New ADSL2 Plan - Free

[Spectator]

Hi,

Currently on ONA Naked plan $43. When I signed up my plan was about $10 cheaper than the equivalent ADSL2 with phone plan when you added in phone line. Now they are same price and the with phone plan comes with more downloads so am considering moving over. Wife also has a $19 mobile cap plan from TPG. Total cost $62 per month.
Considering the following options:

A - OTL-A plan $43 including phone line (possibly moving Wife's mobile to Exetel too) which would be about same cost each month as we pay now.
B - OTFree-2 plan $30 line rental plus $35 mobile = $65 per month but with more inclusions.
C - leave everything as it is

My questions are:
1. Is exetel considering restoring any of the price differential between Naked and clothed connections? I know it has been said recently there is very little difference in costs now but it seems there is no benefit in purchasing naked anymore.
2. What would be the down time of ADSL by switching from naked to normal line?
3. Would I have to pay line activation charge on option A as both are Optus network?
4. Are there any exit costs if I am still under contract to Exetel on current plan? I think this is no if I am willing to extend my contract.
5. Would I risk losing my port (think that is the right word) by switching if exchange is at or near capacity?
6. If moving to clothed connection does this come with free white pages listing? Need to pay our current voip provider $30 to do this so it may help the 'business case' for change when discussing with the Minister for Communications aka wife

Any help appreciated
Spectator

[CoreyPlover]

I must be drinking too much alcohol.

On the plan change page, at the top of the plans, it gives three options:

No new contract

New 6 months contract

New 12 months contract

I can't see those options

It is quite possible that the contract options only apply for out of contract customers. This would make a lot of sense.

Kenobiajay, you seem to be within a contract (i.e. contract = "existing") implying that by paying the $20 plan change fee, your contract will not get extended. An equivalent option might be to "waive the plan change fee and extend your contract by another 12 months" but that would lead to, say, 13 - 24 months term remaining on a current contract which is quite an undesirable position.

[kenobiajay]

I can't see those options

It is quite possible that the contract options only apply for out of contract customers. This would make a lot of sense.

Kenobiajay, you seem to be within a contract (i.e. contract = "existing") implying that by paying the $20 plan change fee, your contract will not get extended. An equivalent option might be to "waive the plan change fee and extend your contract by another 12 months" but that would lead to, say, 13 - 24 months term remaining on a current contract which is quite an undesirable position.

Hmm, I'm pretty sure my contract expired some time ago. Doesn't really matter anyway....i'm happy to pay $20 plan change fee if it means substantial saving.

That being said, I remember previous Exetel policy regarding plan changes:
* speed change = change fee;
* quota change = no change fee

[Lawrie]

The point of my previous posts were that:
1. I can see that change of plans come with the option to either pay $20 or select a new 6/12 month contract (depending on Telstra/Optus tyoe sevice). This option is not obvious unless you actually go into the form by selecting the APPLY button.
2. The Free plans OTFree and also the new OTL plans are not yet available in the Members Facilities page (or at least they are not available to me) but if we are patient, they will probably be available by the end of the month.

I have not actually tried to submit a Plan change (and never claimed that I did), having only just moved at the start of this month from the Z/20INCTEL plan to the OTAA plan. I have however selected the APPLY button to bring up an application form to have a look at it. You can do this without submitting a form......

[Than]

Hi Guys, I've been waiting to see the new free adsl plans availbility via my login, then my tab "manage services" - "change service" but my change service page only gives the options of "ADSL2 (no telephone)" plans. The "Free ADSL2+Phone+Mobile Service Availablity Check" indicates the Optus service is available to me.
I'm currently using Telstra for my landline with a "NF/20BYOLINE" plan from Exetel. Is the free asdl plan using Optus landline available to me? Should I just use the non member web page to request a free adsl plan?
Also, I use exetel's VOIP service for all my outgoing phone calls & the free asdl plan using Optus landline requests optus to be preselected for all long distance calls. If another provider is preselected for long distance calls, I need to tick a box acknowledging I will pay an extra $10/month. Does using Exetel's VOIP service mean I am not preselecting Optus for long distance calls as there will be no calls made using the Optus landline?
Regards,
Than

[CoreyPlover]

I'm currently using Telstra for my landline with a "NF/20BYOLINE" plan from Exetel. Is the free asdl plan using Optus landline available to me? Should I just use the non member web page to request a free adsl plan?

New plans have not yet been added to the member facilities. There is no ETA either, but hopefully they will be up before the end of the month. If you like, email residentialsupport@exetel.com.au to see if you can manually request a plan change.

Does using Exetel's VOIP service mean I am not preselecting Optus for long distance calls as there will be no calls made using the Optus landline?

Using Exetel's VOIP is fine. "Preselection for long distance" doesn't require such calls to be made, just for you to nominate that *if* such calls are made on the landline, they'llgo through Optus.

[gstark]

The new plans are still not appearing on my manage services page. I'm still seeing OTAA etc rather than the OTL-A plan, which is what I believe I should be seeing.

As it is now nearly the end of the month, do we have an ETA for this?

[bodogbodog]

The new plans are still not appearing on my manage services page

My advice is to just ring Exetels sales number and ask for the change - they will do it for you on the spot over the phone and send you a confirmation email. If you already have a mobile service you can move that to one of the CAP plans in user facilities otherwise the agent will guide you through the process.
They are actually telemarketing some customers letting them know of the new plans - which I think is a great initiative - when did Telstra last ring you (as a customer) to let you know they had a cheaper plan for you?
Give them a ring - you'll find the change takes about 2 minutes

[kiwigene]

That would seem to be counter to they way Exetel have normally done things. i.e. why tie up a human resource when it can be done efficiently online. Can someone from Exetel confirm that if we are existing customers and we want to change to the OTL-A plan we can just call and it will be done? Or should we wait until the service is available in the user facilities?

[CoreyPlover]

That would seem to be counter to they way Exetel have normally done things. i.e. why tie up a human resource when it can be done efficiently online. Can someone from Exetel confirm that if we are existing customers and we want to change to the OTL-A plan we can just call and it will be done? Or should we wait until the service is available in the user facilities?

I'm not from Exetel, but the reason for delaying the user facility feature is because doing so would unleash a bulk of requests and Exetel wish to ensure the process is finalised and without issue before doing that. As the options have not yet appears on the user facilities this would suggest some delays or hiccups in the process.

Individual requests for changes to new plans however have been effected for the last few weeks by Exetel staff but there are some reports now that these requests are being met with the response for users to wait for the option to be added to the user facilities. This *might* be a change in procedure, or it might be because it is the last day of the month and so it is too late to process plan change requests in time for 1 December. Either way, I'd probably suggest it is now too late to expect a changeover to a new plan for 1 December and that you'll need to request it in the month of December, for a 1 January switchover. I'd also recommend emailing Exetel instead of calling.

[roby]

I emailed to request how much the change over would be and got a reply back to wait cant do it now

[gstark]

and so it is too late to process plan change requests in time for 1 December. Either way, I'd probably suggest it is now too late to expect a changeover to a new plan for 1 December .

Which is really quite unsatisfactor, especially when somebody may have indicated, a couple of weeks ago, that they wished to make a change, but they were told that the facility (to make the change) would be made available before the end of the month.

That's where I am.

Somewhat disappointed, really.

And no, calling Exetel is a less than viable option for me, because of my personal work situation.

[gstark]

Hmmm ....

I actually had a phone call yesterday from Exetel, offering me he new plan.

While the pricing and offer is great, I do not want to go onto a contract. I've been off contract for years, and even a 12 month contract is simply not on the table for me.

Why don't you (Exetel) modify the pricing slightly so that those of us who have no desire to go onto a contract can activate the new plans but without being locked in?

You can - by paying a $20.00 plan change fee.

And then you don't make the plans available for online changeover to ...

And now I just see in the newsletter ...

Recently Exetel has introduced a range of much lower cost plans. These plans
have become available to Exetel's current customers as of December 1st 2010.

There is a $40.00 plan change charge if a current customer wishes to change from
their current plan to one of the new lower monthly cost plans without entering
in to a new contract.

There is a $20.00 plan change charge if a customer wishes to change to one of
the lower monthly cost plans if they enter into a new 12 month contract

There's a number of discrepancies here - the plan change fees quoted are different and inconsistent, and add in the fact that the plans were not available to be taken through the on-line facility ...

What's the correct story, please?

[austdata]

That would seem to be counter to they way Exetel have normally done things. i.e. why tie up a human resource when it can be done efficiently online. Can someone from Exetel confirm that if we are existing customers and we want to change to the OTL-A plan we can just call and it will be done? Or should we wait until the service is available in the user facilities?

I'd also recommend emailing Exetel instead of calling.

I emailed Exetel sales late last month and they called me back and took the details over the phone in a few seconds. Now I'm on HSPA 200MB, Cap19 $165 included standard calls, 50GB Peak ADSL2+ and home phone for $49 a month.

With all that, who cares if I'm on a contract or not?

Top service Exetel and great product.

Now all I need is an HSPA device. That might need to be on the order form or included in the spiel.

edit: I do have one question though. Where can I check the mobile phone use on the Exetel website? It doesn't show up in the Secure User Facilities. Is it supposed to be checked in the old Members Facilities area?

[bodogbodog]

[edit: I do have one question though. Where can I check the mobile phone use on the Exetel website? It doesn't show up in the Secure User Facilities. Is it supposed to be checked in the old Members Facilities area?

If I understand your question correctly you can check your "mobile" usage out in your ADSL2 user facilities under "View Usage" then go to "Wireless Broadband" - if you have multiple HSPA/CAPx plans you just select the correct one from the drop down menu

Does that work for you?