Seniors Issues, Fair and Foul
Thank you for this opportunity to speak on my own and all pensioners behalf. I was lucky today to be able to get onto ABC Radio 891 in Adelaide on two separate occasions. The first one was when they had a panel of The Advertiser Editor in Chief, Samela Harris (Reporter) and Simon Royal (ABC Programming Manager) fielding calls. Samela Harris (whom I have known for years) persisted in calling the "Bail Out" for Pensioners as a "Hand Out" and I was incensed. One is screened by the Telephonist before they allow you on air and I was very happy when they accepted me. I addressed my comment (without blame) to Samela Harris and said that you are a victim of your own Industry, Media has labeled this money as a "Hand Out" and it is nothing of the sort. We were forsaken in the March budget and received not a razoo. The Fiscal Benefit was simply carried over from the Howard Government and not an initiative and we must exist upon CPI increases of around 1-3% and the media has the gall to call this a Pensioners Hand Out. Greg Kelton (Advertiser Editing Manager in Chief) was extremely apologetic for an exceptionally bad turn of phrase and Samela confronted with his stance had no option but to be apologetic as well. I suggested that while we are at it, you have been discussing the "Social Sector" as a burden upon the Tax Paying Sector of the population. I mentioned that have you stopped and considered that we are the first Pensioners to have to pay tax thanks to John Howard and the GST. We pay Tax upon every single thing we purchase from a newspaper through to our Toilet Paper. You sit back and state that we are a burden upon the Tax Payers. Sorry, that is a vast mistake indeed.
The second time I was lucky enough to get on, they had an Executive from Telstra whom was extolling the virtues about the rationalisation in the Discounting method that Telstra uses to Pensioners. They have generated a Computer Letter to all their customers (Pensioners) stating that if you do not respond within 30 days from the date this letter was written, your Pensioners Line Rental Discount will be dropped and you will only receive any bonus scheme you are on (Free Calls). I managed to get on again and spoke to this man and he said that you were given both the Discounts in error and you should be grateful that you have enjoyed them for the nearly 3 years (in my case) that you have had them. I said to "Wait a moment". I explained how I had been "Churned". When things are quiet in Telstra Call Centres (my daughter worked in the Adelaide one) they had to cold canvass people and were expected generate more business. I took the call this day in 2005 and I would normally have dismissed it but I listened. The young lady said that do I have "Foxtel" and I said I did with "Foxtel". She said who is your major carrier for Phone and I said Optus. What about Broadband and I replied Optus, Mobile Phone, I stated Optus. She said that if you Port all of your business to Telstra, this is what we will offer you. You will get your Pensioner Line Rental Discount - I said that I already get that and she then said that for the act of Porting over, Telstra will give me the Home Users Bonus Scheme which in my case with all four products would amount to 125 free Phone Calls every month. On the strength of that, I decided to go with it. Imagine my disgust in March this year when I got the letter stating that if I do nothing, I will lose my Pensioners Line Discount in 30 days from the date on the letter. A user had just got this letter and that is why it arose today. When I said all of my story to the Telstra Executive he had no answer. He said that should never have happened. I suggested that may well be so but the fact is that it did and I suggest that you are operating under false pretences. He did not like that but the Announcer (David - ABC) was on my side and he hounded this guy until the Telstra guy was saved by the 1200 noon News Cast (which did nothing for my humour) but them is the breaks because I really (and the announcer) had this Telstra guy on the back foot.
Again, thank you for the ability to speak on the behalf of all of the Social Sector and keep up the good work, please Kaye.
Molly M, SA
Telestra are the biggest liars on this earth, I had a situation where someone actually came to the house and foolishly I gave him time of day,I was AAPT and happy with i but he asked to go through my accounts and he showed me how much I could save by returning to telstra. Like a fool I fell for it and the result was my first bill was $100 more than AAPT after abusing whoever was unfortunate to enough to take my call to telstra I returned to AAPT. I still get three calls a week from telstra via mumbai or timbuktu but they dont last 10 seconds with me.
Good for you for getting the chance and putting your case so well tand showing them up for what they are, just a bunch of thieving robbers.