $15 sting, and when I contacted Telstra I was told that the information given to me was incorrect, and a $15 credit was applied to my account. This credit is appreciated, but I'm looking for a long-term solution, not a month-by-month band-aid fix. So basically, I'm back to square one. I get that this is company policy, and that as a big corporation Telstra are under no obligation to change it (even in the face of a class action), but I'm still staggered by how unflexible they've been. It really isn't a great way to keep customers, and keep them happy. I just think, if Telstra knew how far a bit of good will can go these days, they could really benefit. End of rant!

Answer 1

Hey ,understand your rant. Kind of like being able to have the NRMA change your payments for your road, home and contents insurance to be all paid on the same day of the month (we pay by the month), or spread out. We wanted our new car insured, and the insurance says didn't match the other payments time cycle, so we merely had to make one "make-up payment" for a few days so that everything matches up. Now we pay all of our NRMA insurance on the one, predictable date that matches up with our finances.  I know what it's like, LOL,  your electricity, water, and land rates, and then the rego on the car all fall at once, and you would like to change the cycle, so that you don't get all the bills at once. It's not like you AREN'T going to pay, you just want the billing cycle to change, even if you have to make a "make-up payment", right? What you *could* do, is go into credit, by paying ahead, but this means that *you* have to make all the effort, instead of Telstra meeting you half way.