TELCO BUNGLE HITS FIRM
A TOWNSVILLE business has come to a grinding halt after its phone and internet services were cut.
Donna Sands Boutique Property staff arrived at work on Monday morning to find their landline phones and NBN internet not working, leaving landlords, tenants and clients unable to contact the real estate agency.
Owner Donna O’Shea said having zero connection with the outside world had crippled the business.
“There’s a lot of disruption in the office at the moment,” Ms O’Shea said.
“We’re all trying to make the best of a bad situation but I’m definitely not happy.”
When Ms O’Shea contacted Telstra she was told the account had been terminated.
“They informed us that we had been disconnected because we’re going to another carrier, which is not the case,” she said. “I can’t understand how another carrier can cut a business service off without communicating or contacting the business first and confirming it. I hadn’t discussed anything with anyone.”
Telstra area general manager Rachel Cliffe blamed a misunderstanding for disconnection of services.
“Unfortunately, another service provider applied to NBN Co to connect one of its customers using the incorrect address, which resulted in Donna Sands Boutique Property being disconnected,” Ms Cliffe said.
“While this is a situation that was beyond our control, this is not the experience we want our customers to have and we have been working with Ms Sands and NBN Co to get her back online.”
Ms O’Shea said customers had visited the office concerned about a recorded message stating the line was disconnected, questioning the business’s payment of their phone bills.
“My bill is not even due,” Ms O’Shea said. “We manage 540 properties, we deal with landlords and tenants all the time. They’re going to be thinking, ‘ What the hell is going on?’
“They’re going to think the business has folded.” THE alleged primary offender in a North Queensland crime spree has been remanded in custody to face 15 charges.
Police will allege Jack Noel Spark removed a GPS tracker on November 17 that he had to wear as part of parole conditions and went on to commit property offences in Townsville, Ingham and Cairns in the following 10 days.
Spark was arrested on Monday and appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday on a raft of charges, including stealing, wilful damage, entering dwelling and committing an indictable offence, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and several traffic offences.
He did not apply for bail and his matter was adjourned until January 30.