Whirlpool

I have called Telstra today and thought this might be helpful to people wanting to leave Spins adsl2 and who want to get off Optus ull. Do not cancel your Spin phone or internet as if you do you will have to pay Telstra to reconnect and will lose your number and possibly your line.
If you apply and have your number ported back to Telstra if won't cost you any money and you can then choose the easy way to get
on other isps that don't use Optus ull.
I was told it could take up to three weeks. Even if you had to pay another months fee it would still be cheaper.

Do you have the number to call to get his process started? For those 'moving on', to help them out?

1800884209 this is the number I used yesterday.
Good luck

Following the advice in another thread, I called Telstra Reachout on 1800 804 698 to get my line switched back to Telstra.

Not only was there no cost involved, but they have given me a $70.00 credit as a "welcome back" gift (the line was previously with Telstra before it was switched to the Optus network many moons ago during the Wild IT days).

The operator confirmed that there is no contract period either. I'll wait until the line is switched back, and then move to one of the ISPs who uses the Telstra network.

Just curious, when you switch back to the Telstra, is your Comcen service still able to work? I'm trying to minimize the downtime I'll experience and currently, there doesn't seem to be any ISP's that appeal to me on the Optus network.

Basically, what I want to do is first, switch my line back to Telstra while still having my internet active. After that, disconnect with Comcen and reconnect with something like TPG on a Telstra line so that rather than having the internet down for a month (that was how long it was down when I moved from iiNet to Comcen as it was a Telstra line before), hopefully downtime would be less than two weeks?

Any help would be great!

DarkAngel writes...

Just curious, when you switch back to the Telstra, is your Comcen service still able to work? I'm trying to minimize the downtime I'll experience and currently, there doesn't seem to be any ISP's that appeal to me on the Optus network.

Nope, once they change you to telstra, you are removed from the optus dslam, so your net will be disconnected.

Rang them up today, and put it all through, process was quick over the phone. Not sure how long it will all take, woman on the phone said 2-6 weeks... yet people on here say 7 days, and heard another person say it was done in 3 days... as long as it is done in 30 days before comcen retract the 30 day penalty free.

iinet adsl2+ here i come, bit more expensive but the days of chasing isps will be over...

wild, ozforces, comcen & aapt... I should have learnt after the first.

Those plans that are to good to be true? They always are and never last

turns out couple of open access points around the house so basic net in downtime shouldn't be a problem :D

My brother rang up Telstra and asked to get changed back to a Telstra line, according to them it'll take 2-3 weeks if we want to keep our number or 1-2 days if we get a new number. Because we have two phone lines it seemed easier to get a new number so we are going to do that.

After that we'll probably swap to another ISP.

Hi guys,

I recently called telstra asking to be switched to a telstra reseller, however the sales assistant advised me that it would cost $299 to switch to telstra.I was under the impression that it was free to port back to Telstra. I'm not looking for an active telephone line as I want to get Naked DSL

Any help would be appreciated

Cheers.

A3-93 writes...

I recently called telstra asking to be switched to a telstra reseller, however the sales assistant advised me that it would cost $299 to switch to telstra.

Telstra Reachout on 1800 804 698

its free

Called Telstra Reachout and indeed they gave me $70 (for being back?).
However they can't process my application till they know my Optus customer # WTF??!!
They got my address, my phone number and my authorisation to do so, why on Earth they can't do it without Optus customer #?

Anyway, called Optus and of course they said I'm not their client and have to ring my ISP to find out this number as my ISP "manage" clients records and don't give them to Optus.
Called Comcen, after the usual wait on line, nice lady told me that she doesn't have this info and I have to write and e-mail to transfers@comcen.com.au.

I did so and received auto-reply saying that according to some BS law they gonna provide me with the number in 2 working days.
This was on Friday, no e-mail yet. :(

I also received an answer to my cancelation e-mail. It said despite all speed problems etc. I still have to oblige with 30 days notice. (I was asking to have 20 days).
At the end of e-mail it asked me how they can keep me as a client?
Yeah, right.
I'm so glad I soon will be out of here...

As many others I've learned (Dodo, TSN, WildIT, Comcen) that "small/budget" ISPs in Australia is a no go.
It probably not even completely their fault. They're being squeezed out by duopoly.

iiNet here I come.

Email Comcen accounts, I called Spin for my Optus Wholesale Account number and was advised to send an email.

Had a return within four hours with the required number.

I've just received an e-mail with the dreaded number.
Feels like exactly two days (automated message?).

Now am waiting for the callback from Tesltra.

I just gave the customer number off my monthly invoice from spin.

u guys are lucky

i talked to telstra and they said optus own my area / house so i would have to pay 299 to get a telstra line put in.....but i have to double check to see if i MITE be able to get my line ported? .......balls

zzzyz36 writes...

I just gave the customer number off my monthly invoice from spin.

And where in the invoice did you find that number may I ask?
Optus customer # is not Comcen's customer number.

Paul V. writes...

And where in the invoice did you find that number may I ask?

Optus customer # is not Comcen's customer number.

I am not an Optus customer why would I have an Optus customer number?

If you mean some wholesale number I have never been given, I was never asked to provide that to Telstra and I find the idea of having to find it out yourself ridicules.

If I am proven wrong then so be it but so far I have only been asked for my spin customer number.

The telstra request as far as I know goes to spin not optus so why wouldnt spin know those details themsevles anyway?

I can confirm that this doesn't work. I had done the same thing when I spoke with Telstra, and I received an SMS yesterday asking me to call Telstra about a problem with the transfer.

They advised that they needed the 14-digit reseller account number. I sent an e-mail to Comcen asking for the number yesterday, and received it back via e-mail this morning. I've now passed that on to Telstra, who said that they will advise once the transfer has occurred.

maximumlawman writes...

I can confirm that this doesn't work.

Thanks for the heads up.

Great service from telstra. I got a guy telling me 2-3 days and a lady telling me up to 6 weeks then I get the same lady asking for my spin account number instead of some optus wholesale number.

woo fun times.

/me gets on phone to spin

I don't normally do it, but i lost my cool on the phone today, went off at the poor chick :( Rang ask wanting my account number and they wanted me to email it cause it was a different department. I gave her my 2 cents, spoke to a supervisor gave him my 2 cents just wanting the number now!

He assured my, I should have a reply in 30 mins, will be calling in 1 hr.

Gone on long enough given the run around by this pathetic ISP i want to get out ASAP

Tzortst writes...

I don't normally do it, but i lost my cool on the phone today, went off at the poor chick :( Rang ask wanting my account number and they wanted me to email it cause it was a different department. I gave her my 2 cents, spoke to a supervisor gave him my 2 cents just wanting the number now!

He assured my, I should have a reply in 30 mins, will be calling in 1 hr.

Gone on long enough given the run around by this pathetic ISP i want to get out ASAP

Yup, I emailed a (stern) reply to accounts two days ago in response to the lame email they sent out to me (finally, after three days of prodding) saying their new plans were excellent as they didn't have off peak period so I could use the 80Gb less anytime I wanted, asking for the reseller number and stating in no plain terms that they should be ashamed of themselves if they think I should be excited about these new plans and I would be leaving Spin with the expectation that I would not be charged an exit fee...

Today I called up and talked to the helpful girl in accounts, who assured me that I will be receiving an email in 5mins to the effect that I would not be charged a fee for leaving and giving me the reseller number, just so I had it in writing. That was 2hrs ago, so I'm just about to call them back and wait on the line until they send me the email. I'm not going to take this crap anymore, I just want to leave this crappy isp...

Thanks for the info with regards to getting off optus and back to telstra *shudder*, I'll make sure that I call that Telstra reachout number to save any time...

So just to confirm, I have to wait until I have the new telstra setup before I can make any inroads with signing up to a new ISP? that sucks...

also in the process of getting my number ported back to telstra so i can finally leave this good for nothing ISP

I got a email back within an hour, called telstra, the dude on the other end said latest my line would be changed was 8th of feb... I'm thinking he read something wrong :|

Told me they will call in couple of days to confirm again, and hopefully that date is moved sooner

Wookiee writes...

So just to confirm, I have to wait until I have the new telstra setup before I can make any inroads with signing up to a new ISP? that sucks...

You don't need to go back to telstra if you go to another ISP that use optus adsl2/phone and support ULL churning. You just transfer over to them.

Tzortst writes...

he dude on the other end said latest my line would be changed was 8th of feb

What! 8th feb, as in February 2009?
wow.

whatsa matta you writes...

What! 8th feb, as in February 2009?
wow.

Yes, but last week it was 8th of December, either he read it incorrectly or the fact that they needed the wholesale number meant the computer automatically changed to a much later date

well finally got my optus wholesale number thing and gave it to telstra who added it to my port app thing. It will probably get rejected and resubmitted but at least they have the number now.

spin still have not answered my question about exit fees if the porting goes outside the offered 30 days.

im happy to wait it all out and leech my 150GB in the meantime :)

zzzyz36 writes...

spin still have not answered my question about exit fees if the porting goes outside the offered 30 days.

im happy to wait it all out and leech my 150GB in the meantime :)

Yeah, I emailed them as well, as I first got the "your plan is not being removed" line from Support, followed by the email "your plan is being discontinued" from Sales/Accounts, and then a couple of days after I emailed them back to confirm that I wasn't within contract, I got the "if you really want to leave, you have to give us 30 days notice". I didn't even think about getting up them, as really they have changed my plan and should give me a period of time to transfer out free of charge, I just told them that I've already called Telstra Reachout and applied to have my number moved to telstra and it should be done by Dec 15th and what problem would they have with that?

I too will be leeching as much as possible in the meantime and will be quoting back to them the "your plan isn't changing" email if they change it next month... at least then I will be able to yell at someone... maybe I'll make a day of it... have a sickie, wait only for half the morning until I can get to someone of a relatively high enough rank so that my yelling will make me feel better, as really it's not the people who first answer your call that have any power/responsibility, so yelling at them is pretty much useless...

lame... still waiting to get ported!

Ok, I had problems myself doing this as Telstra lost my application twice doing the process online. Then it was rejected as apparently my account number was wrong after waiting a month for this to happen I called them to be told this.

Anyways the way I did this was have my phone disconnected from the optus provider and then just connected with telstra.

By memory it was done in 1 – 2 working days

Hassle free doing it that way

allocated writes...

Anyways the way I did this was have my phone disconnected from the optus provider and then just connected with telstra.

yeah but doesnt that cost more $$$...how much did it cost you?

I guess most people dont mind waiting to save a few $$

EDIT: I just called telstra and they bumped my port from the 8th december to the 4th december which is thursday next week. Which means I will have to pay for another month of spin I think... probably cheaper than getting a new line put in anyway.

Telstra is apparently going to swap us over on the 1st. We did want to just disconnect and get a new number but apparently that would have costed $300.

hahahaha duuude, i want what you are eating/drinking/smoking, because for the rest of us mortals its still NOVEMBER....

allocated writes...

assle free doing it that way

dude i read your post, it was anything BUT hassle free going back to telstra.
besides, i did a google on telstra, turns out their main boss is actually satan. kind of explains everything. lol.

Well, today's the day for my changeover to Telstra... Was originally the 13th, but I got a letter last week saying that they'd moved it up to the 3rd... so now I have to double check which new ISP I want to go through and get my application ready, woo hoo!

The 13th would have gotten me within a day of my 30days notice to disconnect from Spin, but it looks like I will still have to pay the partial amount up until the 14th anyways, as I didn't think about giving notice and I'm too happy about leaving to worry about kicking up a faux-stink about them being crap and I shouldn't really have to give them anymore cash...

I had called up a couple of days ago to see if Telstra could bump my port-over date and they told me they could in fact bump it from the 8th to today the 4th.

I got a letter yesterday telling me it would be the 8th. I called up just then and told they had no record of my phone call and it was never rebooked to the 4th.

My first reaction was anger... that quickly went away and I smiled.

Its no surpise... telstra are a completly usless ISP and company that has sub par products and service and only exists because it has huge monopoly power in the market place.

Ill sit tight until monday and leech the rest of my 150GB :)

is anyone else having a lot of trouble getting back to telstra?

i'm already on my third attempt and am worried it won't happen by Christmas.

on my first attempt, telstra didn't ask me for my wholesale number and when they attempted to port me it failed. i only found out about the optus wholesale thing by reading this thread.

after a few more weeks, the second attempt failed today because they said my phone number was not at a compatible exchange? they advised that they will set up a new connection (i don't have to pay) but would have to wait up to another 21 days.

do you have to pay the cancellation fees if you go over the 30 days (which seems inevitable) but have already notified comcen/spin of your intent to leave?

Telstra ported me from Optus Monday.

Signed up to iinet Tuesday.

iinet adsl2+ connected Thursday.

yay!