Complaints Policy
Complaints Policy
What is a complaint?
A complaint can be described as an expression of dissatisfaction, discontent, resentment, and/or fault-finding. We acknowledge that you have the right to make a complaint.
Expressing a complaint
If you are dissatisfied about any aspect of ACN’s services we will advise you as to how to make and progress a complaint with us and we will handle your complaint in accordance with this policy.
Where you have expressed your dissatisfaction to us and it is unclear if you wish to make a complaint, we will always clarify with you whether you wish to do so, or not. Our complaint handling process is free of charge.
What is an urgent complaint?
We consider your complaint to be urgent if:
- it is about a fault that could potentially endanger your safety
- the issue would cause us to disconnect your service within seven days
- the issue could lead to you experiencing financial hardship.
We immediately escalate urgent complaints to our Customer Relations Manager, who takes personal responsibility for resolving the urgent aspects of the complaint within two working days.
The only time where these timeframes may change, is where you agree to a different timeframe for resolution, or we need you to do something first in order to resolve the complaint.
How do I make a complaint to ACN Pacific?
You can contact us in various ways; these are listed below to ensure that you receive the fastest response possible (Hours: 9:00am - 6:00pm Mon to Fri)
Phone: 1300 767 226
Post: ACN Pacific Pty Ltd, Suite 2 Level 1, 19-23 Hollywood Ave, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022, Australia
Webchat: Monday to Friday: 9am to 6pm - Click here
Email:enquiries@acnpacific.com.au
If you have hearing difficulties or special needs, please contact us in writing via our online chat facility, or consider using the National Relay Service on 133 677.
If English is not your first language we will try to assign a Customer Service Representative who speaks your language. In the first instance we suggest the customer consider assigning a family member or friend as an advocate or authorised representative on their customer account. If this not possible and you still need an interpreter to help you with your enquiry, please consider contacting the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131450.
If you are unable to pay your bill, please read our Financial Hardship Policy.
Your authorised representative or advocate can also lodge a complaint on your behalf.
Complaint acknowledgement and response times
When we receive a complaint in person, or over the telephone, we acknowledge it as a complaint immediately. If we receive a complaint as a recorded message, we call you back within one working day.
When we receive a complaint in writing, we acknowledge it within two working days. ‘In writing’ includes complaints made by email or received through our website (such as Webchat) or via post.
What happens next?
Once you have contacted us, we will do everything possible to answer your question or provide a suitable solution while you are on the phone. We will give you a unique identification number so you can track your complaint and we’ll also keep in touch and inform you of the progress we have made to resolve your complaint. You can also contact us at any stage to check on or monitor the progress of your complaint.
Prioritisation of a complaint
Once your complaint is received by us, it is logged and given a priority based on the nature of the complaint.
Complaint type | Priority | Timeframe for Resolution |
All Urgent Complaints | 1 | 2 working days |
Faults (non-urgent) | 2 | 15 working days |
Credit Management complaints | 2 | 15 working days |
Provisioning and connection or disconnection of service | 2 | 15 working days |
Customer Service | 3 | 15 working days |
Billing and Payment | 3 | 15 working days |
SFOA terms and conditions | 3 | 15 working days |
Please note:
- Sometimes, we might not be able to resolve a complaint within the timeframes set out above. If that is the case, we’ll contact you and advise you of the reason for the delay, the new timeframe for resolution, and (where it is expected that the delay will be longer than 10 working days and is not caused by a notified mass outage of service) options for external dispute resolution including the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).
- Where we are unable to contact you to discuss your complaint, we will write and inform you that we have been unable to contact you, and provide details of our contact attempts. We will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the complaint with us within not less than ten working days of us sending you notice.
- If we reasonably conclude that we can do nothing more to resolve the complaint or that the complaint is vexatious or frivolous, then we may decide not to deal, or not deal further, with the complaint. If so, we will advise you within five working days of the reasons for our decision and your options for external dispute resolution including the TIO.
- Where you communicate to us that you:
- are dissatisfied with the response times that apply to the handling or management of your complaint,
- reasonably want your complaint to be escalated,
- reasonably want your complaint to be re-assessed and/or treated as an urgent complaint
Then, within five working days (for complaints other than urgent complaints) or two working days (for urgent complaints), we will:
- inform you of our internal prioritisation or escalation process and options for external dispute resolution including advice on how to contact the TIO. Escalated complaints and complaints which have been prioritised as urgent are referred to our Customer Relations Manager.
- not cancel your service for the sole reason that you were unable to resolve the complaint directly with us and are pursuing options for external dispute resolution.
Resolution of a complaint
We will only put into place the resolution of your complaint once it has been discussed with and accepted by you. While we usually discuss your complaint with you by telephone, we are also happy to confirm matters with you via letter or email within five working days of the agreed resolution taking effect.
If you are not accepting of the complaint resolution we offer you, we will advise you how to seek external resolution of your complaint, including providing you with instruction as to how to access the services of the TIO.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (the TIO)
In the unlikely event that we can’t resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you then have the option to forward your complaint to the TIO.
Please note the TIO will only accept cases in which you have first tried to resolve the issue with us directly. The contact details for the TIO are as follows:
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman PO Box 276 Collins Street West Melbourne VIC 8007 Phone: 1800 062 058 Fax: 1800 630 614 Online: www.tio.com.au ACN Pacific’s Complaints Handling Policy may change from time to time. Any changes to this Policy will be published on ACN’s websites. This policy was last updated on 11 September 2018.Financial Hardship Policy
ACN Pacific’s Financial Hardship Policy
Statement of Intention
Definition of Financial Hardship
Credit Management
Identification of a Customer Experiencing Financial Hardship
- Loss of employment by the customer or family member.
- Family breakdown.
- Illness including physical incapacity, hospitalisation, or mental illness of the consumer or family member.
- A death in the family.
- Being the victim of domestic or family violence.
- Abuse of the service by customer (e.g. from use of 190X numbers, GPRS).
- Abuse of the service by a third party leaving the customer unable to pay the account.
- Natural disaster.
Consumer Access to Financial Advisers
Exploring Options for Keeping a Customer Connected
Applying For and Reaching a Financial Arrangement
Termination of a Financial Hardship Arrangement
How to Make Enquiries or Find Out More
ACN Customer Service Charter
Online: | the contact form on our website |
Email: | enquiries@acnpacific.com.au |
Phone: | 1300 767 226, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm AEST. |
- request services or modify existing services
- make changes to the customer’s account
- act on their behalf
- request their personal information
- Bar all outgoing (Emergency '000' calls allowed)
- Allow local calls only
- Allow local, national and mobile calls only
- Allow local, national, mobile and international calls only
- Allow local, national, mobile, international and 1900 calls.
- To bar and un-bar DPS services You will need to contact our customer service team.
- Broadband All ADSL internet devices (i.e. modems and routers) we supply come with a password option that restricts usage of a customer’s ADSL (broadband internet) service to the password holder. We also provide our customers with information and access to a range of internet security tools and filters.
- Silent line fee exemption service
ACN provides a concession to eligible residential fixed line customers who require a silent line and who are facing a safety risk due to a domestic violence situation. The standard charge for the Silent Line feature is $2.93 (incl. GST) per month.
ACN will provide an exemption from this fee to any ACN Home Phone customer who provides information confirming that they:
- have a valid court or police issued protection order, or
- are a client of a Centrelink social worker, or
- are a client of a community or legal aid organisation providing services to people facing a personal safety threat, or
- are a staff member, volunteer or contractor of a community organisation providing services to people facing a personal safety threat, and are considered by the organisation to be facing a personal safety themselves.
Customer Service Guarantee
Overview
In line with ACN’s commitment to provide customer service excellence ACN has an obligation to uphold and enforce the Australian Communications Authority Telecommunications Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) 2011.
The objective of the CSG is to encourage improvements in service and guard against poor service.
The CSG Overview below provides a summary of the key features ad rights to you as a consumer in regard to our delivery of telecommunications services.
A complaint about a breach of the CSG should first be directed to ACN. For more information on the CSG please visit the Australian Communications Authority website www.acma.gov.au
Customer Service Guarantee 2011 (CSG)
In line with ACN Australia’s commitment to provide customer service excellence, ACN has a responsibility to uphold and enforce the Australian Communications Authority Telecommunications Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) 2011. The objective of the CSG is to encourage improvements in service and guard against poor service. The following is a summary of the key features of the CSG and rights to you as a consumer in regard to our delivery of telecommunications services. A complaint about a breach of the CSG should fi rst be directed to ACN. For more information on the CSG please visit the Australian Communications & Media Authority website www.acma.gov.au
Scope of the CSG
The CSG Standard covers the supply of standard fixed-line telephone services, including voice grade services and some other services used to access the internet or for fax machines. Certain special call-handling features, when activated by a telephone company, are also covered by the CSG, including call waiting, call forwarding, call barring, calling number display and calling number display blocking. If a telephone company offers these services in an area, then that company must meet maximum time frames applying to that area for standard telephone services in:
- Connecting a service;
- Repairing a fault or service difficulty; and
- Attending appointments with customers.
The CSG Standard does not apply to customers who have more than five lines or customer equipment with more than five telephone lines. In addition, mobile phone services are not covered by the CSG Standard.
What is covered?
The CSG applies only to customers with no greater than five Standard Telephone Services.
The CSG Standard applies to:
- Connections and fault repairs of Standard Telephone Services and the five specified Enhanced Call Handling Features; and
- Appointments associated with these activities.For connections, Standard Telephone Services are eligible regardless of what is connected at the end of the service eg. Internet or fax. However, for repairs, only voice telephony faults are covered. This means that non-voice faults such as Internet access or fax faults are not covered by the CSG.
Definitions of customer service locations
Service location | Community size |
Urban | More then 10,000 people |
Major rural | Between 2,500 and less then 10,000 people |
Minor rural | Between 200 and less then 2,500 people |
Remote | Up to 2500 people |
Appointments
For the purposes of connecting a specified service or rectifying a fault or service difficulty:
- a customer of a carriage service provider may make an appointment with the carriage service provider; and
- a carriage service provider may make an appointment with a customer of the carriage service provider.
An appointment is considered kept if an ACN IBO is present at the service location within the applicable grace period
Appointment Guidelines | ||
Location | Appointment Period | Grace Period |
All locations | Less than or equal to 4 hours | Within 15 minutes of the appointment period. |
Urban and major rural locations | Greater than 4 and less than 5 hours | Within the appointment period. |
Minor rural and remote locations | Greater than 4 and/or equal to 5 hours | Within the appointment period hours. |
Type of connection
Type of Connection | Connection Time |
In Place | |
All service sites with an in-place connection | Within 2 working days |
Close to available cabling or other infrastructure | |
Urban | Within 5 working days |
Major rural | Within 10 working days |
Minor rural | Within 15 working days |
Remote | Within 15 working days |
Not close to accessible infrastructure | |
Urban | Within 1 month |
Major rural | Within 1 month |
Minor rural | Within 6 months |
Remote | Within 12 months |
Faults - Time for Repair
Situation and Location | Time for Repair |
No external or internal plant work required, no customer site visit required, or disconnection due to administration error | |
Urban | End of one [1] full working day after being notified of the fault. |
Rural | End of two [2] full working day after being notified of the fault. |
Remote | End of three [3] full working day after being notified of the fault. |
Any other situation | |
Urban | End of one [1] full working day after being notified of the fault. |
Rural | End of two [2] full working day after being notified of the fault. |
Remote | End of three [3] full working day after being notified of the fault. |
Faults - Time for Repair
For the first 5 working days or delay outside the standard (per working day) | After the first 5 working days of delay (per working day) | |||
Delay in repairing the standard telephone service | ||||
Residential or charity customer | $14.52 | $48.40 | ||
Business customer | $24.20 | $48.40 | ||
Delay in connecting or repairing an enhanced call handling feature to an existing telephone service | ||||
Residential or charity customer | $7.26 | $24.20 | ||
Business customer | $12.10 | $24.20 | ||
Delay in connecting or repairing two or more enhanced call handling features to an existing telephone service | ||||
Residential or charity customer | $14.52 | $48.40 | ||
Business customer | $24.20 | $48.40 | ||
Not keeping an appointment | Per missed appointment | |||
Residential or charity | $14.52 | |||
Business customer | $24.20 |
The CSG Standard does not apply in certain circumstances, including the following:
- When the customer accepts a reasonable offer and supply of an interim service, while waiting for his or her permanent telephone service to be connected or repaired.
- When the customer does not accept the reasonable offer of an interim service.
- Where delays are due to circumstances outside ACN’s control such as: damages to the facilities of ACN’s network provider; natural disasters or extreme weather conditions or where delays are caused by ACN’s network provider needing to move staff or equipment to an area affected by circumstances beyond the control of the network provider.
- Where the compliance with any law of the Commonwealth, State, Territory or Local Government prevents compliance with the CSG.
- Where a missed appointment occurs over a period of connection or repair delay for which a CSG liability already applies.
- Where the customer is connected by another carriage service provider to a Standard Telephone Service and requests ACN to supply that service, the CSG Standard does not apply in respect of the connection time-frame.
- Where customer has agreed to waive his/her right to CSG eligibility under the CSG Standard.
- Where Enhanced Call Handling Features are not available due to existing network limitations.
- Where the customer is able to activate the Enhanced Call Handling Features from his/her telephone handset or customer equipment.
- Where the customer requests connection of his or her telephone service and ACN has reasonable grounds for believing that the customer would be unable or unwilling to pay the charges for connection or use of the service.
- If the customer was disconnected for non-payment of a charge and ACN has not reached agreement for the payment of that charge.
- Where it is necessary to withdraw the service(s) in order to maintain or upgrade a facility and ACN’s network provider has given reasonable notice.
- If the customer unreasonably does not agree to an appointment offered by ACN or ACN’s network provider.
- If the customer fails to keep an appointment with ACN’s network provider without giving at least 24 hours notice.
- If the customer unreasonably refuses permission to access to his or her premises.
Note: this document is intended as a guide only. Please contact ACN for more information. For more details on the CSG please see www.acma.gov.au
This page was last updated 01/06/2012.
Copyright Policy
ACN Pacific credit reporting policy
Kinds of information
Purposes
- verifying your identity;
- providing the products or services requested;
- processing your orders or applications;
- carrying out credit checking and scoring;
- issuing bills;
- dealing with requests, enquiries or complaints and other customer care related activities;
- carrying out any activity in connection with a legal, governmental or regulatory requirement or in connection with legal proceedings, crime or fraud;
- managing the relationships with our IBOs and customers;
- purposes related to any of the above purposes.
Access and Correction
- would have an unreasonable impact on other people's privacy;
- would prejudice any negotiations we are having with you;
- would prejudice an investigation of unlawful activity;
- would prejudice activities carried out by or for a law enforcement body.
Complaints
Contact Details
Australia | New Zealand |
Phone: | Phone: |
1300 767 226 | 0508 226 002 |
Post: | Post: |
ACN Pacific Pty Ltd | ACN Pacific Pty Ltd |
Suite 2 Level 1, 19-23 Hollywood Ave, Bondi Junction, NSW 2022 Australia | PO Box 90694 Auckland MSC Auckland 1142 New Zealand |
Changes
Statement of Notifiable Matters
ACN Pacific Pty Ltd
Statement of Notifiable Matters (Credit Reporting Privacy Code)
We are required to disclose to you ‘notifiable matters’ at or before the time of collecting personal information that is likely to be disclosed to a credit reporting body. The credit reporting body to which we are likely to disclose credit related information is Equifax Pty Ltd.
Those matters are:
- The credit reporting body may include in reports the credit related information we provide to it. It may also provide that information to other credit providers to assist those other credit providers to assess your creditworthiness.
- If you fail to meet your payment obligations or commit a serious credit infringement, we may disclose this to a credit reporting body.
- You have the right to access credit related information we hold about you, request that we correct the information, and make a complaint, as set out further in our Credit Reporting Policy.
- You can request a credit reporting body not to use your credit reporting information for the purposes of pre-screening of direct marketing by us.
- You can request a credit reporting body not to use or disclose your credit reporting information if you believe on reasonable grounds that you have been, or are likely to be, a victim of fraud.
- You can request a copy of our Credit Reporting Policy by contacting us, or obtain it directly from our website. You can ask us to provide you a hard copy of our Credit Reporting Policy (including the Statement of Notifiable Matters). You can request a copy of the credit reporting body’s credit reporting policy from its website.