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Saturday May 25, 2013

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Telstra Customer hit with $28,000 bill

Posted by: Ned Franklin | 5 December, 2012 - 9:35 AM
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Telstra says they'll refund a customer's 28-thousand dollar bill after his phone was stolen on an overseas holiday.

Rayden Crawley was in Barcelona when he lost his phone and frantically contacted the Telco to cut his account.

However, instead of fixing it, they pulled the full amount off his credit card.

Crawley had been going back-and-forth with Telstra for weeks and finally contacted the Mitchell Program as a last resort.

"I first went to the Barcelona police station and filed a report when the phone was stolen. Then I contacted Telstra via email and I heard back the next morning saying they'd put a bar on the number," Crawley said.

"When I came back to Australia, I rang Telstra and they told me I have a $28,000 bill. I nearly fell over."

Crawley was told his case would be sent to the 'forensic department' and that he'd need to fax his police report and statutory declaration for the money to be reimbursed.

Two weeks later though, $27,853 had been charged to his American Express card.  He later found out that Telstra didn't cut his number until 36 hours after he filed the complaint.

"They knew it had been barred, but they didn't have the relevant information.  I was transferred from one person to another before I got onto the credit department."

Crawley originally told Neil Mitchell there was little he can do if Telstra doesn't do the right thing and refund his credit card.

Telstra apologised for the mistake just before midday and said they will immediately refund the man's account. 

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LISTEN: Rayden Crawley with Neil Mitchell

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Blog comments Your Say

  • In many years of handling customer relations in the automotive industry, I learned something that many of today's companies apparently don't know, or have forgotten. It takes 10 times more effort (and cost) to gain a new customer than to keep a current one. These companies should realise that a current customer is an investment.

    David T. Wednesday 5 December, 2012 - 4:33 PM

  • Another reason for NOT giving these big companies your credit card or direct debit authorisation!!!!

    David R Wednesday 5 December, 2012 - 10:31 AM

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