$50 regional charge

[Nee]

2 weeks ago I rang Foxtel to have it installed... I was told that I would have to pay $50 for being outside the metro area, fair enough , as this was explained to me that the one off amount was travel costs. When the contractor rang with the date he was coming to install Foxtel he said that I would need to pay $60 petrol money... when I queried him regarding what the $50 dollars was for , he said that since Feburary this year they no longer recieved this or any portion of it. He stated that prior to Feb an organisation called BSA ( Broadcasting Services Aust) recieved the $50, they then contacted him and he would get $1 per km after the first 4o kms ... the $60 he was asking for was for petrol money and this is stated in the contract....
So I contacted Foxtel to inquire about this $50 dollar fee... the customer service chic gave me the standard blurb... when I informed her that this payment was no longer being forwarded to the blurbed persons since Feb , she referred this to her "supervisor" after many minutes she came back with " it's for administrative charges ! when I asked what these admin charges were she wasn't able to give me an answer , other than repeat the words "administrative fees"... eventually after much ado and a surly attitude from her she then said that it was for contacting the contractor.... I replied with " so your basically telling me it's a $50 phone call or email"... I asked to speak with a supervisor only to be told that one would contact me within 2 working days... that was 4 working days ago!!!
I have since rung them again only to be told that the initial blurb AGAIN it's only when I dispute it... again a supervisor is referred to because the next girl had no idea what the fee was actually for... this time though when she checks my details she says " it's got here that I'm to say it's for admin fees! another supervisor will get back to me within 2 working days.
I rang BSA to see what their swing on things were... guess what I got the same blurb about contractors payments.... again when I disputed this the girl spoke with her supervisor only to return with the claim that the $50 was for THIS company to email the installer with my details so he can arrange a date to install.... I informed her that HER coompany no longer recieved the $50 since Feb this year... I got the " a supervisor will contact you within 2 working days"
Apart from the staff of Foxtel and Broadcasting Services not knowing their facts, their claim that the $50 is for them contacting the contractors is a rort.... So much for the FREE INSTALLATION hype .. it will cost me $110 to proceed with the installation if I so choose!... smells suspect to me ... just imagine how many rural folk throughout Australia just accept this REGIONAL FEE crap... $50 times 1000 country folk mmm quick $50,000 made and for WHO???

[computerflyer]

Foxtel from Telstra. Any more need be written? You are getting Telstra service and value at its finest. Does it feel good yet? I have it here in my script that if anyone else posts about Foxtel service, I am to reply with....

[jm30]

Rules have obviously changed, or the installer is having a lend of you.

When I installed for BSA, we weren't permitted to take ANY money from the customer, what so ever, for petrol money. The only time we were permitted to charge the customer any extra was if we had to put the point somewhere different from where it should be, we could charge the customer for any extra cable run, or extra conduit, etc.

Asking $60 for fuel money is ridiculous. I remember traveling 3hrs to a job, then traveling another 5hrs to the next one. BSA contractors are paid per job, with all expenses coming from that.

I'd be informing Foxtel, BSA and then, if they're both useless, I'd be contacting ASTRA, the alleged governing body and tell them that the installer is requesting $60 fuel to do your install.

Even the $50 admin/install/whatever fee is a new one to me, I've never paid anything to foxtel to start up, although, it may be a new fee for new account holders, to put your file in order. Who knows with Fox, but a free install should be just that.

[Cas98]

Foxtel are promoting free installation these days all over the place. if you are required to pay ANY money towards the installation, ANY money AT ALL, even $1, then it is NOT a free install and Foxtel are falsly advertising their product.

ACCC and TIO would love to hear about this. :)

[Nee]

When I asked Foxtel why I was being charged the $50 they said it was because I was not in the metro area.. so I had to pay a 'regional charge'... I could have accepted this as I live 100 kms from Perth, and I'm always paying more i.e food shopping etc due to my living in the country. It was when I queried the installer as to why I then had to pay an extra $60 for him to come , it was his reply that has me annoyed... after he and I talked about the reason he was charging me I now have NO problem with paying him... it's Foxtel that have a big question mark to answer... as I said they no longer use this 'regional fee' of $50 to pay the sub contractor since feburary 09... the guy installing used to get paid $1 per km after 40kms from BSA... this no longer occurs, so when I questioned Foxtel on this matter their response was ( after much fluffing around) it was an administrative fee ??? I asked them to explain what admin fees would cost me $50 just because I'm outside the metro area... they said it was charged for contacting BSA, who then contacted the contracted regional installer! very expensive email hey!... each time I have disputed this I have asked to speak with a supervisor or somebody who may actually know something about this .. each time I have been fobbed off and told that a supervisor will contact me within 2 working days ( obviously to give them time to read their own policy guidelines )...it's now been 5 working days and still no contact. I have rung them again only to be told that it has been noted on the screen with my details to inform me that the $50 is for admin fees. When I question it the customer service girls they on 2 different occasions have NOT known what it means and had to speak with her supervisor... when I ask to speak with that very same supervisor I get the 2 working day thing! I believe Foxtel NOT the actual contracted installer is ripping me off!! they have not given me any straight answers they are NOT being upfront about these charges... I have the right as a consumer to ask where my money is going... and in doing so they have a responsibility in answering my queries with accurate and truthful facts... not the crap theyr'e throwing at me. I think they think I'll get fed up and go away... Sorry Foxtel but I ain't!

[Nee]

just thought I'd give an update on the $50 regional charge farce... well after many phone calls with no one able to give me a reasonable answer to my rather simple question... BSA handed my query back to Foxtel who finally got back to me after 1 week... well to cut the saga short, they decided to foot the charge themselves ... saying they would no longer be charging me the 'fee'... I think this decision was to shut me up, but I'll accept their offer to credit my account.
Being charged $50 for them to contact BSA so that they can contact an installer is ludicrous... they have to do the same process for city customers as well.... Seriously out of towners... start questioning Foxtels charging of this fee ... it's not going to where they claim it is... you are being ripped off!!!... it's worth persisting with.
Cheers Nee :D/