If you need your home phone connected, or features like call waiting or calling number display added, your telco must do it within certain timeframes.
They also have timeframes they must meet for fixing faults or service problems with your home phone. These rules are in the Customer Service Guarantee Standard (the CSG Standard).
What’s covered and what’s not
These timeframes apply when you have a fault. This includes when you:
- can’t make or receive calls
- are repeatedly cut off
- have severe interference that affects the service
- cannot use certain phone features such as call waiting or forwarding.
These timeframes don’t apply for:
- mobile phone, fax and internet services
- transfers to another phone company
- services if you have more than 5 landline phone lines.
Timeframes for connections
Usually, times depend on the size and location of the community you live in.
If a telco promises to connect you in a shorter timeframe than shown below, that shorter time is what they need to meet.
Connecting a new service
| Size of community | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Urban (10,000+ people) | Within 5 working days |
| Major rural (2501 to 9999 people) | Within 10 working days |
| Minor rural (201 to 2500 people) | Within 15 working days |
| Remote (up to 200 people) | Within 15 working days |
Connecting an existing service
If a phone service already exists, the telco must connect within 2 working days. This is for all communities.
Timeframes for repairing faults or problems
| Size of community | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Urban (10,000+ people) | End of next working day |
| Rural (201 to 9999 people) | End of second working day |
| Remote (up to 200 people) | End of third working day |
If the telco does not need to visit the house, the timeline is the end of the next working day.
Timeframes for attending appointments
When the telco makes an appointment to connect or fix a service, they must:
- give you an appointment window of no more than 5 hours
- keep the appointment unless they give you reasonable notice that they need to change it.
| Community | Window for appointment | Appointment is missed if the telco does not attend |
|---|---|---|
| All locations | 4 hours or less | Within 15 minutes of the end of the appointment period* |
| Urban and major rural (2501+ people) | 4 to 5 hours | Within the appointment period |
| Minor rural and remote (up to 2500 people) | 4 to 5 hours | Within the appointment period* |
* If the telco must travel a long way in an area of up to 2,500 people, they have an extra 45 minutes.
Interim or alternative phone services
Your telco may offer you another service while they are fixing a fault. This could be:
- an interim service such as a mobile phone service at standard landline rates
- an alternative service such as call diversion to a mobile or a second phone service.
You can accept or refuse the service as long as your telco gives you enough information to decide.
Paying compensation for missed timelines
If a telco misses a timeline, they must pay you compensation. You don't need to ask. It is automatic. They must pay you for each working day, unless they have an exemption.
Residential and charity customers
| Services delayed | Compensation per working day, 1 to 5 days | Compensation per working day, 6 days or more |
|---|---|---|
| Connect or fix a standard telephone service | $14.52 | $48.40 |
| Connect or fix 1 extra feature to an existing service | $7.26 | $24.20 |
| Connect or fix 2 or more features to an existing service | $14.52 | $48.40 |
They must also pay $14.52 for each appointment they miss.
Business customers
| Services delayed | Compensation per working day, 1 to 5 days | Compensation per working day, 6 days or more |
|---|---|---|
| Connect or fix a standard telephone service | $24.20 | $48.40 |
| Connect or fix 1 extra feature to an existing service | $12.10 | $24.20 |
| Connect or fix 2 or more features to an existing service | $24.20 | $48.40 |
They must also pay $24.20 for each appointment they miss.
As a business customer, if you accept a CSG payment, you can still claim for loss of business.
When timeframes don't apply
-
If there is a mass service disruption or outage because of
- a natural disaster or extreme weather
- maintenance or upgrade work that they told you about
- damage to their facility or network by a third party.
Contact your telco first if you have problems with an outage. You can go to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman if your telco does not resolve it.
- If you agree to give up your rights to accept a service they offer – see below.
Giving up your rights
Telcos can suggest that you give up some or all of your CSG standard rights. This may be so they can offer you services that would not be available if they had to meet the standard.
If they do this, they have to explain what might happen. They are not allowed to ask you to give up your rights if they are required by law to provide the service.
What the telco must do
The telco can ask you to fill out a form saying you give up some or all of your rights. Their form, known as a 'waiver', can be online or paper and must include:
- which CSG rights you are giving up
- the date the waiver starts
- their contact details
- a statement that you do not have to agree to give up your rights (but a telco can choose to not give you the service if you refuse)
- details of your protections and rights under the CSG Standard
- a summary of what might happen if you give up your rights.
The telco can ask you over the phone (verbally) to give up some or all of your rights under the CSG standard. This is known as an oral waiver. If they suggest an oral waiver, they must first tell you:
- details of your protections and rights under the CSG Standard
- what might happen if you give up your rights
- which performance standards and rights to compensation will and will not apply
- that you can change your mind and withdraw your consent within 5 working days
- that they have to send you written details of your oral waiver.