Updated: Telstra just won’t listen
June 29th, 2007 at 12:24pm
Originally posted on June 16th, 2007 at 10:42am. Updated June 29
Update: I don’t usually promote updated posts back to the top of the blog’s home page, but this one is an important update. Since posting this I have received, and continue to receive, emails and comments from people who have been called by the number listed below. The vast majority of these reports indicate that the caller is not saying anything to them, and just producing menacing calls. One person has informed me that the numbers they have received calls on are listed on the federal government’s Do Not Call register, which means the caller is breaking the Do Not Call law and could face a hefty fine. Whoever it is that is calling, they appear to pretend to be from Telstra on some occasions, and not on others. I no longer believe this is Telstra, but I find their lack of response to my letter suspicious.
I will send Telstra one more letter before taking this issue up with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) who oversee the Do Not Call register.
In the meantime, anybody who has received a call from the number listed below is more than welcome to leave a comment or send me an email to report it. I want to make sure this gets dealt with harshly by the authorities, and the more reports I receive (I can keep your details anonymous if you desire) the more chance we have of this.
End Update. Original Post follows
My mobile phone rang at about 10am today:
Me: Hello
Caller: Hello, it’s Matt from Telstra here, how are you today sir?
I knew where this conversation was headed…but I wanted to see if the script had changed.
Me: I’m good, how are you?
Matt from Telstra: I’m good, (puts on his best over-excited sales pitch voice) but I’m about to make you a whole lot better because I’m going to (even more excited now) give you a new mobile phone.
I thought that, with the hyped up hot air he had just given me, the best thing to do would be to stick a really big pin in his balloon before he floated away.
Me: This is third time, I have asked to be removed from this list
Matt from Telstra (still somewhere between Earth and cloud nine): OK then, I’ll remove you from the list…just for you sir.
Me: Thank you.
I then waited, expecting to here a “goodbye” or something similar, but all I got was silence, and then he hung up.
As I said to Matt, this is the third time I’ve been called by Telstra to offer me a phone. I was a bit annoyed the second time because I had asked to be removed from the list previously, but this time it is beyond a joke. Telstra will be getting a letter posted to them from me on Monday.
In the meantime, anybody who receives a call from Matt (strangely the caller ID wasn’t blocked) on 02 9374 6300, could you ask him to ensure that Samuel’s mobile number has been removed from the list…and make sure he uses the words “good bye”?
Samuel
Entry Filed under: Samuel's Editorials
33 Comments
1. Clayton Northcutt | June 16th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Do *not* get into business with Telstra … ever. You’d get a better deal from Satan. Telstra feeds on the souls and wills of those that they dupe into signing on with them. I’m sure their fine print says:
“Abandon all ye hope those who enter here”
2. Dingleberry Cufflink | June 17th, 2007 at 3:04 am
Tel$tra send bills to dead people.
3. Gremlin | June 19th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Oh no the dreaded letter from SGS. I bet Telstra are shaking now.
4. mochariffic | June 25th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Hi, I just found this page while searching for the number responsible for 24.. count them.. 24.. diverts from my mobile which have appeared on my phone bill !! Is there any way for us to find out who infact these people are? You can’t even call the number back.. :-/
5. Chris | June 26th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Hi, I have received phone call from this number past 3 weeks!! When I answered, there was only silence… Then I have searched the net to find it. Finally, today I got match and it’s your blog. Haha The number is exactly the same (02 9374 6300). Just before writing this, phone has been ringing from that number. Omg…. I just want to make it stop.
6. choof | June 28th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
I’ve been getting these calls for 2 weeks now. 4 times today – they used to just hang up. I (sadly) own a Telstra mobile phone – they are all sharks, Tel$tra is the last one I would have gone with, but Dodo, Optus, Vodafone etc have let me down with their Indian call centre run-around. This is the only page thus far that references the number (02 9374 6300). Not calling that back from Victoria…
The upside is that I just found a great blog!
7. moonshineliz | June 29th, 2007 at 10:55 am
They’ve been calling me for weeks too, I don’t answer numbers I don’t know so I too resorted to google, after freaking out because the tax office is a close match, I found you. Now I want to know who the heck sold my mobile number to Telstra, I’ve never had any contact with them before!!
8. Samuel | June 29th, 2007 at 11:34 am
I’m going to update the article shortly. The story is getting very interesting.
9. Andy | July 2nd, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Just received two calls from this number in as many hours. I tried calling it back from my landline, but i only get an engaged signal.
10. flowerchild | July 2nd, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Hello, I received 2 phone calls tonight from this phone number. I didn’t know who it was and so I didn’t answer the phone.
When I Googled this is what I found!
Thank you for posting this information on your blog – it saved me from being hassled by this guy.
Oh and for your info – I DON”T have a Telstra mobile – I don’t have any Telstra phone products, internet, landline, etc., AT ALL!
11. DrunkenFcuk | July 2nd, 2007 at 7:23 pm
I received two calls from this number tonight. The second was about five minutes ago, just after I found this blog. When I picked up I said “Hi, Matt is it? No, I don’t want a Telstra phone, EVER.” About two seconds later, the line went dead! Pretty funny, as long as it doesn’t persist for weeks like it has for other people.
I found a post on Whirlpool, here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/724300.html
12. SarahV | July 6th, 2007 at 11:02 am
My calls only started last night and I missed them both. Out of curiosity I googled the number and hurrah – found this post. I can’t wait for them to ring again – I am in the mood to tell someone off. Let’s hope they stop after that ….not likely.
13. kaitlyn1 | July 6th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
yep I am recieving the same thing
same number
(02)93746300
try to ring the number back and just get an engaged signal…..grrrrr
everyday for almost a fortnight now
14. Andy | July 9th, 2007 at 10:02 am
I rang Telstra about receiving nuisance calls from this number. They informed me that the number belonged to a telemarketing number, and that they would send them an email to remove me from their records.
Today, I received another call from the number, but when I picked it up there was a response on the other side. A rather poorly spoken girl who didn’t have the enunciation of a well-versed telemarketing caller asked me about Telstra’s next G network. When I said that I had no plans to upgrade now, she asked why that was.
I then, rather rudely, told her that I had been receiving hangup calls from this number for a while now, that I’m on the donotcall register and to please stop. Perhaps we’ll see soon if they call back…
15. Andy | July 9th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Further update: I contacted Telstra to let them know that their telemarketing company is still contacting people who were requested removed from their records
Apparently they have a backlog, and haven’t had a chance to remove me from their records. I asked for them to have it done asap.
I asked them about the missed calls as well. This is apparently a symptom of an autodialer. The autodialer can sometimes ring out more times than there are operators, which causes results (and I quote from Telstra’s unwanted calls section) like “missed calls, hangups, heavy breathing (!), and static”
With any luck, it won’t be happening anymore.
16. JG | July 9th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Guys, if this is an autodialer hooking up operators as soon as there is an answer, they probably can’t hang up themselves, but relies on the victim to hang up.
So this calls for OPERATIION GET BACK AT. Simply DON’T HANG UP 🙂 Just leave you phone for as long as you like, and the telemarketers just lost on of their lines…
As for the silent calls (that I get as well), I guess there’s not much to do.
17. alissa | July 9th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
I have recieved 8 calls since 6/7 and it is so ANNOYING! I was trying to sleep and was constantly being woken by it. I have never used Telstra, so to read these comments is very interesting – I certainly have not given them my number so I want to know who sold it to them. Never used them for mobile/internet/landline etc at all.
18. Sanchez | July 10th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I’m also dealing with those annoying calls. I tried to answer two times but there was nobody at the other end. I think I will end my Telstra plan as soon as possible. Telstra sucks donkey balls.
19. Sanchez | July 10th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
I’m going to try this:
https://www.donotcall.gov.au/
20. Sanchez | July 10th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
I suggested everybody register on the Do Not Call Registry, which can be done through the following website:
https://www.donotcall.gov.au/
From that time, this telemarketer has up to 30 days to stop calling you. If the calls continue, then you can lodge a complaint through here:
https://www.donotcall.gov.au/complaints/complaint.cfm
Good luck, folks.
21. jonseygirl | July 10th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
this phone number is driving me crazy. it started a couple of days ago and is now up to twice a day. I have just registeres with don’t call. so we’ll see how long that takes…
22. natbridge | July 17th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
AAHHHHH! I am glad I am not alone. This number KEEPS ringing me – twice a day. I never answer it but it is driving me potty.I too have tried to dial it and it is always engaged.
I am glad it is not just me.
23. Aielyn | July 18th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
OK, I’m now being hit by it. At first, I thought that maybe they’d just tried a couple of times, and would stop. They tried to call twice on the first day, first time I answered and it cut out immediately, second time I didn’t hear it, so it showed up as an unanswered call. Unsure about who it was, I checked the number on the net and found your blog…
Well, since then, I had been blocking the calls each time they came in, but it was up to about four a day… well, today it’s hit 5, and it’s not even 3PM yet.
I seem to recall having been called by these guys before, first time I was very polite and patient, hearing them out a bit before saying that I was happy as I was with vodafone. Second time, I was a little more direct, telling them that I wasn’t interested straight away. From memory, the first one was last year, and the second one was early this year.
This needs to be stopped, and now.
Meanwhile, I’m going to put my name on the Do Not Call register, maybe that will help.
24. melmel | July 20th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
We have been recieving calls from this number on our home phone for ages now.At least one everyday without fail, sometimes about three.We havent been answering though because we dont answer numbers we dont know. After trying to call it back numerous times and getting an engaged signal i decided to answer the next call and tell them off. But each time i answer its as though theyv hung up on me. So i googled 0293746300 and found quite a few forums posting about annoying calls from them.Im pretty sure this is some kind of telephone scam in some way and definately dont think the calls are originating from telstra or one of their associated companies. Iv only just signed up for the dont call register but from alot of peoples posts iv read i dont think this is gunna stop the calls.
25. Sanchez | July 24th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
I filed a complaint against this number on the do not call register. The register replied that since the caller was hanging up and I did not know for sure that they were trying to sell me something, I could not pursue the complaint through them. However, since then these calls have mysteriously stopped. I have not received another call in 2 full days now. It is a miracle!
26. kailz | July 26th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
i receieved calls from this number for 3 weeks straight everyday, some i picked up some i didnt. the ones i picked up they didnt say anything, when i called them back they are either engaged or theres a msg saying testra called about their products and services etc etc. they have stopped calling my mian phone, but now have started calling my other phone number. it is driving me mental!! how can they do this to people
27. difitzy | July 31st, 2007 at 7:55 pm
I started receiving calls on my vodafone mobile yesterday from this number. So far I have had 4. The phone rings long enough for you to answer it then they are gone. Tried ringing back several times with mobile and home phone but only get a busy tone.
28. stubbs | August 6th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
omg this si so wierd that same number has been calling me so many times they wont leave me alone ive posted everywhere i can for help
02 9374 6300,
grrr
29. kelinoz6 | August 7th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Over the last three days I have received 9 calls. I haven’t been able to answer them because I am busy, but it’s getting annoying…. Kelly
30. ucdailoi | August 7th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Just received another call from that same number and caught the person ringing.
He is from Telstra “Charlie” and his employee number is 7469.
Their phone number is 1300790266
Charlie told me that their computer rings the number before they are ready and will hang up before they have a chance to activate the system They are fixing the problem.
In the meantime there are a lot of pissed off people who want to ring their necks.
31. pitbull79 | August 12th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I too have received these calls and have a mother who is very sick and take any calls that are received at work very seriously as people know that I am not to be contacted at work on my mobile with exception of my family in relation to my mother and I find when my phone rings I expect it to be something serious only to find that I am inconvenienced and stressed uneccesarily by this number that obviously is a hoax/scam which is surprsingly affecting a number of people. If the authorities will not take this problem seriously then I am open to other avenues of resolution because I have a few in mind lol
32. marwanjamiel | August 16th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Wow, seems like no one has a story as interesting as mine.
Mine started when I got a call from “Daniel” from Telstra from the number 02 9734 6300. His first question was “Hello is this x?” With X being our landlord and former resident in our home. Being a New Zealander, I immediately recognized he has a Maori accent. I told him its not, and he told me about how we left telstra to change to transact, and how Telstra is offering a deal to us to move back to transact. He went on with a long list of offers in rapid succession that I could not pick them up, but I did pick up that he rationalized them with the reason “All restrictions on the lines have been removed”. Of course, being a heavy internet user, I was tracking the news for the day that will happen, and it has not arrived yet. He asked if I was the bill payer, I told him I am not and that my father is, so he asked when he could call back. I gave him a late time, a time I knew telstra offices are closed, and he said he’ll call back.
A minute after I hung up, I connected the dots and realised its a scam.
He called back a quarter hour after the time I gave him, giving the same introduction. This time I prepared to see how far he’d go with his scam. Again, asking if I was the bill payer, I said no but I make the account decisions. His answer: Oh thats fine. He immediately asked how much my phone bill is, I told him its none of his business. Asking me again, I said that I do not really know. Telling him I was not interested he said “Why, don’t you want to save any money?” I then said “Well okay how about Telstra just sends me the offer in the mail.” He quickly said that he needs “voice confirmation that I’m willing to switch to telstra.” He went on with the offers and how he could basically give me an offer thats, regardless of my bill, going to be cheaper and better, and I said “look, I do not feel comfortable making these decisions over the phone and having telstra hassle me etc., can I speak to your manager please?” He said “I am the manager” I told him I wanted to speak to HIS manager and he said “Everyones gone home its like almost 8 o’clock” I then told him I am not interested in any of these deals, and he hung up.
My parents said they had received two phone calls from the same person the day before, so he has really been targetting our home. How he knew the home owners name, our phone numbers, and our phone company history we will never know.
That was yesterday.
33. marwanjamiel | August 16th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Oh and I forgot one detail. I had asked him if telstra calling EVERY phone number which has changed from telstra to transact, and he said “yes all numbers in the ACT region.”