Telstra

I had a phone line with Telstra but in 2009, I had problems with the quality of the line, it crackled, frequently dropped out (and of course, so did my internet service as a consequence). Technicians were eventually sent, after I had spent hours on the mobile phone with Telstra call centre staff (?!!!?) over many contact occasions. Line testing was done, from a distance and at the residence eventually (when a technician, subcontracted by Telstra) finally came at the appointed time. (I had previously arranged to leave work early to get home in time for the long-awaited Telstra tech only to find that he had come hours before the appointed time and left a note in my letterbox to say "Sorry I missed you" and "nothing was wrong" with the line!!) Don't know how he could tell, given he neither spoke to me, nor came inside the house. And it took some 6+ months after the initial report, before I received this level of "service"! FInally, a subcontractor came (at the agreed time), went to the junction box outside - discovered and repaired frayed wires. Then he climbed into the ceiling and found wiring chewed through by ?rats? Surprise! After more than 1/2 a year of emails, phone calls (costing $s+ and time+ and being frustrated by inane, rude and/or incompetent people), running to and from buses to get home on time for Telstra appts .. a person who didn't usually work for Telstra solved the problem in under an hour! Then there are the billing issues!! But I won't talk about that because I'd still get too upset. They still owe my son $135.88 (for a line at a different house) - a debt that is still outstanding - almost 12 months later! (Another long story - as are ALL Telstra stories it seems!)