Post-paid mobile plan now acting as though it is prepaid

[DK1]

Hi,

Customer ID: xxxxx

This is a post-paid plan.  On 1st July (while travelling), I received an SMS saying "Your mobile prepaid balance is $0..."  I have been unable to send SMS or voice calls. Voice calls receive the recorded message "

Your account balance is insufficient to make this call".

I can receive SMS and voice calls now, although initially even that wasn't working.

As per your FAQ instructions, I have:

1) Power-cycled the handset

2) Ensured airplane mode is disabled.

3) Tried the SIM in a working phone.

4) Performed manual network selection

5) Changed Network mode between 3G and 4G

6) Attempted to "Check if Outgoing Calls are Disabled on your mobile service, but the instructions were irrelevant because my service was "Moved to Novus"

Note that the "Move to Novus" was never notified, nor explained to me.  I have not received any emails from TPG about it.  I understand from reading other support tickets that such notification was made in January.  I last received an emailed invoice in March.  I assume you changed your email settings.  Payments are regularly taken out of my bank account, and I can see (via the Novus portal) that my last payment was taken at the usual time.

Please explain how a post-paid plan (Service Type 148: T4G PAYG) can run out of credit.  This was working until 1st July.  I do not know what changed, other than the financial year. Please set it back to the way it was working.

[Anonymous]

We'd love to help fix this. Please send us a PM with your best contact number and preferred time so we can have our Mobile Specialists to contact you tomorrow.

How to send a PM?

Regards,

Hi,

Customer ID: xxxxx

This is a post-paid plan.  On 1st July (while travelling), I received an SMS saying "Your mobile prepaid balance is $0..."  I have been unable to send SMS or voice calls. Voice calls receive the recorded message "

Your account balance is insufficient to make this call".

I can receive SMS and voice calls now, although initially even that wasn't working.

As per your FAQ instructions, I have:

1) Power-cycled the handset

2) Ensured airplane mode is disabled.

3) Tried the SIM in a working phone.

4) Performed manual network selection

5) Changed Network mode between 3G and 4G

6) Attempted to "Check if Outgoing Calls are Disabled on your mobile service, but the instructions were irrelevant because my service was "Moved to Novus"

Note that the "Move to Novus" was never notified, nor explained to me.  I have not received any emails from TPG about it.  I understand from reading other support tickets that such notification was made in January.  I last received an emailed invoice in March.  I assume you changed your email settings.  Payments are regularly taken out of my bank account, and I can see (via the Novus portal) that my last payment was taken at the usual time.

Please explain how a post-paid plan (Service Type 148: T4G PAYG) can run out of credit.  This was working until 1st July.  I do not know what changed, other than the financial year. Please set it back to the way it was working.

[DK1]

Following up on my message above.

I phoned your support line this afternoon, and they have just hung up on me, so I am back here.

The support operator advised me that the reason the service was cut off was that TPG had been unable to charge my credit card.  That is incorrect, as the card has been consistently charged every month, and in fact was charged again today (see the attached screen snippet).  I really, really dislike being lied to.

We have been using this account for months.  We pay the $1 fee for the number and pay-as-you-go for the useage of SMS and voice calls (we deactivated data).  This is a backup phone, used by my son so that he can call home when needed. 

It appears that you have changed the nature of the account for that it only works as a prepaid phone, but neglected to tell me, cutting off the service on the 1st of July.  You didn't bother to notify us of any changes, and instead just cut off the service while my son was away from home on holidays.

[DK1]

Further, I have just done as the support operator insisted I was supposed to do, and tried to buy prepaid credit.  Your system won't even allow me to do that because I supposedly have not paid my bill.  See the attached screen snippet as evidence.

[Anonymous]

Hi @DK1,
 

Send us a PM with your best contact number and preferred time and we will arrange our Mobile Specialists to contact you to help us 

We would like to set your expectation that, All TPG services are prepaid. You must pay the monthly recurring charges in advance. 

For more details you may check the article below.

TPG billing cycle and advance payments explained

Regards,

Following up on my message above.

I phoned your support line this afternoon, and they have just hung up on me, so I am back here.

The support operator advised me that the reason the service was cut off was that TPG had been unable to charge my credit card.  That is incorrect, as the card has been consistently charged every month, and in fact was charged again today (see the attached screen snippet).  I really, really dislike being lied to.

We have been using this account for months.  We pay the $1 fee for the number and pay-as-you-go for the useage of SMS and voice calls (we deactivated data).  This is a backup phone, used by my son so that he can call home when needed. 

It appears that you have changed the nature of the account for that it only works as a prepaid phone, but neglected to tell me, cutting off the service on the 1st of July.  You didn't bother to notify us of any changes, and instead just cut off the service while my son was away from home on holidays.

Further, I have just done as the support operator insisted I was supposed to do, and tried to buy prepaid credit.  Your system won't even allow me to do that because I supposedly have not paid my bill.  See the attached screen snippet as evidence.

[DK1]

Hi Shane,

You seem to have misread my earlier messages.  My card is charged every month, as you say, this is in advance.  We have never been in arrears.  We make such light use of the phone that we have never needed to buy any extra credit.  We have just used the credit that comes with the monthly charge.  This has been the case for the past 9 months. 

My card was charged yesterday morning.  I spoke to your support officer yesterday afternoon and they claimed that the account was unable to send SMS or voice calls because TPG had been unable to charge my card.  That is simply not true.  My credit card is has sufficient funds and is in regular use.

From your webpage (https://www.tpg.com.au/support/accounts_billing_mobile.php)

What happens if TPG is unable to draw payments from me?
TPG bills you 7 days in advance to give us time to contact you if there is any issue with your payment for any reasons (e.g. insufficient funds, payment details have changed). We will send an email to notify you if we fail to draw payment from you. Please ensure that you have sufficient funds in your bank account/credit card and update your payment details if needed. If payment is still not resolved when your next billing cycle commences, we will be forced to suspend your mobile service (you will only be able to receive calls). Once payment is resolved, your mobile service will resume as normal.

You did not send me any emails to advise that you had been unable to draw payment.  Even if you had been unable to draw payment, we are still within the billing period from the previous payment, so the service should not have been interrupted.

I have now (today) received an SMS from you, indicating that you have accepted the payment which you took from my card yesterday.  The phone still does not work.  Where previously we were able to use the credit from each monthly payment, we no longer can.  This is a change in the account, and occured without any notification from TPG.

Assuming that you now intend not to include any credit in the monthly charge, and we have to buy prepaid top-up credit, how long will that credit stay valid?  When will they expire?  I have been unable to find this information anywhere on your site (even when checking the links offered in the information provided when trying to actually buy prepaid credit).

[Anonymous]

We appreciate the additional details, let us coordinate this with our Mobile Specialists Team for the better understand with the situation, send us a PM with your best contact number and preferred time.
 

How to send a PM? 
 

Regards,

Hi Shane,

You seem to have misread my earlier messages.  My card is charged every month, as you say, this is in advance.  We have never been in arrears.  We make such light use of the phone that we have never needed to buy any extra credit.  We have just used the credit that comes with the monthly charge.  This has been the case for the past 9 months. 

My card was charged yesterday morning.  I spoke to your support officer yesterday afternoon and they claimed that the account was unable to send SMS or voice calls because TPG had been unable to charge my card.  That is simply not true.  My credit card is has sufficient funds and is in regular use.

From your webpage (https://www.tpg.com.au/support/accounts_billing_mobile.php)

What happens if TPG is unable to draw payments from me?
TPG bills you 7 days in advance to give us time to contact you if there is any issue with your payment for any reasons (e.g. insufficient funds, payment details have changed). We will send an email to notify you if we fail to draw payment from you. Please ensure that you have sufficient funds in your bank account/credit card and update your payment details if needed. If payment is still not resolved when your next billing cycle commences, we will be forced to suspend your mobile service (you will only be able to receive calls). Once payment is resolved, your mobile service will resume as normal.

You did not send me any emails to advise that you had been unable to draw payment.  Even if you had been unable to draw payment, we are still within the billing period from the previous payment, so the service should not have been interrupted.

I have now (today) received an SMS from you, indicating that you have accepted the payment which you took from my card yesterday.  The phone still does not work.  Where previously we were able to use the credit from each monthly payment, we no longer can.  This is a change in the account, and occured without any notification from TPG.

Assuming that you now intend not to include any credit in the monthly charge, and we have to buy prepaid top-up credit, how long will that credit stay valid?  When will they expire?  I have been unable to find this information anywhere on your site (even when checking the links offered in the information provided when trying to actually buy prepaid credit).

[DK1]

Hi Shane,

I already called and spoke to one of your support officers.  He gave me incorrect information and then hung up when I pointed out that I was looking at my internet banking and could see the outgoing charges.

Please answer the questions at the end of my last message.

[Anonymous]

Your Prepayment balance will not expire and will roll over the next month as long as your Mobile service is active. In the event that it is depleted, just like what happened on July 1st, you will temporarily be unable to make calls and send SMS but receiving calls and SMS will still work.

For the outgoing call and SMS to work you can top up your account. You may refer here for the instructions below.

How To Top Up TPG Mobile Prepaid Balance

Note: Adding a prepaid balance is not automatic, if you'll need to top up your account you will need to manually do it.
 

Regards,

Hi Shane,

I already called and spoke to one of your support officers.  He gave me incorrect information and then hung up when I pointed out that I was looking at my internet banking and could see the outgoing charges.

Please answer the questions at the end of my last message.