L
LeanneB
Guest
I am at my whits end with this issue, and I have no idea what my rights are! I am stuck in a contract with a phone provider for the next 18 months and I have been a loyal customer of theirs for the past 5 years.
Recently the mobile coverage I have experienced is abysmal. My phone diverts to voicemail without ringing. Messages bounce back or do not send. The calls I make never connect, or drop out shortly after connecting. I have no coverage in both Sydney, and regional NSW.
I have received an array of responses from the phone company including the following:
"You live in Ryde, your contract states that the phone must work in your suburb of residence, anywhere outside of that suburb is unfortunately not covered by a guarantee." (I live and work in Sydney, surely if anywhere in Australia should be guaranteed strong coverage, it's a capital city. It is a MOBILE PHONE PLAN, it is meant to be MOBILE.)
After I contacted the ombudsman, the company agreed they would look into the issue, and asked me to continue using the phone so that they could see evidence of call drop outs and message failures. They refused to use the 5 years of data history they already had of mine. Unfortunately, I had started using an alternate service provider because I couldn't rely on my phone anymore (I live alone, and I don't have a home phone) Now they are making me pay out the last 18 months of the contract.
Is there any way around this under Australian consumer law?
Recently the mobile coverage I have experienced is abysmal. My phone diverts to voicemail without ringing. Messages bounce back or do not send. The calls I make never connect, or drop out shortly after connecting. I have no coverage in both Sydney, and regional NSW.
I have received an array of responses from the phone company including the following:
"You live in Ryde, your contract states that the phone must work in your suburb of residence, anywhere outside of that suburb is unfortunately not covered by a guarantee." (I live and work in Sydney, surely if anywhere in Australia should be guaranteed strong coverage, it's a capital city. It is a MOBILE PHONE PLAN, it is meant to be MOBILE.)
After I contacted the ombudsman, the company agreed they would look into the issue, and asked me to continue using the phone so that they could see evidence of call drop outs and message failures. They refused to use the 5 years of data history they already had of mine. Unfortunately, I had started using an alternate service provider because I couldn't rely on my phone anymore (I live alone, and I don't have a home phone) Now they are making me pay out the last 18 months of the contract.
Is there any way around this under Australian consumer law?