Customer Service Guarantee

The Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) Standard is administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). It requires telephone providers to meet performance standards for residential and small business customers and to provide users with financial compensation when these standards are not met. 

The CSG Standard specifies timeframes for the connection of specified services, the repair of faults and the attendance of appointments. This applies to the Standard Telephone Service, your telephone line, and some features. These features are Call Waiting, Call Barring, Call Divert, Call Number Display and Call Number Display Suppression.

Optus' ability to meet the CSG Standard can be impacted by circumstances beyond our control, for example severe storms or bushfires. Where these affect a large number of services, Optus may claim an exemption for a Mass Service Disruption. Advice of such Mass Service Disruptions are printed in major newspapers and on this website, for both direct-connect customers and for resale telephony customers.

The Optus Commitment under the CSG Standard provides details of the service commitments Optus makes to you.Further information about the CSG Standard is available from the ACMA website. This includes:

• Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2000 (No. 2); and
• Telecommunications (Performance Standards) Determination 2002.

Non English Speaking Customers

Translator services
If you have a friend or family member who doesn't speak English, and they would like to contact us there are couple of ways they can do it.

Using a friend or family member as interpreter
A customer unable to speak English can be identified through a non-account holder. However, the non-account holder must act solely as an interpreter and the account holder must be present during the conversation.

The account holder's verbal authorisation for discussing details with the non-account holder must be given. The account holder will need to tell their name, address, date of birth and mobile or account number. Alternatively, the non English speaking account holder can activate a Pin code.

Using the translating and interpreting service
Non English speaking account holders can also call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450 and ask to speak with Optus. The TIS will arrange for an interpreter who will act as a translator between the customer and Optus.

Please confirm the charge with TIS before engaging their services.

Optus Store Locator

Mass Service Disruptions

A Mass Service Disruption is declared when normal operations are significantly disrupted by circumstances beyond Optus' control. The result can be delays to installation and repair activities and the failure of a number of telephone services.

When a Mass Service Disruption is declared, performance standards as required in the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) Standard may not apply. Exemption from the performance standards, for circumstances beyond Optus' control, are fully explained in sections 22-27 of the CSG. Please visit the TIO website if you would like to view the CSG Standard and related information.

Mass Service Disruption Notices

Disability Services

Braille billing or large font billing
If you are visually impaired we can make it a bit easier for you with a Braille or large font bill. To request this service, contact us on 133 343.

Payment and billing information
You will continue to receive your standard paper bill, but your bill payment due date will be extended by about 1 week while we produce your Braille or large font bill.

Paying at the post office
Present your standard paper bill when paying at the post office, as the bar code is not active on Braille or large font bills.

Mailing your payment to Optus
If you mail your bill payment to us, make sure to include your standard paper bill payment slip and not your Braille or large font bill.

Optus Special Assistance Service
Call us on 133 937 if you are an Optus customer with a medically certified life-threatening condition and you require an Optus service fault to be fixed as a priority. Find our more about our Optus Special Assistance Service.

Customers with Teletypwriters
Call us using your Teletypewriter (Mobile customers call 1800 123 124. Home Phone, Internet and Optus TV customers call 1800 500 002. Our emergency Teletypewriter number is 106).

Optus Store Locator

Financial Hardship Policy

Hardship Process

• Definition of Hardship
• Optus F.A.S.T Team
• Identification of a Customer Experiencing Financial Hardship
• Reaching a Financial Arrangement
• How to find out more

Definition of Hardship

The ACIF Credit Management Code defines financial hardship as:

a situation where a Customer is unable, reasonably, because of illness, unemployment or other reasonable cause, to discharge their financial obligations under their contract with the Supplier and the Customer reasonably expects to be able to discharge those obligations if payment and/or Service arrangements were changed.  Financial hardship can be of limited or long term duration.

Financial Advisory Support Team (FAST)

In times of genuine Hardship, customers and/or their financial counsellor deserve easy access to empathetic and skilled staff who can promptly address their circumstance or concerns.  Optus will provide this service by training all staff in the general credit area to identify financial hardship customers, and refer these customers to specialised staff. These staff can also be contacted via a specific telephone number made available only to Financial Counsellors*. 

This team is known as the Financial Advisory Support Team (FAST).

Optus expects its FAST team members to act with compassion and sympathy, yet still manage the situation within business requirements.  FAST Representatives are required to accept reasonable payment arrangements, taking into account each customer’s individual circumstances.

NOTE:

• The Optus Financial Advisory Support Team do not manage Business Accounts.
• Customers who have chosen to transfer all of their services to another provider but still have an outstanding balance with Optus are ineligible for participation in Optus’ Financial Hardship Program.

* (In order to speak to a Financial Counsellor, the customer must be present, or we must have received prior authority from the customer to speak with the Counsellor on their behalf. Please contact us for further information.)

Identification of a Customer Experiencing Financial Hardship

Optus considers financial hardship a state that involves an inability of the customer to pay bills, rather than an unwillingness to do so. Customer hardship can arise from a variety of situations. Hardship can be either of limited duration or long term.  To illustrate, several of the common causes are listed below. 

Hardship can result from a number of factors including:

• Loss of employment by the consumer or family member
• Family breakdown
• Illness including physical incapacity, hospitalisation, or mental illness of the consumer or family member
• A death in the family
• Abuse of the service by customer (eg. from use of 190X numbers, GPRS)
• Abuse of the service by a third party leaving the customer unable to pay the account
• Natural Disaster

Reaching a Financial Arrangement

The basic principle of any agreed financial arrangement is that the repayment should be sufficient to cover expected future use of the service (as adjusted to ensure the customer’s financial position does not worsen over a reasonable period of time) as well as providing continued reduction of debt at a reasonable level (i.e. the customer should not be going into further debt under the arrangement).

How to find out more

By phone
Hardship Inquiries: 1800 505 201
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm EST

By Mail
Optus Financial Advisory Support Team
PO Box 306
Salisbury South SA 5106

Transfer your mobile to Optus

Transfer your mobile service to Optus from another carrier and in most cases you can keep your existing number.

Post-Paid mobile customers
To transfer your mobile service from another carrier all you need to do is complete a Customer Authorization (CA) form. You can do this through a participating Optus retail store or contact us. This is subject to a credit check and other conditions.

Check for fees and charges
Make sure to check with your existing carrier if you are liable for any fees or charges. Optus is not liable for any fees incurred as a result of you transferring your mobile service from another carrier.

Transfer times
Mon–Fri, 8am–8pm
Sat, 10am–6pm