Plan change overseas

[ELLT]

Hi there, on the 29th of October I went to an Optus shop at Indooroopilly in order to change my plan due to the fact that I was leaving for overseas (on the 30th) for at least four months. I was FURIOUS that I have spent the past five years out of Australia, mostly paying over $40 per month in order to 'keep my phone number' while I was overseas. Over the years I had asked several times what I could do to lower my bill costs while overseas and not using my optus account and every single service representative had told me there was nothing I could do! Finally, at the Toowong Optus shop on the 28th of October this year (in order to swap my old sim card over) a sales person told me there WAS an option for me to keep my number. He said I needed to request a longlife prepaid the day before I left. When I went to the Indooroopilly shop to change my plan the sales person told me that I needed to do it the day I left and that there was an Optus outlet INSIDE the Sydney International airport that I could use. By the time I was processed through the airport (ten minutes before boarding my flight) I discovered that the Optus shop was OUTSIDE the airport and that I had no time to race to Optus to change my plan. I sent a 'live message' while I was on the tarmac waiting to fly out. The rep sent me a link to a generic sales page. I was unable to work out how to proceed. So now, I am asking that you arrange to change my plan to the LONGLIFE PREPAID ($30 for six months). Obviously I cannot call Optus to do this and it must be done via the internet from my end.

[petergdownload]

Hi @ELLT ,

Enjoy the trip. 

FWIW Australia consumer laws are some of the best in the world at protecting customers and ensuring whatever deal you sign up to is honoured. However there is no law that says a company has to help you get a better deal. That's up to you to research and find. I agree the best companies see value in proactively saving you money but that's not Optus. 

There's actually no "day before leaving the country" requirement to switch to a prepaid service. You could have sorted that out well before. If you are on a contract then obviously there are cancellation fees etc. but porting to any other offer (Optus or another Telco) to "park" your phone number is a separate issue.

FWIW your number is reserved for another 6 months. Log onto any Telco website (including Optus) and just sign up and request your number be ported. Optus $30 for 6 month seems fine (your number will be reserved for 6 months after that 6 months expires but if you're back in 4 months then its possibly not needed. 

Peter Gillespie

[Ray_YC]

Hi ELLT,

We're unable to do service changes for customers on our public forum.

You should be able to do so online here.

If further assistance is needed, please Message Us here.

[ELLT]

Hi Ray, I have 'clicked on' both of your links and neither of them are 'working'.  With the 'Online here' link I have had my service validated (to check my plan) and then I can go no further with accessing a new plan to change to. NB I can NOT send a text message to 9999 because I am not in Australia. To be clear, I am wanting to change my post paid plan to a pre-paid plan - Longlife Pre-paid for six months ($30). I see that there are other 'assistants' who have asked customers to private message them. You have sent me links that do not assist me. I need my plan changed and I need your help. 

[ELLT]

Your patronising and ill contrived response wasted my time and did not assist me Peter. As you are not an Optus customer service person please don't continue to waste my time with information I am a. either already aware of or b. that is futile to my needs.

[ELLT]

PS Your chat option isn't working.

[petergdownload]

If I'd just blown $2400 needlessly I'd also be miffed too. I've already explained why you don't need to spend another cent to 'keep your phone number'. But you've obviously got this covered. I wish you happy trails and will not waste your time again.

Peter Gillespie

[ELLT]

You are a pompous git Peter, you did not read my post thoroughly and you are incorrect on two points. I do NOT want the advice of some random individual whose life is spent searching for validation by pretending to be some kind of patronising techno-guru. I CLEARLY did not ask for your input. I want assistance from an Optus representative. Thank you in advance for not pestering me. Please stay away from me.

[Alistar · Accepted solution]

Hi @ELLT, not ideal the links didn't work 😞 We're unable to take account information anymore as the service team we used to work with don't have access. We sit next to the social media teams so please contact them via FB or Twitter and let me know when you do, so I can get one of them to look into the account for you.

If you don't want to use social and as you're still on the post-paid plan and want to move to pre-paid you can call from overseas +61 2 8082 5678, free from your Optus mobile