[OT] Re: [plug] Telstra rort

[Ben New]

Sorry, this thread should have been marked OT from the start.  Sorry for 
replying to myself also.  Today is not my day :-(



Ben New wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I think this might be another case for the ACCC.
> We are in the process of moving, and found it impossible to determine 
> whether ADSL is available before accepting the lease.  We are now 
> stuck with a 12 month lease on a property which doesn't support ADSL.  
> The stupid thing is, this place is in Rivervale, not 10km from the 
> centre of Perth.  The story goes like this:
>
> 1. Lease required before phone connection can take place (I don't 
> think connecting a phone line before accepting the place is really an 
> option).
> 2. Phone connection required before Telstra can determine whether ADSL 
> is available.
>
> Yet every day on the TV we see more and more ads promoting ADSL.  
> We've had it in White Gum Valley for the last couple of years at 
> least, and this is much further from Perth city.
>
> If we had have been able to test the line for ADSL compatibility 
> /before/ connecting the phone, we would have found a place that 
> supported it.  All I got from Telstra was "more Australians require a 
> phone (voice) line than require an Internet line, so if Telstra 
> doesn't have a reason to install an ADSL capable line, they wont", or 
> something along those lines.
>
> This is basically the straw (quite a heavy one, though) that broke the 
> camel's (my business') back.  I think I'm going to find it a little 
> difficult to provide web development and especially hosting with a 
> 28.8kbps connection.
>
> Has anybody else been stung like this?  I'd be very interested in any 
> other stories like this, or if anyone with more experience of the ACCC 
> has any ideas how this could be approached.  Basically this is just a 
> scam by Telstra who can't be bothered making a service sufficiently 
> available before they advertise it, or making it even possible to tell 
> whether the service is available before it's too late.
>
> Regards,
> Ben
>