Pay TV network Foxtel has left subscribers hanging on the telephone after it was hit by technical difficulties resulting from a migration to a new customer records keeping and access system.
Troubles for the pay television network came to a head yesterday as problems with its recently updated billing system have led to a large amount of customer enquiries and complaints regarding technical difficulties related to the change.
A Foxtel subscriber told ZDNet.com.au yesterday that the company's customer service line "was so backed up with calls that they're basically not available to help" and a lengthy caller queue was pre-empted by a recorded message telling customers that service staff had a substantial backlog of enquiries and systems problems to rectify and as such could only take "urgent" calls.
"We have been experiencing some teething problems since changing over our customer service system," said a Foxtel spokesperson today.
The spokesperson said there had been some reports that the company had lost some customer records in the change over process, but denied any such glitch.
"As far as any customer records being wiped from the system that absolutely has not occurred," said the spokesperson.
Speaking yesterday at Telstra's half yearly results announcement -- Foxtel is half owned by the carrier -- CEO Sol Trujillo said he wasn't aware of the matter.
"I don't have the knowledge, I've been busy here this morning and I'm not aware of this issue," Trujillo said.
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Jim Parker
26/02/2008 07:43 PM
Too right. We booked a channel upgrade to Platinum and the installation of the IQ service two weeks ago now. The technician never turned up. And on subsequent calls, Foxtel told us their system told us the upgrade had already ocurred. They say they will call back. Nothing happens. We are actually WANTING to spend extra $ with them and they are unable to give us what we want. Total schemozzle.
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col
28/02/2008 10:56 AM
Why are the Foxtell recorded messages not explaining that there are service difficulties? Why have subscribers wondering if it is their connection?
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Marley
04/03/2008 07:59 AM
Second day - no Foxtel. Lots of clicking & lights showing last week. Nothing from midmorning. No signal received this am. When will it be fixed is the big question.
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Marley
04/03/2008 10:07 AM
Still can't speak to personage at Foxtel. Yes, a recorded message should be on. Still no Foxtel, "No signal" message on. Any ideas on what problem is. Hope we are not charged for lost time.
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Marley
04/03/2008 11:04 AM
we Re ON. Message came, "Having trouble reading smartcard, please....etc". Reinserted card and hey presto all OK. Glad this glitch is over.
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Grizetti
06/03/2008 01:25 PM
Is there any reason why one's IG should suddenly tell you that no recording or playback is available? Can't get throught to foxtel to ask them of course.
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abh_gup
14/04/2008 11:35 PM
Foxtel's never let me down... so can't really complain. btw, how many of you here have had time to write crap in here... but not the time to go to www.foxtel.com.au - pretty much solves 95% of all worries!
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Fed up with Foxtel
23/04/2008 08:54 PM
I have had problems with my platinum service not recording and constant signal failure since september last year. Having gotten a new box in Feb 08, the problems got worse. Problem is that when I ring to get a technician out they keep telling me that they cannot even book one as the system wont let them. This all happened when the 'big crash' was going on and frustrated with being told by a machine to ring back next week, four weeks running, I rang and followed directions to get changes to programming. Seems the line where foxtel stands to gain customers or upgrade existing ones to more expensive packages works just fine so I go this route and demand to be connected to the tech dept. Even when I get through I get no joy as they tell me they are unable to book a tech to come and fix the problem. After Eight months of partial service I have decided to refuse to pay my bill and if it ends up being disconnected I will not have a great loss as it doesn't work properly anyway. Foxtel (& Telstra)on the other hand will lose my $120 per month payment and if I have no bundle discount I see no reason to keep my broadband and telephone accounts with Telstra either.
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Margaret Ritchie
29/04/2008 09:55 PM
Yes i have been with foxtell for 23 month's and pay by direct debit from my savings account ! but it hasn't happened the last 2 months, now i get a bill for 2 months and a threat of disconnetion. have tried the phone ..cant get any sense out of them, even e-mail them and guess No Reply, what ever happened to manners in this country ??
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phil
29/04/2008 10:12 PM
Hmmm -- have been thinking of going wireles with telstra, after reading all the problems people are having for so long No Thanks,more important thing's to do.
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gubelee
15/05/2008 02:02 PM
Today I had foxtel installed thinking my husband ordered it. Turns out he did not order foxtel. Before they started work on the system they should have checked that the name of the person was right. they checked the address was right but not the name of the person who had ordered. I found out this before I was about to sign, lucky I looked at the name. So they hasd to uninstall every thing then had to ring you at foxtel to see what happens. I would like to say that I am not going to pay for the connection because it was communications fault for not checking the for the right person in the first place.
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gary ritchie
15/05/2008 04:57 PM
Re: abh_gup Iv'e just come from foxtel.com.au! wondering why your'e in here writing Crap, just another ding-a ling aye??
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Steve
03/06/2008 06:34 PM
We were cold called a few months back by Telstra to offer single billing of our Foxtel Platinum on our Telstra home/mobile/Bband account. they offered a discount and promised the same services on all, so we said yeah ok. Foxtel send us a bill with a disconnection fee...we ask them about it and they say it's a mistake and to disregaurd it, the next bill will have it credited. Telstra then send a bill with a Foxtel connection fee attached ! :) Again, we question it, they apologise and offer to credit it next bill. All this time, our Foxtel premium has been substandard with audio dropouts about 2-3 times a minute. We complained to Foxtel and they said' oh yes that's a problem we have had with smartcards, we will send you out a new smartcard Express post" and we had a month's Platinum subscription credited for the bad service. Guess what...2 weeks now...no Smartcard in the mail yet...still audio dropouts.... Great service all round whatdya reckon! :)
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