Is anyone else experiencing this problem with Optus?

I got my iPhone on the first day (yes lucky I know), and I needed a new 3G SIM, but even though I am a longstanding Optus customer, it's yet to be connected a week later.

Optus blame the store I purchased the phone from. The store say that each time they try to phone Optus to activate the SIM they get a message saying that the system is overloaded, and that they are not taking calls at the moment.

I now have a beautiful iPhone brick, which as far as I know, I'm even paying for, and I can't seem to get anywhere with it.

Am I the only one in this catch 22?

All in all it's great PR - Optus "No"

Nathan

Well lets see, I went into my Optus dealer on July 11th, signed up for raincheck. They gave me a new sim right there and then, ported my number from Vodafone within something like 3 hours, and the sim card happily worked away in my old non-3G phone until I got my iPhone yesterday, where they slotted the Sim card in and it worked straight away.

So to summarize, I am non-longstanding Optus customer who didn't get the iPhone on the first day, and you are the opposite, so I think things with you need to be sorted!! ASAP!

As your a longstanding customer, I'd expect top quality treatment from them and not be given the run-around.

And as far as I know some other people are having issues with their iPhones, but things got resolved pretty sharpish if I am not mistaken.

Walk into the store, ask for the manager, get it sorted by the manager before you leave the store!

The manager will have other lines of contact to get this done that the sales staff dont have

I agree. There was a system overload on the day of the release but this is way too long for the store to blame the problem on that.

Go into the store because that will put pressure on them to stay focussed on your problem until it is resolved. If they make a call and the system is overloaded while you are sitting next to them they will be obliged to stay on hold rather than hang up and forget to call for the rest of the day (which is more than likely what has been happening until now.) Likewise, if they really are getting a message refusing their call, if you are in the store you can demand that they escalate the problem through a different channel.

I might add my experience. Got my phone on the first day, the guy said the sim should be activated by lunch time. So at 4pm I called up and was told something about it being in pending. On sunday I called again and got transferred to the iphone people who told me that they activated my old sim...so I gave them my new sim details and that was activated within 10 mins!

OK, here's my latest ... apparently my account is "in flight", that is, changing over from the old to the new accounting system. This has been "2 days off" being fixed, every 2 days for the last 4 days.

This means that they can't attach the new SIM to the account, and it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to get attached until mid to late this week (if they get it right this time).

No one at OPTUS seems to be concerned that I'm paying for a phone and a plan that I can't actually use, nor do they seem to understand that it seems a bit odd that if my account is "stuck", that they can still change my billing, but not my SIM?

Any ideas would be welcome.... I can only think of the telecommunications ombudsman, but I can't do anything until it's over I think.

Nathan

I have had exactly the same runaround from when I picked up my iPhone on 5 December and despite multiple phone calls, HOURS on hold, numerous promises from numerous optus staff as of today my new Optus sim is STILL not functional. The same account in flight story was given.

I have lodged a dispute with TIO on 16 December but with all the holidays it is just dragging out and out . On the 24 I was contact but activations team leader who assured me the sim would be activated within hours now. The optusworld store also rang to pass on the same news. Another two broken promises from optus

How dazzlingly incompetent are Optus staff that this could happen and not be fixed after 22 days ?

My optus iphone experience has been nothing but mounting frustration. I fear that all of the carriers are much the same unfortunately

Hi, I'm confused as to why you needed a 3g sim. I rung optus on the 23rd Dec and asked about that and was told a normal sim was all I needed for 3G on an iphone 3g. On christmas eve I bought a regular optus prepaid sim, stuck it in my iphone, rang optus to connect, and all I had to wait was 20 minutes, and it was done. It's been fine ever since.

I gather you aren't connecting prepaid.

Normal sim as in a 3G one prepaid or otherwise. Otherwise how are you going to connect to 3G?

The problems you're having are similar to that of what I had. I wrote the store who i got the iPhone from and demanded credit for the time I was disconnected - they gave me $50, not a bad results.

Turns out the guy who processed my order was quite a slacker and was soon fired after - it's not hard to see why either. He also managed to sign me up on the beginner internet pack. After many backwards and forwards calls to convince them I didn't need to pay extra for 50 megs a month when my plan already has 500 megs and I got the money back for that too.

Sick to your game and fight... or give Voda a go.

It was just a standard sim pack, cost $29.95 from a phone shop - nothing about 3G on the packaging. But on the top left of my iphone it says Optus 3G, so I figure I am connected to 3G.

They specifically told me I didn't need a special sim, that just a regular optus sim would do.

I'm curious though and would like to ring and ask again about a specific 3G sim, but it is such a nightmare trying to get any information from optus staff over the phone (they put me through to 5 different people when I was ringing to find out about if I needed a special sim), that I am not sure I want to brave another phonecall LOL!!

Ahhh, no.

Just curious as to how many of you actually work in an Optus/Voda/Telstra shop?

I dont but when I got my phone on release day, even though I had a direct number to the person I spoke to the day before release to get all my billing ducks in a line. I couldnt get through, nor could the sales staff, the manager however got his mobile out and rang a "different landline number" and I was on my way in less than 10 minutes after trying to get through the regular channels for more than 45 minutes

To clarify, my existing sim card is nearly 10 years old so just wouldnt work with 3G so I was issued with a new optus 3 g sim at sloptusworld store on 5 December.

I was told it would be activated within hours. Still waiting

Everyone person I speak to at optus has a different vague story and most calls take 30 to 45 minutes and several different people putting you on hold while they transfer you or look at the notes - which is like war & peace with all the fkn around Iv'e gone through.

Yesterday I was advised I needed another sim and to go to an slOptus World for a replacement. Bad luck if I was a remote users not near optus and why wasn't this suggested weeks ago? I suspect another wild guess at what might fix the problem as sloptus clearly have no clue

Given I have no confidence whatsoever in slOptus service or staff in light of this debacle, I am now inclinded to look for a way to cancel the 24 month contract I entered into based on non provision of service within a reasonable time - with the frustartion that has occured and time spent on hold and various calls - it runs into hours & hours now - I feel I would have a case for compensation against sloptus.

TIO complaints are usually resolved pretty quickly. Any telco is fined $$$$ if they don't resolve a complaint within a reasonable amount of time. I'd suggest you try and get your contract cancelled through them if Optus won't help you.