Our consumer stories bring together real case studies across common issues, showing how complaints arise, what goes wrong, and how they can be resolved.
Jane was told a new phone would fix her poor coverage, but the problem didn’t improve.
After repeated outages shut a small business for three days, we helped the owner secure $1,000 in compensation, resolving the dispute with Xentel and getting them back to business sooner.
A default listing for a service she never used stopped Jasmeen’s home loan. Our investigation found fraud, removed the debt and secured compensation.
Consumer damaged a cable on their property and was being billed for the repair and the replacement of the cable.
Aiko’s provider transferred her mobile and internet to her former husband without checking with her. We found a privacy breach and helped Aiko get compensation.
Consumer had a debt to a provider for a service they never resulting in a default listing that affected their ability to secure a home loan.
Betty was pressured into a phone plan she did not understand. When she fell behind on payments, her provider said she owed $4,500 and listed a default. Find out how we helped.
Older customer was signed up to a service they didn’t understand, but after raising a complaint the provider cancelled the contract without fees and moved the customer to a more suitable plan.
Customer’s service was suspended after a billing misunderstanding removed payment details, but after a complaint the provider restored the account and applied credits to resolve the issue.
Consumers signed a "no-lock in contract" and then were charged for the devices upon leaving the contract. They were not advised that payment for the device could not continue as separate from the ser…
Carlo, a full-time student with limited income, was scammed into buying three mobile phones, leaving him with a $3,200 debt. He contacted BranchTel for help as he couldn’t afford to pay off the debt,…
A consumer lost her job and could not pay her phone bill. We found the telco did not clearly explain its financial hardship options and unfairly disconnected her service.
Conall was sold more than $15,000 worth of mobiles and accessories while on a government pension by CurbTel.
After a telco failed to provide hardship support and listed a default on Charissa's credit file, we helped with removal of the default, debt from collections and excess charges.
Customer tried to cancel a contract, but an error meant it stayed active and charges continued until the provider investigated, corrected the mistake and fixed the billing.
Daniel operates a beauty salon and has a telephone and internet service with Brave Networks. Clients contact the salon by telephone to make appointments.The salon’s telephone and internet services be…
Customer was pursued for a debt that had already been waived, but after a complaint the provider confirmed the error and cleared the charges again.
Customer disputed a credit default after a loan rejection, but the investigation found the provider met its obligations, so the default listing remained on the customer’s credit file.
Dr Jones was misled about 5G coverage and experienced ongoing dropouts.
Doctor experienced a prolonged mobile outage with no clear explanation from the provider, affecting work, before a complaint revealed a network outage and resulted in a refund of service charges.
Dr Priya’s clinic lost income during a delayed service transfer, but the compensation claim was rejected as alternative options could have been used to maintain services.
Guowei contacted us after struggling to get clear help from his telco about unlocking a device. He experienced poor customer service and could not resolve the issue.
Customer received a $3,200 bill for excess data without warnings, disputed the charges, and after investigation the provider agreed the billing was incorrect and waived the fees.
Consumer agreed to a payment plan, but the debt was then on-sold to a debt collector.
Customer took out multiple mobile plans despite repeated payment issues, as automatic pre‑approval allowed more services, resulting in high debt before most services were cancelled and charges waived.
Customers experienced financial hardship and struggled to pay telco bills, but after raising concerns, providers worked with them to offer support, flexible payment plans and more manageable solutions
Customer incurred unexpected international roaming charges while overseas, leading to a dispute before the provider reviewed the case and adjusted or reduced the charges after investigation.
Business claimed significant losses after delayed service connection, but investigation found limited impact, and after review the provider’s increased compensation offer of $9,000 was accepted.
When Jean-Pierre decided to open a takeaway restaurant, he leased a restaurant space at ‘Shop 9’ of a small shopping strip. He asked SparrowNet to connect a landline and internet service there.Sparro…
Jose discovered nine mobile plans were added to the account by an authorised representative, creating a large unexpected debt and raising concerns about account control and approval processes.
When bushfires threatened her community, Kelly's mobile service became unreliable, leaving her unable to depend on emergency notifications and essential communications.
The carrier planned to install a cable under a waterway, notifying the landowner as required. The landowner objected, citing concerns about environmental impact, the cable's location and the timing o…
A carrier wanted to install an underground conduit and cable and replace an existing telco pit on rural land next to a railway line to improve the telecommunications network it operates.
Landowner objected to rooftop telco installation over structural and visual concerns, but after investigation the provider met its obligations and was allowed to proceed with conditions.
LineUp phone company pressured a consumer to transfer her services and continued with the process despite the consumer not agreeing.
Dental clinic’s phone and internet faults disrupted bookings and payments until providers worked together to fix services and pay compensation after a complaint.
Elderly customer lost home phone service with no mobile coverage, leaving safety risks until the provider supplied a suitable interim solution after an urgent TIO complaint.
Lucas could not afford the cost of a satellite service which was his only option to get connected to the internet.
Customer experienced ongoing landline faults for two years despite repeated reports, but after a complaint the provider restored the service and offered a reliable backup option.
When Martin could no longer afford multiple phone contracts, we helped him and his telco find a fair way forward. The outcome reduced his costs and supported him through financial hardship.
When Mary’s internet service failed repeatedly, it put her safety at risk. We worked with the provider to replace faulty equipment and secure compensation for the distress caused.
A small business moved premises and their service provider didn't transfer their phone number to the new address.
A student cancelled her mobile service after poor coverage but was told to pay the full cost of her phone. We found the provider couldn’t deliver the promised service and required a fair resolution.
Consumers received misleading NBN sales calls with incorrect pricing and terms, prompting a review and improved sales practices to ensure clearer information and better customer understanding.
High pressure and misleading sales calls resulting in consumers signing up for services they do not need.
Customers were told mobile coverage would improve after network upgrades, but services remained poor, and after investigation the provider waived early termination fees for affected customers.
Customer fell behind on payments after becoming unable to work due to illness, but after a complaint the provider agreed to a manageable payment plan and reduced ongoing costs.
A customer’s service was suspended after a billing misunderstanding. We helped resolve the issue by restoring account details and securing a discount on future bills.
Consumer arranged internet transfer to a new home, faced connection issues and cancellation fee charges, and was advised to allow the provider time to investigate and resolve the complaint.
Customer was misled into upgrading to a phone they couldn’t use, and after repeated issues and failed replacements, returned the device and agreed to a more suitable plan after intervention.
We helped consumers get credits for unexpected excess data charges on a prepaid overseas roaming plan.
Salesperson from Telco A and B charged customers for mobile accessories that they claimed would be free with a new plan
Richard, living in a rural, high fire risk area with no mobile coverage, relies on his landline for emergency calls. Despite having Priority Assistance, his landline has had issues for 10 years.
Asylum seekers without working visas were sold post‑paid services they could not afford, leading to large debts and systemic concerns, prompting stronger controls, audits and improved sales training.
Customers were sold multiple phone plans and devices despite known vulnerabilities and existing debts, leading to systemic concerns and new controls to improve responsible sales practices.
When a satellite phone service failed in a remote community prone to flooding, Sandra was left without reliable access to healthcare, emergency services and essential communications.
Small business misled into a long‑term equipment lease thought to match a shorter plan, leading to unexpected fees before the agreement was cancelled after a complaint.
Simon thought someone had accessed his mobile account without permission after calls were blocked and unknown contact details appeared.
Spam emails overwhelmed Charbel’s inbox after his details were exposed online. We helped reduce the issue and secured a billing credit for the inconvenience.
Small business launched a telco service without joining the TIO, prompting intervention and guidance before the business registered and met its obligations under telecommunications rules.
Consumers could not contact their provider to report urgent service issues, creating safety risks, prompting a systemic investigation and improved staffing and support to reduce complaints.
Tamin Tutoring signed up for an NBN service and equipment bundle with BlockTel but experienced frequent faults with slow and dropped video calls and inconsistent phone calls. When they tried to cance…
Customers signed up to a ‘free’ trial but were charged for equipment costs when cancelling, leading to complaints and changes to advertising to clearly disclose costs and improve transparency.
Customer was sold technical support services they did not need or understand, leading to unnecessary costs before the provider retrained staff and allowed affected customers to cancel without penalty.
A consumer was transferring his service from one provider to another, and lost his number in the process.
Customer was sold a high‑cost mobile plan and devices they didn’t understand or need, leading to unaffordable bills before the provider accepted returns and waived all related charges.
Vanessa was left with debts from phones she didn’t authorise. We investigated the identity fraud, helped correct the records, and ensured unfair charges and defaults were removed.
Existing account security process was not always suitable for consumers who were experiencing family violence
Yemat Tutors* signed up to a four-year deal with BranchTel* for NBN services and phone equipment, the latter provided under a separate agreement with FoneHouse*. After installation, the equipment did…
Customer paid for an NBN service by direct debit but didn’t receive monthly bills. We worked with the provider to fix its billing system and improve how customers receive bills.
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