Financial Hardship is a situation where a customer is unable to discharge of the financial obligations in relation to our services due to a reasonable temporary or ongoing cause but where the customer expects to be able to do so over time if payment arrangements are changed.
At Telsim, we understand that life’s circumstances can sometimes pose unexpected financial challenges. We are committed to assisting our valued customers during difficult times by offering a Financial Hardship Policy that provides temporary relief and support. We are here to help.
We will work with you to help you respond to financial difficulty, whether temporary or long-term. We are committed to helping customers facing financial hardship maintain telecommunications access and working with you to find a sustainable solution. Any help we can give will depend on your individual circumstances, and we provide help on a case-by-case basis.
We encourage you to contact us if you experience any difficulties paying our services. Please contact us by calling 1300 835 746 if you would like to discuss any Financial Hardship matters with us. Please check our contact us page to see more details on support hours and other means to reach us. You can also book an appointment with us using the appointment calendar available in contact us page. You can leave details in the notes if you have any particular requirements.
When assessing your eligibility for Financial Hardship, we may request supporting documentation to conduct an assessment. However, a we would not ordinarily require it unless:
- It appears that the financial arrangement will need to be long term;
- Telsim considers the amount to be paid large or significant;
- You are not been our customer very long; or
- Telsim reasonably believe there is a possibility of fraud.
If you satisfy one of the above criteria, we may ask you to provide certain documents such as:
- A statutory declaration or official written communication from a person or support group that is familiar with your circumstances;
- Evidence that you consulted a recognised financial counsellor; and
- A statement of your financial position.
We may not be able to make an assessment of your circumstances if you do not provide us with the requested information. We may use the information you provide as well as other information available to us. Once we received all required information, we will let you know within 5 working days whether you are eligible for assistance under our Financial Hardship Policy.
If you are eligible, will work with you to come to an arrangement that allows you to pay your outstanding charges in a way that does not worsen your financial position. Where appropriate we will discuss means with you how to limit you spend (this may include barring some service features) during the time of our arrangement and thereafter.
Once we come to an agreement, we will put this in writing via letter or email to you. You have the right to request these details in writing. You must inform us if your circumstances change (for better or for worse) during our arrangement.
We will not charge you for assessing your Financial Hardship circumstances or for administering the matter.
Your options:
Customers experiencing genuine financial hardship due to reasons such as unemployment, illness, unexpected emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances may be eligible to avail themselves of our Financial Hardship Policy.
If you are experiencing Financial Hardship, there are a few options that may be available to you depending on your circumstances.
If you wish to stay connected with us, some options include:
- Spend controls;
- Restriction of service, in respect of overall or specific services;
- Low-cost interim options until you can continue with original payments.
Some other options for suitable financial arrangements include:
- Agreeing on an alternative arrangement, plan, or downgrading to a smaller plan, Flexible payment plans
- Discounting or waiving of recharge packs
- Temporarily postponing or deferring payments or Temporary service suspension without penalty
Finding a financial counsellor:
You can talk to a phone financial counsellor or a consumer advocate who deals with financial difficulty matters from anywhere in Australia by ringing 1800 007 007 (minimum opening hours are 9.30 am – 4.30 pm Monday to Friday). This number will automatically switch through to the service in the State or Territory closest to you.
Alternatively, you can find the financial counselling service nearest to you by visiting https://www.financialcounsellingaustralia.org.au/contact/.
Information on the Complaints Handling Process
When you encounter an issue with our services, our dedicated team works diligently to identify and rectify the problem as quickly as possible. We strive to ensure that you can enjoy our services without interruptions.
If at any stage of the process, you require more clarification or support you can reach out to our escalation desk via email.
1. You can write to our Customer Relations Manager at customer.relations@telsim.com.au and we will respond to you within two business days from receipt of your email.
2. If your query is unclarified, you can escalate the matter to our nodal officer. You can contact the nodal officer at nodal.officer@telsim.com.au
3. In case the query is still unclarified, the same can be escalated to the legal authority at legal@telsim.com.au
We will always try to find a solution which meets your needs. Please be assured that your feedback is extremely important to us, and we are committed to resolving this matter as swiftly as possible. Our goal is to provide you with a seamless and reliable telecom experience.
