Note to mods: DON't merge this with my previous complaints. it is not part of the same complaint.
So far, my experience with TPG customer service has been mixed. It seems that all of the offices contracted for "tech support" and "engineering team" follow a strict script, and rarely actually listen to you. Its like talking to a chat bot or something.
But I've had some luck at least getting issues escelated through the forums here where over the phone they refused to escelate it.
Over all though, the experience has been... pathetic to be honest.
several times over the last few months TPG has called the wrong number when attempting to contact me despite telling them to "make sure that they check the contact number they call is (insert my number here)".
Then there have been the multiple times I have had to go through the same tests over and over, even though they have already been done, and TPG already know what the results of that test will be, but apparently still have to "follow protocol" and go through all the steps.
This is mostly because when TPG calls the wrong number and don't get a response, they close the case. No second guessing the number they called, just closed case immediately. Then I had to re-open...
There are so many more examples of TPG making really really silly mistakes over and over, but I'm going to get the main point here for my complaint now.
Complaint #1. I previously made a complaint about the way TPG advised me to buy a new router due to theirs being faulty and suggested I buy a third party one if I wanted good quality administrative options on the router as they didn't have those functions. Then when I was going to buy a router, I even called again to double check there would not be an issue where TPG tech support would turn me down because I don't have a router bought from TPG, and I was assured 100% that having a third party router would not cause any problems except that they coudn't guarantee the performance of that router, and that the staff may not be familiar with the router, but will nonetheless do their best to look up the information for that router if I needed help with it.
I later was told by tech support that they refuse to escelate an issue unless I plug in the TPG router they told me is faulty, but I had already thrown out that router by then as they told me it was faulty and to replace it.
So at that point I had forked out $200 to buy a new router, and TPG was telling me I had to have a TPG branded router or get no tech support.
I then requested on here for TPG to send me a basic TPG branded router free of charge for messing me around because I would have bought a TPG router in the first place rather than 3rd party if I had known this would be an issue, but I was assured the opposite and spent money buying a 3rd party one.
This was the fault of TPG, and it should be up to them to fix it.
Shortly after that, I got a notification from a shipping company that they were delivering a router from TPG, and I figured "oh great, looks like the forum got the job done again".
I wasnt in a hurry to unpack the new router though, because I already had an escelated case open, and only needed it in case of having to contact that tech support line again.
A week later I unpacked the box and found a letter stating that this is a "loan modem" and that I need to return the modem within 14 days or I would be charged a fee for the entire cost of a new router...
Its almost like TPG trolled me...
TPG insisted that I use this test modem to rule out my modem being the issue, despite the fact that we had already ruled out the modem as being the issue because I had the issue before buying a new router, and after buying a new one, but I played their game and tested the connection with the new router, no surprise there was no difference, so another NBN tech was booked to come out.
What I want out of this complaint:
I spent money on a third party router because TPG had given me poor advice and concluded wrongly that the existing TPG router I had was faulty, and said with "100% assurance" that I could buy a third party router and have no problems whatsoever with TPG as long as it was NBN ready.
This resulted in me throwing out a router that actually turned out to be fine, and buying a third party router, but then was told by TPG that I needed to have a TPG branded router.
I think it would be reasonable for TPG to compensate me for the full cost of that router I threw out due to them telling me it was faulty and to replace it.
Complaint #2:
For the entire time I have been on NBN with TPG, I have not reached the speeds specified on my plan, ever.
I have been paying for "Standard Plus", but have only been able to reach speeds more in line with "standard" and most of the time below standard.
According to the ACCC I have the right to at least a partial refund if the plan I have paid for specifies speeds that they are not able to deliver.
The reason these speeds aren't achievable is because of the distance of copper to the node from my house being 1000 meters away.
The speed specified is "up to 40mbps". It is expected that at the connection will at least come very close to, or match that during off peak/non-busy hours. It never has in this case.
I am asking for a partial refund for the entire length I have been on this plan (up until 2 months ago), equal to the cost difference between the "standard plus" plan, and "standard", as what I have been getting over the time being on this plan has been below the standard specified on my plan.
Continuing my plan further, I propose remaining on my current plan with a partial discount now that I am reaching slightly above the "standard" plan, but still not able to reach the "standard plus" speeds due to the line fault which isn't able to be fixed.
Please let me know if this is something TPG will consider without me having to escelate this through the TIO or ACCC.
Thanks
