'Cancel my service now, I will go to your competitors': Australian woman loses internet access for two years

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 28, 2024 5:00 PM EST

This service provider tried a lot of different ways, but they couldn't convince one customer that she was wrong. 

As case worker at an internet service provider, this person had to work with all types of customers. If you've worked in a customer service role for even a day, you'll know that people are not always kind to the person on the other end of the phone. In fact, some people are under the impression that the louder they talk, the better their results will be. 

This person, u/JimmyRecard, told a story of malicious compliance that happened when they just could not get through to a customer. It seems like a bad situation all around. The customer couldn't get her internet to work, so she called the provider for help. But then the provider couldn't help her either, and they wanted to charge hundreds of dollars to send someone out to help her. I'd be upset, too if I was her! The OP mentions that the customer didn't seem to be following their instructions to troubleshoot the internet connection. Instead, she just told the OP about her son, who worked in IT, while explaining that she had a brand new router that wouldn't work. There are no winners in this story, just an unhappy customer and a call center worker who really couldn't help her in any meaningful way. 

After that, these college kids tried to do their laundry, and failed so badly that their entire school had to evacuate in the middle of the night. 

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  • 01
    109/ROM These companies want to co 'You get no internet for the next 2+ years'
    via Magnet.me on Unsplash
  • 02
    You want to cancel your service Karen? Ok, you get no internet for next 2+ years. XL OC This was couple years ago so the quotes are rephrased, not verbatim. Background I worked for an internet service provider in Australia called iiNet. We were at the time one of the biggest providers, but crucially we did not own our our ADSL1 network and we only onsold the ADSL1 service from the biggest provider in the country, Telstra. We also had a policy that an ongoing issue should have a case owner, and I
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 03
    Act 1 - A wild Karen appears I get a call from a Karen. While doing an ID check she provides me her age, and of course she's in her 40s. Her internet went down. I look at the account and I can see she's got onsold Telstra service. One thing catches my eye. Although there are thousands of exchanges (central place your connection goes to, shared by multiple suburbs) in the country and you can't possibly know them all, I know the one she is on because few weeks earlier a friend was considering buyi
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 04
    So I ask her to do the troubleshooting steps and she says she does, but I suspect she's just telling me she is doing it to make me go away. Whatever, nothing I can do about that. We exhaust all the troubleshooting and I tell her there appears to be a line fault. I can send out a technician but it will take 3 to 5 working days and if there is actually nothing wrong with the line she will be charged $199 + $40 (numbers might be wrong, it was a while back, but it was at least $200) for every 15 min
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 05
    Act 2 - The fault (in our loop) She calls after two days, sounding annoyed things are still offline. I tell her it hasn't been 5 days. She hangs up. On the fifth day I get the technician's report saying "No Fault Found". Next day she calls. Karen: So, may connection is still offline. It has been 5 days. What's happening? Me: Well, the technician attended the fault and his report says "No Fault Found". Karen: What, that's The internet is clearly down and you need to fix it. Me: I don't doubt that
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 06
    Karen: That's not true, my son is an IT guy and the router is brand new. Me: Ok, well, I can't speak for the state of your equipment but our equipment appears to be in working order. Incidentally, I just want to make sure to give you heads up that we will be placing and Incorrect Callout Fee on your next invoice. Karen: You're lying to me. I didn't see no technicians and now you want to charge me over 200 dollars based on your lies. I won't let that happen. Me: I assure you, the technician atten
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 07
    Me: Well, if you are adamant that your equipment is not at fault, you only option is to file another fault and send the tech out again. It is fairly rare, but it is not impossible the technician was wrong. Karen: And then you'll pretend you send the tech and charge me another Incorrect Callout Fee! Me: We will most definitely send out another tech, but yes, it is very likely to come back as another NFF and in that case a further fee is likely. Karen: That's . I have been with you for 5+ years an
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 08
    Me: Ma'am, the exchange you're connected to only has Telstra ports and is at 100% utilisation. If I cancel your service you will lose your spot. It is unlikely any of our competitors will be able to provide you any service at all. You should just transfer your service to the next provider (so called churn, this will allow her to keep her sport). Karen: DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO YOU LYING SACK OF YOU WILL CANCEL MY SERVICE : NOW OR I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO HAVE YOU FIRED. Now I'm of
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 09
    Me: Ok, cancelation processed. Let me just remind you that the Incorrect Callout Fee is still due. Karen: You won't see a cent of that. Me: Noted, but the amount is over collection's threshold so we will send you to collections. Karen: <click> Act 3 - The joys of the waiting list About a month later I get a request to transfer to me. It's Karen. I take a moment to catchup on her file and the service is cancelled and fee invoiced. I run a quick Service Qualification on her line and I can see that
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 10
    Karen: Hello. I think I spoke to you last time. Me: Yes you did. Karen: My internet is still down and you are still charging me for the fee. I need you to get rid of it. Me: I cannot do that. The charge is valid. Karen: Well, I can't pay it. You've ruined my business! I was operating an eCommerce business and that won't be possible anytime soon. Running a business over residential connection is a breach of Customer Service Agreement, but I let that slide. Me: I am sorry for you predicament, but
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 11
    Karen: I'll do you a deal. If you reconnect my service I will pay the fee. Me: I can probably sign you up again, even though you're behind on payment, but I was not lying to you when I told you that there are no ports on your exchange. It is very unlikely you would get a port, they are all in use. Did you try with our competitors as you said you would? Karen: I did. None of them would even try signing me up because they told me they couldn't provide a service. Me: We are in the same situation. K
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 12
    Karen: And how long does the waiting list take? Me: Last I checked, more than 2 years. Karen: This is ridiculous. I'm going to TIO (Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman). Me: You may do so, as is your right, but to be very clear, we will substantiate the validity of our fee. Karen: Whatever. <click>
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 13
    Conclusion She did in fact file a complaint with TIO and I handed her case over to a TIO complaint specialist. I made sure to point our that she was breaching TOS with business over residential service. TIO obviously ruled in our favour and we were allowed to send her to actual collections. Before I left the company, about a year and a half later, I caught up on her file and she had filed a loss of business
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 14
    claim, which was summarily closed because residential connections have no Service Level Agreement. Last contact was her speaking to our credit team asking them to make sure they mark her debt as paid with our collections people and make sure this is reflected on her credit rating. There were still no codes on her line. It is quite unlikely she got any reasonably priced service connected for at least 2 years (realistically longer as demand only ever went up).
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 15
    [deleted] Love it. Especially the complaint at the end. One of the times I miss working in customer service/retail. "So, just to be clear, your complaint is that I did what you asked me to do?" Fantastic work. Well done.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 16
    JimmyRecard OP. Haha, yes. For the company it was bad to be taken to TIO, but for me personally it was excellent because the issue got taken out of my hands and given to a TIO specialist. I wash my hands of you, Karen! And I knew I had dotted my 'I's and crossed my 'T's so nothing could come back down on me.
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 17
    You have to wait two years to get internet in Australia? That's absolutely wild.
    via r/MaliciousCompliance
  • 18
    Tymanthius The only thing that confuses is me is that the tech should have gone to her house, but probably not inside. The customer can't be held responsible for things outside their home (4km of line).
    via u/JimmyRecard
  • 19
    Asit1s Although it is a great story, I do feel for her a bit. I can imagine being in such a situation, trying to get by on your own business, having a son in "IT" your local network, and take it out on the wrong guy. Her behavior towards you was absolutely wrong, but I do kinda feel the frustration. This can ruin peoples lives. But that said, if you want to work eCommerce, you'd know that internet is your main source of income, and you wouldn't go about this so recklessly.
    via u/Asit1s

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