Optus to cease offering QFF points as of 30/06/15

[Ozgirl]

Hmm still no points...

Got the ring around from the first person i spoke to - tried to claim that my payment was made on the 1st (obviously the system recorded it the next day) said sorry your t&c say nothing about it clearing your acct. just that i have to make a payment and i have the email copy of the receipt that states i made the payment on the 30th.

He really did not want to help and tried to tell me there was no promo current. I said that's okay I will hold while you find an answer.

He transferred me to another more helpful person - but he insisted i had to wait til 30th July. I said i will wait til the 1 August and call back - if the points have not been received.

He said okay.

Interestingly i have no idea what area i was transferred to. He gave me his emp id. but told me to call back and select billing.

But he also told me he did not have access to june payments so was just trusting me?

How bizarre is that!

 

[aussiejohn]

My account was due on the 8th of each month, and I usually paid within the first week of the month. The points turned up in my QFF account a few days later.

BUT, not for the June account which I paid about 2nd of July I think. I'd say we are not going to get the final June points.

 

[Ozgirl]

BUT, not for the June account which I paid about 2nd of July I think. I'd say we are not going to get the final June points.

Well you wont because you paid after the 30th June.

It not based on the acct payment cycle - its based on the payment date. In this case the 30th june for me.

If they gave me bonus points i would let it slipped - i am fighting this one to the death!

 

[tomlee1986]

Well you wont because you paid after the 30th June.

It not based on the acct payment cycle - its based on the payment date. In this case the 30th june for me.

If they gave me bonus points i would let it slipped - i am fighting this one to the death!

I just received my bonus points today! YAY!! .. and you are correct.. it is the payment date it counts.. I did that too and was credited 2 weeks after payment.. My cycle is on the 25th of month.. but don't get the bill until very late.. so I paid before the bill arrived by email.. Double dipped by paying via Qantas Cash!!

 

[QF WP]

My wife got a double bonus - as the home broadband and her mobile are separate accounts.

29 JUL 15	OPTUS CONSUMER BILL PYMT 29JUL15	-	500
29 JUL 15	OPTUS CONSUMER PROMOTION 29JUL15	-	500

 

[kylebb]

My wife got a double bonus - as the home broadband and her mobile are separate accounts.

29 JUL 15	OPTUS CONSUMER BILL PYMT 29JUL15	-	500
29 JUL 15	OPTUS CONSUMER PROMOTION 29JUL15	-	500

I had the same, then 500 points debited back the next day for me. Can't say I've seen this before

30 JUL 15

OPTUS CONSUMER BILL PYMT 29JUL15

-

-500

 

[QF WP]

Damn, my wife had the same unfortunate experience as you ;(

30 JUL 15

OPTUS CONSUMER BILL PYMT 29JUL15

-

-500

I knew I should have transferred her points that day - I'd have loved to see whether accounts can go negative...

 

[Ken1]

I received the emails from Optus and Qantas in late April telling me I will receive 3,000 bonus points at the end of July. I have still not received the 3,000 points - my last points from Optus were posted on 18 June with 182 points. I've had a very frustrating day trying to sort this out with Optus! This is a long post but may be of interest to others with how Optus seem to handle these types of queries. I've been with Optus for many years, with home phone and broadband on cable from early 2000 when it first started and with Optus phone and dial up before that.

At lunch time today I contacted Optus through the webchat link in the email and after explaining everything and being transferred to someone else - here is part of our chat:

Optus: I understand your concern is about the Qantas points.. Am I right?
Me: yes that's right. The email I received on April 29 said that 3000 bonus points will be posted by the end of July, but they haven't been received yet. The last Qantas points I received were posted in my Qantas account on 18 June for 182 points
Optus: No worries, let me check the notes...
Optus: The Qantas points were ended on June 30th.
Optus: This was informed to all our customer via email.
Me: That's what I'm writing about. I received an email from Optus on 29 April telling me that, and it also said: " Bonus Qantas Points to wrap things up June is the last month of the partnership, and when it ends we’ll be giving 3000 bonus points to QFF number xx_.... ....."
Me: It's the 3000 bonus points I'm enquiring about
Optus: The 3000 points are still there on your account..
Optus: Let me see on what can be done on this.. Let me investigate a little..
Optus: I did discuss the details with my supervisor and would like to offer a call back we need to check this with another department.
Optus: Sure! I will call you back on 3.30.. Is that okay?



I hadn't heard back by 4.10pm so I went back onto webchat and explained about my enquiry again. Here is part of this chat with another Optus rep:

Optus: How can i assist you today ?
Me: I was chatting with (1st Optus rep) earlier today about bonus frequent flyer points that haven't been received and they said they'd phone me at 3.30pm today but I haven't heard from anyone yet. It's about the 3000 bonus points I was told in an email from Optus that I'd get at the end of July when the Optus / Qantas partnership finished
Optus: okay no worries as I checked with the previous agent (1st Optus rep) ,she has request you to login into Qantas rewards
Optus: To further check your points
Me: Thanks. Nothing showing up yet but maybe tomorrow if Optus have just sent them to Qantas today. I just logged in to my Qantas account to check
Optus: okay let me check that out
Optus: I request you please visit the link and login to check the quantas rewards , www.qantas.com.au/frequentflyer and for further queries please ring on the direct number :: +1 800-227-4500
Me: That is where I logged in a few minutes ago. So did Optus transfer the points today or back in July?
Optus: for further quires please click the above no as optus has no connection with them
Me: Ok Thanks
Optus: That's okay. Take care have a lovely day ahead
Me: I've just tried to dial that number and I'm getting a message that says" Optus regrets that the number you have dialled has been disconnected". I've tried it twice.
Optus: please bear with me let me confirm and clarify that out for you now
Optus: I request you to contact customer care
Optus: please
Me: Optus customer care?
Optus: yeap
Me: Ok I'll look up the number - thanks
Optus: Thats okay :0
Optus:
Optus: I was glad to assist you
Optus: Mean while, How are you doing today ?
Me: OK thanks. I'm just trying to sort this out. I'll call them now. Thanks for your help.
Optus: Thats okay take care
Optus: have a lovely day


As you can imagine I found this Optus rep quite frustrating to deal with. And to say "I was glad to assist you".

I then phoned the 133937 Optus Customer Service number and after speaking with a few different people I was told that the 3,000 points were sent to QF on 8 July.

I then phoned the QF Frequent Flyer section and was told that the last points that were received from Optus were 182 points sent on 13 June and posted to my account on 18 June. I was told by QF that they could print out a statement that I could send to Optus but that would cost me 2,500 points for them to do that. (Like I'm going to spend 2,500 points to hopefully get the 3,000 points I was promised!) The lady at QF did say that I can ask Optus to contact them if they want to query anything about this.

I then called Optus Customer Care in 1 300 720 084 and after being transferred to 3 different people I was told I was being transferred to Optus Rewards Customer Service and they told me to call 13 11 31 and I told them that is the QF number and that I have already spoken with them. I was then told that "we are not trained on this. I will speak with a supervisor". I was then given another number to call - 1 300 622 859, but when I called them it was a Chrysler Jeep number that answered, although the lady there said that the number I am dialling is not theirs and that they occasionally do get calls for 1 300 numbers. I tried this number twice from my Optus home phone and once from my Vodafone mobile and got the Chrysler Jeep lady answering each time.

After that I gave up for the day! All of the Optus people I spoke to today sound like they are in India. I don't know what I have to do to get someone in Australia who may be able to help me.

I'll try my luck again tomorrow!

 

[grrofunger]

Optus are quite possibly the worst company to deal with ever , their web chat people are patronising and useless too.

Reading your extracts above gave me chills recalling my own issue with them that took 6 months to resolve , across web chat, in store, letters, emails, on phone etc -

So painful

 

[BAM1748]

Crikey, after reading Ken1 above and having received my Optus points I will now change to Telstra.

Ken1, please feel free to screen dump this and send it on during your next chat to Optus. They were always average when they were at their best.


Matt

 

[Cynicor]

Ken1- just go straight to the TIO, or threaten to. This usually escalates things to the point where they get done. My last issue with Telstra got sorted within 1 day of the TIO email.

 

[SydneySwan]

Ken1 I sympathise but I am not surprised. Mrs SydneySwan says that the best thing about quitting Optus for Amaysim was not the cheaper price but not having to deal with the Optus call centre. Amaysim incredibly seem to be staffed by Aussies.

 

[astrosly]

Ken1 I sympathise but I am not surprised. Mrs SydneySwan says that the best thing about quitting Optus for Amaysim was not the cheaper price but not having to deal with the Optus call centre. Amaysim incredibly seem to be staffed by Aussies.

Indeed. I dumped Optus over a year ago after one frustration after another with their systems and doing the merry-go-round of "customer care" staff in Asia and went with Amaysim. The two times I had to call them for support I got local staff who sorted things out, first time, no bother and no follow up required. The difference was amaysing ! (pardon the pun)

 

[Ken1]

I'm thinking that going straight to the TIO may be the best way to go. It was a very frustrating day trying to explain everything again and again to the different Optus reps I was in contact with today and I'm not sure I want to go through it all again tomorrow, but I do want to get the 3,000 points I was promised.

As I mentioned before I've been with Optus Cable Broadband and home phone since 2000 and a few years before that with phone and dial up internet so I must have been with Optus for around 18 years. Over the years, when they were in Australia, I always found the tech support staff to be very good if I had any issues, but it's so different now since most staff seem to be off shore. I changed to an unlimited Broadband and Home Phone Plan back in April and it was a frustrating time dealing with optus then too.

 

[serfty]

Generally, every such call/contact with customer service with such organisations get logged and tagged with a reference number.

When I have need for these calls/contacts I like to specifically request and record that number.

 

[Ken1]

Generally, every such call/contact with customer service with such organisations get logged and tagged with a reference number.

When I have need for these calls/contacts I like to specifically request and record that number.

Yesterday I called into an Optus store in Sydney to see if they could help in any way or knew who to speak to regarding the missing bonus points. I mentioned that I had made numerous calls and web chats and that I was always getting operators in India and he said that 98% of Optus customer service staff are now off shore, in India or Asia. He said he can call customer care from there and that I won't have to wait and then passed me the phone. After the call being answered quickly it turned out that they can only access the NBN / ADSL accounts and that I would have to be transferred to someone who handles cable accounts.

After a 9 minute wait the phone was answered and I went through explaining everything again. After checking she told me that the points have been transferred to Qantas and I tried to explain that Qantas have told me that they have not received them and that I have to go through Optus for them to sort it out and that Optus can contact them if they need more information. She then said that there is nothing they can do so I said that I'll have to go to the TIO and I then asked to speak with a supervisor. After a 10 minute wait she came back and gave me my QF Frequent Flyer number, and I told her I know the number, I check it regularly. She then said that because the web site is closed they can't access any information and that there is nothing they can do.

I asked for a reference number for that call which I now have (thanks serfty) so I will now put in a complaint with the TIO as obviously I won't get any further with Optus. For anyone who has dealt with the TIO, I would appreciate some advice on whether you think I should include the complete chat transcripts along with the original emails from Optus and QF both telling me I will get 3,000 bonus points and a description of the various phone calls like I have posted here, or just keep it brief and mention that I had the two web chats, which weren't really helpful, before making the phone calls?

 

[Red Roo]

I received the emails from Optus and Qantas in late April telling me I will receive 3,000 bonus points at the end of July. I have still not received the 3,000 points - my last points from Optus were posted on 18 June with 182 points.

This seems unusual, not to mention frustrating. Please send me a private message with your Qantas Frequent Flyer number as reference in case there's something I can do.

 

[Ken1]

This seems unusual, not to mention frustrating. Please send me a private message with your Qantas Frequent Flyer number as reference in case there's something I can do.

Thanks Red Roo. I've just sent you a PM.

 

[Red Roo]

Thanks Red Roo. I've just sent you a PM.

Thanks, I've just replied. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

 

[Ken1]

Thanks, I've just replied. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Thank you Red Roo.

Well everyone I feel very stupid. Red Roo has replied to my PM letting me know that 3,000 Qantas Points were credited to my Qantas Frequent Flyer account on 8 June 2015.

I only looked back as far as 18 June when I saw the 182 points posted from Optus, which I knew were for my monthly bill, but I didn't look further back since they had said we would receive the bonus points in July so wasn't expecting anything to have been posted earlier than that since in the Optus email it had said "They'll be added automatically at the end of July 2015". Also on one of my calls to Optus they told me that they have been credited to me on 8 July so even when I've looked back again at my QFF Activity Statement I only looked back as far as 18 June again when I saw the Optus points for my monthly bill and I was really looking closely at July transactions. When I called the Qantas Frequent Flyer team on Monday afternoon the lady I spoke to saw the 182 points as the last transaction on 18 June and also didn't notice the 3,000 points listed there on 8 June.

As I have just mentioned in a reply to Red Roo's PM I have always had good experiences when dealing with Qantas any time I have called with queries or to book flights. It's so much better when companies keep their call centres here in Australia.