I Can’t Pay My Phone Bill
Most service providers have a specialist hardship team to help if you are having difficulty paying your phone bill.
If you can, start paying the amount you can afford and get in touch with your creditor straight away to put a repayment agreement in place.
Contacting your provider
Ask to speak with their hardship team, and ask what they can do to help. This can include:
- Changing your billing from monthly to fortnightly
- Offering an instalment payment plan for outstanding bills
- Allowing a delay on a payment
- Restricting your access to more costly services (access to emergency services and the service provider’s enquiry line can’t be restricted)
- Downgrading to a more affordable plan. Ask for the downgrade fee to be waived
- Returning your mobile phone in order for you to be released from the contract (there may be a termination fee)
- Switching to a pre-paid mobile phone.
If you can’t come to an agreement that you think is fair, you have a right to seek ‘external dispute resolution’.
This free and independent service gives you an opportunity to explain how, by working with your provider, you can get back on track with payments.
Will I be disconnected?
Your home phone service provider can only disconnect you after they have:
- Advised you that they may disconnect your service if you don’t pay
- Discussed your repayment options with you, and directed you to the services of financial counsellors and consumer advocates for managing debt
- Given you at least seven days’ notice of their intention to disconnect your service
- Advised you in writing that they plan to disconnect your service
- Informed you of the earliest date that disconnection will occur.
If you feel your provider has been unfair, or hasn’t fulfilled their disconnection requirements, you have a right to take your complaint to external dispute resolution by contacting the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
