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Thread: Farkstel Disconnection

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    Default Farkstel Disconnection

    Hey all,
    I was wondering. Dad has been a long time customer of Farkstel (since the days of good 'ol Galaxy)...which is now over 10 years or something. Total bill he's paying for (via Telstra with bundling etc) is $150-odd. Platinum subscription with 2 additional IQ outlets @ $ ~ $50 p/m.

    He's growing tired of new customers being offered free IQ for 12 months, yet a long time customer such as Dad is ignored and offered bugger all.

    I tried to query Farkstel sales yesterday to waive the $50p/m fees but still pay the price of the platinum package. Since if new customers can get free IQ, why the hell can't we? The unhelpful sales guy didn't really want assist. But I thought if I was a new customer, they'd be falling over themselves to make me happy.

    Onto disconnection, how helpful are the disconnection staff in keeping a customer when I call up to disconnect? I'm of the opinion that its a small price to pay - we pay platinum package price, they waive the fees for the boxes.

    Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

    Cheers



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    Senior Member vk6xlr's Avatar
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    You can always 'threaten' them with disconnection/reconnection.
    It usually works and they come to the party

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    A service provider in any industry is loath to loose customers, especially long term ones.
    Your Father has (IMO) a valid complaint the only mistake you made was complaining to the wrong person. I assume you spoke to one of the minions operating a shopping centre kiosk, these people have to ask permission to wipe their collective arses.

    Another option might be to actually ring the service provider, ask the first person operator you get to transfer you to disconnections and then tell them the truth, just embellish it a little, tell them not only how pissed off you are but the rest of your family as well, all six brothers and three sisters, Aunts , Uncles cousins and nieces all renting from the same provider and all equally annoyed with the situation. Tell them the family has asked you to voice all your concerns first and to then report back to the family.

    However, remember to tell them exactly what you want, ignore what the providers advertised options are, remind them you are prepared to cancel your service. It is their loss - not yours.

    Just be firm but polite.

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    yip, I agree with Seymour. Having worked as a CSR in a totally different industry, we are loathed to lost customers, and if the person is fair and reasonable, and isn't rude, we will be inclined to do the best we can within what powers we've got.

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    This guy was just a call centre jockey on their 131 number. Obviously, we want to save money and want to look at doing this via waiving the admin fees for the additional boxes and outlets. The CSR suggested we should save money by going for a lesser package and that if we wanted to negotiate, it had to be a "two way street".

    So according to him, his "two way street" is pay the fees for the boxes, but just go down to a lesser package. Which to me sounds like a one-way street. Advantage Farkstel.

    My "two way" street is pay for platinum IQ package as per normal, Farkstel waive the fee for the boxes. Advantage Dad and Advantage Farkstel.

    Interesting to see what disconnections have to say about it, since I think, what im offering is a fair compromise.

    Cheers for your feedback people.

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    Just ring back again. You will get a different person , tell him you are thinking about disconnecting and ask about the disconnection process , return of the receiver etc. Chances are they will try and talk you out of it with some sort of offer.

    Dont let one person there put you off.

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    Kind of a no-brainer IMO:

    Consider now our total package @ 160pm:

    Yearly - $1920

    If they waive the fee, they'll still get ~ $1272 a year out of us. They'll still be getting more out of us a year ($1272) than they'll be losing (~ $600).

    Really, a small price to pay for keeping a long time customer. Dad has had the platinum package for quite some time now and they should be able to see that. If we'd be asking for this 'deal' on the most basic chanel package, I quite honestly would agree with Farkstel and not even consider it. But when were offering to stick with the platinum subscripion, I think it is a more than reasonable request.

    Yeah!

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    My mum rang up the other day.. once the IVR detects that you are a Telstra customer, it routes you there rather than foxtel.

    She ended up getting a 15 minute spiel on the benefits of wireless - useless as she doesn't have a laptop, and already has BP adsl..
    * Bill Paxton is the only actor to be killed by Alien, a Terminator, and the Predator.

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    If you disconnect, you cannot get special offers if you reconnect for 3 months.

    If you move house and move your account to the new address you are not eligible for new offers either.
    iam a bogan

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    Quote Originally Posted by bambbbam View Post
    My mum rang up the other day.. once the IVR detects that you are a Telstra customer, it routes you there rather than foxtel.

    She ended up getting a 15 minute spiel on the benefits of wireless - useless as she doesn't have a laptop, and already has BP adsl..
    So would it be Telstra that handles the disconnection request/process? If so, I would only assume that Telstra would be much harder to convince to drive a better deal for Dad? Or does it not matter?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mate View Post
    If you disconnect, you cannot get special offers if you reconnect for 3 months.

    Yep but you can use the same address with the better halves name.. or the dog, or the cat etc
    * Bill Paxton is the only actor to be killed by Alien, a Terminator, and the Predator.

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    Senior Member vk6xlr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mate View Post
    If you disconnect, you cannot get special offers if you reconnect for 3 months.

    If you move house and move your account to the new address you are not eligible for new offers either.
    I would debate that as I've seen people do it.

    This is what I did:
    I had a standard box and wanted to upgrade to IQ. At the time, the deal was free install and free IQ for 12 months.
    Speaking with Foxtel, I said being an existing customer I want a free upgrade and free 12 months, else I'll disconnect and reconnect to get the offer.
    Sales um'd & ah'd then put me through to Disconnections. I told Disconnections my request, they came back and said, sure you can have free upgrade and free 12 months.

    So, it can be done.

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    Any last thoughts or advice for my request with Farkstel? I'm going to call them this evening and go through the disconnection process, pretty much stating the above reasons and offering the more than reasonable compromise.

    Do you think that perhaps mentioning taking our business to SelectTV or whatever other provider is available will have any impact?

    Cheers for all of your replies.

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    For sure. Its no good to them if you take your money elsewhere.

    As I mentioned earlier , ring and ask some disconnection related questions , ie , what happens to the receiver etc and mention that you dont really want to cancel but you are sick of new customers being offered great deals and that as a loyal customer you really arent being looked after.

    They would have to be pretty stupid to lose you by not making some sort of offer. If the person you get gives you the shits , ask to speak to the supervisor. They normally have the authority to do things to keep you happy.

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    Awesome. Dad would like to stay, but he's happy to disconnect if Farkstel dont respect his long-term business.

    Thanks people.

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    I have the IQ1 and platinum, although I can't really afford it and want to get rid of the IQ since I don't use it.

    anyone got any experience in this field? someone said they just disable the PVR function of the STB? or would they send a tech with a new box and card out?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ogo99 View Post
    I have the IQ1 and platinum, although I can't really afford it and want to get rid of the IQ since I don't use it.

    anyone got any experience in this field? someone said they just disable the PVR function of the STB? or would they send a tech with a new box and card out?
    i did the same thing
    they sent a tech out and switched the box over

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    Registered User mate's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sanity View Post
    For sure. Its no good to them if you take your money elsewhere.
    would that be taking it to the bank? Because you can't take it to a competitor!
    iam a bogan

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    Senior Member vk6xlr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ogo99 View Post
    I have the IQ1 and platinum, although I can't really afford it and want to get rid of the IQ since I don't use it.

    anyone got any experience in this field? someone said they just disable the PVR function of the STB? or would they send a tech with a new box and card out?
    What Foxtel are doing now is disabling the PVR function.
    Installers were informed about this months ago.

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    UPDATE:

    Seems Farkstel/Telstra weren't to fussed with watching a 10+ year customer walk. I offered them the "compromise" of staying on the platinum package and they can waive the Service and Additional Outlet charges (2x IQ boxes, totaling about $50pm), but the disconnections guy told me he couldn't do that.

    So we have about 2 weeks left of service access, then the courier will swing around to pickup the boxes.

    Oh well. Their loss, not ours. They would've still been gaining more than they were losing.

    Cheers

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