Hello
apologies for the post being so long, but I have A list of issues to address and want to cover them in one place.
Firstly; and most importantly, I’d like to know how to go about claiming for costs regarding the advertisement you’re still running that claims ONE BUSINESS DAYS NOTICE is all that you require for connecting electricity (and safe access to meters obviously, it is safe and accessible at my address). This is for SA. The ad has been running since before I was a customer. In fact, I connected via the online application, and chose AGL specifically due to THIS CLAIM, after having checked for any exclusions that may have meant one business day wasn’t actually true. I found none. The previous account holder had disconnected their bill, indeed I checked specifically on one call if there were any delays of this or any other nature. I was told there was NO ISSUE and simply I was being unrealistic, unreasonable and uneducated in the power supply process.
I was advised that I was ‘naive’ to expect AGL could connect power any sooner! I am young, but am not an idiot, and didn’t even sign up with a foolish or gullible perspective. I checked for terms, exclusions, provisos and/or specifications that could make the offer inapplicable or my property ineligible. There were none. And you offered a bonus Amazon Echo Dot on the plan I selected. Which I never got**!!
However, it in fact took long over a week and I had to call three times. No one could say exactly when it’d be on! Eventually a ‘by this day’ was procured, and I was a last call job, lights not on til after 11:30pm that day. Around 10-12 days after the date requested when I applied. Which was 2-3 business days after applying, not just one.
When i called to enquire about the delay the connections operator said among other dismissive things that ‘perhaps You (me) don’t understand correctly the process of a new connection, and this cannot be done in one business day!’
Um what? It’s an old building not a new physical connection. Just a new account, an electronic request to SA power networks to flick a switch on site which they are available to do daily until midnight.
I have been really sick and unable to chase until now, but I’ve read the *’s, the ^’s and all the exclusions I can find on your website and in the contract and there is NOWHERE that says ‘one business day’ is actually 7-14 business days. You can view my file and see the day I applied, requested and the day my property was actually connected.
I was technically (luckily financially I could pay for accommodation) homeless for almost a couple of weeks due to having no electricity or gas supply at my new property - elec would’ve been enough. This meant i lost all my perishable foods, and had to stay with someone else (at a cost) for around 10 days longer than YOUR primary selling point.
So. I’d like to know how do I claim on the up to $250/day that you say you’ll pay customers that the operator was determined to make me forget about, and claimed “wasn’t actually one business day to finalise connection but one business day to receive application” (ahem... “Night lights ON in one business day or we’ll pay you up to $250 a day” is the exact wording of your advertisement).
Additionally can I get copies emailed to my account email or posted to service address of your documentation that shows my application, requested connection date, and actual connection date please? If I have to FOI it, or hunt through my history I will, but some cooperation would be appreciated and probably more than timely.
AGL has been a headache I didn’t need ever since submitting the application. This is including when an agl staffer fault caused the accidental disconnection of my supply, and the subsequent loss again of perishables as I was in hospital and came home to find it off - I didn’t know when and am sick enough without eating off food. It also includes the complete non-existence of the sign up bonus which for my chosen plan was an echo dot and $150 off both bills, and finally the cancellation of my order on AGLRewards for the free Google Home device!!
Its not been a smooth or harmonious experience at all with you and at this stage it feels like I’ve been scammed. No one I know thought I should sign with you but your deals and conditions were important, none of which eventuated. Especially the timeframe for connection seeing as I had no home (or none without power) due to this ‘impossible timeframe that no one actually connects in’ promise.
Ideally I’d like to see some good faith cooperation at this stage, with this issue resolved, and my cancelled/undelivered products arriving. The staff error I can accept as an error and the man who fixed it was the only positive and correctly completed experience with you. But overall as one more strike against the company I’ll be moving my accounts elsewhere if AGL maintain such a poor ability to provide and maintain a service and meet legal obligations regarding advertising, sign up promotions and such.
Thanks
**To this day I’ve received no item, no advisement that I’d not receive it and no advisement it was posted as you say is emailed. It simply ceased to exist but can be verified when I look at the Change Plan page, where my current plan is still showing the bonus echo.
