I would put minus 1000 stars for Telstra if I could. I purchased a Telstra Barbie phone from Telstra a few days ago for my daughter with autism - for her birthday. She was excited for 5 months in the lead up to that because she chose it out prior to her birthday. It was $199. When we opened it we followed the instructions. We plugged it in to charge it. It kept saying (in diagrams) that it was charging. Then fully charged. We unplugged it and immediately the screen went black. Could not turn on. It was unusable. This happened repeatedly, so we immediately put everything back in the box as it was when we received it - brand new and all accessories and went to the store to refund a useless unworking cheaply made plastic device that had costed nearly $200. The very rude staff at Telstra refused a refund saying the box was opened! I explained that was the only way we could find out if it was faulty or working! And that we had replaced the box fully immediately with all in excellent order as purchased. They said they would ONLY swap it for another barbie phone or send it to be repaired. I expressed that none of those options were viable to me because I had totally lost confidence in the phone (that was made of plastic!) and that as a consumer I was told I would I would receive a working phone but did not did not get what I paid for and so was entitled to a refund. The staff - including the manager Kevin - became increasingly hostile and rude to me. It’s terrible. They then became mocking and made personal attacks on me. When I said I had several phone plans with Telstra that I paid monthly on and now would end them he very smugly and hastily said they didn’t care and “Oh well we’ll just generate you a bill and you will have to pay that.” He genuinely DID NOT CARE. Not about myself, my autistic daughter or the $199 I had paid for a present that was useless to my daughter. When I said I was entitled to a refund he made rude comments about my autistic daughter and myself, and he said there was “No way” they would refund the phone. I said “Don’t you even care that this was a birthday gift for an autistic child” and he just mocked me and even laughed at that and openly laughed at other comments I made trying to defend our rights as a consumer and customer. He then falsely accused me of causing a problem in the store. Very convenient that Telstra staff can take money for items that DO NOT WORK - then refuse a refund - only offer substandard alternatives (exchange for another substandard cheaply made barbie phone or repair to the original substandard cheaply phone) - then be rude to me - and then falsely accuse me - their own customer who deserves a refund instead of another substandard phone while they ignore the fact that they upset me in the first place by refusing a refund on one of THEIR phones Telstra has stolen $199 off us for a phone that is substandard and refused a refund. As well we have had appalling internet in our Telstra phones and are going back to Optus. AVOID TELSTA AT ALL COSTS. DISGRACEFUL “CUSTOMER SERVICE.”
