Optus' 200GB bonus data outage compensation criticised: 'We won't use it'

Last Wednesday, over 10 million Optus customers across Australia were left without mobile or home internet access in an unprecedented outage that impacted the telco's entire network.

Now, Optus is offering those affected customers a one-time reimbursement of 200GB of bonus data.



Customers impacted by the outage will receive 200GB of bonus data. From Monday, 13 November, eligible postpaid customers, including small businesses and consumers, can access the extra data. The offer can be activated until the end of the year.

For eligible prepaid customers, unlimited data on weekends is available until the end of the year. To learn more and add the offer to your plans, visit optus.com.au from Monday onwards.


phone_pexels_6c1510e3-9f55-4918-9c82-d8ec06363bee.jpeg
In response to the outage, Optus has offered affected customers 200GB of extra data. Credit: Pexels.



However, not everyone is thrilled with this data compensation.

For example, Rachel from Sydney, who missed a crucial call from a hospital due to the outage, wasn't too pleased, as it cost her a chance to say a final farewell to her mother.

'You can't get those final moments back,' she said, arguing that no compensation from Optus can make up for missing the chance to say goodbye to her mother in those final moments.

'We can never, ever get that time back with our mum.'



Michael, a Sydney funeral celebrant impacted by the outage, also agreed that the compensation wasn't enough. He said, 'This compensation is no compensation.'

'You pay for a plan with a suitable amount of data in it, so you never go over it, so offering an extra 200GB costs (Optus) nothing, and we won't use it.'

Experts also say the compensation simply doesn't cut it.

Tech expert Trevor Long pointed out that the offer falls short due to the way people use their phones nowadays. 'If only data had that kind of value. It doesn't,' he said.



He mentioned that the average mobile user in Australia typically uses around 15 gigabytes of data, so 200GB doesn't provide much-added value.

Long also argued that Optus seemed to forget about small businesses and the impact of the outage on those working from home.

'They have essentially overlooked the businesses that aren't big enough to be on their business radar.'



So, what would be a more appropriate compensation?

Long suggested that a more suitable compensation from Optus could involve adding credit directly to users' mobile accounts. He also recommended keeping receipts during this period, as industry regulators and the ombudsman might investigate the compensation issue further.



Another thing to watch out for is scammers using the outage frustration to trick Optus customers with a new phishing scam.

Officials are advising all Optus users to be cautious of a text message claiming compensation for the disruption. This deceptive text message pretends to be from Optus and addresses recipients as existing customers.

Read more about it here.

Key Takeaways

  • Optus has offered 200 gigabytes of free data as compensation for a significant outage affecting 10.2 million users across Australia.
  • Tech expert Trevor Long has criticised the offer as 'meaningless' due to the nature of modern phone usage and the relatively small data needs of the average user.
  • Long also claims Optus has overlooked the serious impact of the outage on small businesses and those working from home, so he suggested better compensation could involve credit on mobile accounts.

Members, what are your thoughts on this? Do you believe the data compensation is adequate? If not, what would you consider fair compensation? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
 
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Last Wednesday, over 10 million Optus customers across Australia were left without mobile or home internet access in an unprecedented outage that impacted the telco's entire network.

Now, Optus is offering those affected customers a one-time reimbursement of 200GB of bonus data.



Customers impacted by the outage will receive 200GB of bonus data. From Monday, 13 November, eligible postpaid customers, including small businesses and consumers, can access the extra data. The offer can be activated until the end of the year.

For eligible prepaid customers, unlimited data on weekends is available until the end of the year. To learn more and add the offer to your plans, visit optus.com.au from Monday onwards.


View attachment 34332
In response to the outage, Optus has offered affected customers 200GB of extra data. Credit: Pexels.



However, not everyone is thrilled with this data compensation.

For example, Rachel from Sydney, who missed a crucial call from a hospital due to the outage, wasn't too pleased, as it cost her a chance to say a final farewell to her mother.

'You can't get those final moments back,' she said, arguing that no compensation from Optus can make up for missing the chance to say goodbye to her mother in those final moments.

'We can never, ever get that time back with our mum.'



Michael, a Sydney funeral celebrant impacted by the outage, also agreed that the compensation wasn't enough. He said, 'This compensation is no compensation.'

'You pay for a plan with a suitable amount of data in it, so you never go over it, so offering an extra 200GB costs (Optus) nothing, and we won't use it.'

Experts also say the compensation simply doesn't cut it.

Tech expert Trevor Long pointed out that the offer falls short due to the way people use their phones nowadays. 'If only data had that kind of value. It doesn't,' he said.



He mentioned that the average mobile user in Australia typically uses around 15 gigabytes of data, so 200GB doesn't provide much-added value.

Long also argued that Optus seemed to forget about small businesses and the impact of the outage on those working from home.

'They have essentially overlooked the businesses that aren't big enough to be on their business radar.'



So, what would be a more appropriate compensation?

Long suggested that a more suitable compensation from Optus could involve adding credit directly to users' mobile accounts. He also recommended keeping receipts during this period, as industry regulators and the ombudsman might investigate the compensation issue further.



Another thing to watch out for is scammers using the outage frustration to trick Optus customers with a new phishing scam.

Officials are advising all Optus users to be cautious of a text message claiming compensation for the disruption. This deceptive text message pretends to be from Optus and addresses recipients as existing customers.

Read more about it here.

Key Takeaways

  • Optus has offered 200 gigabytes of free data as compensation for a significant outage affecting 10.2 million users across Australia.
  • Tech expert Trevor Long has criticised the offer as 'meaningless' due to the nature of modern phone usage and the relatively small data needs of the average user.
  • Long also claims Optus has overlooked the serious impact of the outage on small businesses and those working from home, so he suggested better compensation could involve credit on mobile accounts.

Members, what are your thoughts on this? Do you believe the data compensation is adequate? If not, what would you consider fair compensation? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Optus needs to be careful of, and the rest of us need to be mindful of those dishonest customers that overinflate their grounds for a larger claim. Those creepy people are out there and they dilute the need for honest claims to be honoured.
 
Message from Optus - 10.54 am.

Hi there, we're deeply sorry for the outage. To thank you for your patience, we're giving you unlimited data on the weekend for the rest of the year, so you can connect to more of what you love. Unlimited data will be applied automatically to your service starting from next weekend (18 Nov). Go to the Optus website for more details. Need help: message us in the App or call 133937.

From the Optus website.

To thank you for your patience, we’re giving customers on eligible Prepaid mobile plans unlimited data on the weekend for the rest of the year, so you can connect to more of what you love. Unlimited data will be applied automatically to your service starting from next weekend, 18 November. Starts 12.01am Saturday to 11.59pm Sunday.

The above statement could mean two things. Firstly, is the unlimited data accessible ALL the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Or secondly, the unlimited data is ONLY available on the weekends from 12.01 am every Saturday till 11.59 pm every Sunday up to and including 31 December this year.

Optus may be pulling a subtle swifty here. Food for thought....
 
Message from Optus - 10.54 am.

Hi there, we're deeply sorry for the outage. To thank you for your patience, we're giving you unlimited data on the weekend for the rest of the year, so you can connect to more of what you love. Unlimited data will be applied automatically to your service starting from next weekend (18 Nov). Go to the Optus website for more details. Need help: message us in the App or call 133937.

From the Optus website.

To thank you for your patience, we’re giving customers on eligible Prepaid mobile plans unlimited data on the weekend for the rest of the year, so you can connect to more of what you love. Unlimited data will be applied automatically to your service starting from next weekend, 18 November. Starts 12.01am Saturday to 11.59pm Sunday.

The above statement could mean two things. Firstly, is the unlimited data accessible ALL the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Or secondly, the unlimited data is ONLY available on the weekends from 12.01 am every Saturday till 11.59 pm every Sunday up to and including 31 December this year.

Optus may be pulling a subtle swifty here. Food for thought....
Sounds to me like it's for one weekend only 🤔
 
I'm asking for one month's free. I was without the internet September 17th for a 32 hour outage , yeh this time they need to compensate, if it happens again then it will be 3 strikes and they are out !!

Free data till the end of the year , then what about home services. My TV, computer and laptops run through the home internet as does our phones when we are at home.

Business definitely need to be compensated for loss of income
 
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Last Wednesday, over 10 million Optus customers across Australia were left without mobile or home internet access in an unprecedented outage that impacted the telco's entire network.

Now, Optus is offering those affected customers a one-time reimbursement of 200GB of bonus data.



Customers impacted by the outage will receive 200GB of bonus data. From Monday, 13 November, eligible postpaid customers, including small businesses and consumers, can access the extra data. The offer can be activated until the end of the year.

For eligible prepaid customers, unlimited data on weekends is available until the end of the year. To learn more and add the offer to your plans, visit optus.com.au from Monday onwards.


View attachment 34332
In response to the outage, Optus has offered affected customers 200GB of extra data. Credit: Pexels.



However, not everyone is thrilled with this data compensation.

For example, Rachel from Sydney, who missed a crucial call from a hospital due to the outage, wasn't too pleased, as it cost her a chance to say a final farewell to her mother.

'You can't get those final moments back,' she said, arguing that no compensation from Optus can make up for missing the chance to say goodbye to her mother in those final moments.

'We can never, ever get that time back with our mum.'



Michael, a Sydney funeral celebrant impacted by the outage, also agreed that the compensation wasn't enough. He said, 'This compensation is no compensation.'

'You pay for a plan with a suitable amount of data in it, so you never go over it, so offering an extra 200GB costs (Optus) nothing, and we won't use it.'

Experts also say the compensation simply doesn't cut it.

Tech expert Trevor Long pointed out that the offer falls short due to the way people use their phones nowadays. 'If only data had that kind of value. It doesn't,' he said.



He mentioned that the average mobile user in Australia typically uses around 15 gigabytes of data, so 200GB doesn't provide much-added value.

Long also argued that Optus seemed to forget about small businesses and the impact of the outage on those working from home.

'They have essentially overlooked the businesses that aren't big enough to be on their business radar.'



So, what would be a more appropriate compensation?

Long suggested that a more suitable compensation from Optus could involve adding credit directly to users' mobile accounts. He also recommended keeping receipts during this period, as industry regulators and the ombudsman might investigate the compensation issue further.



Another thing to watch out for is scammers using the outage frustration to trick Optus customers with a new phishing scam.

Officials are advising all Optus users to be cautious of a text message claiming compensation for the disruption. This deceptive text message pretends to be from Optus and addresses recipients as existing customers.

Read more about it here.

Key Takeaways

  • Optus has offered 200 gigabytes of free data as compensation for a significant outage affecting 10.2 million users across Australia.
  • Tech expert Trevor Long has criticised the offer as 'meaningless' due to the nature of modern phone usage and the relatively small data needs of the average user.
  • Long also claims Optus has overlooked the serious impact of the outage on small businesses and those working from home, so he suggested better compensation could involve credit on mobile accounts.

Members, what are your thoughts on this? Do you believe the data compensation is adequate? If not, what would you consider fair compensation? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
optus should offer all clients 1 month free on all services! the 200 GB is a CHEAPSKATE offer. the CEO should be fined for tis cheap offer.
 
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Not that I was negatively impacted by this or would even use it all, but funny that I've been offered 60gb of data.
And you could still use messenger.
 
Seems like when anything goes wrong people want to be compensated. This could have also happened to Telstra. Imagine what it must be like in other countries currently experiencing war. The recent outage illustrates just how bad it can be when we are relying on the internet for just about everything now.
We have also just seen the downside of becoming cashless - maybe we all need to rethink that. Not having the ability to accept eftpos had a terrible impact on small business when Optus was down - most people don’t carry cash.
The affect on healthcare - electronic medical records - can’t access when systems are down. The list goes on.
I was thinking it would be great to go cashless- not so sure now.
Exactly! Things happen, technology isn’t infallible, people aren’t infallible!
Learn to cope folks! Calm your farm!
You want these conveniences, you have to put up with the inconvenience of when it fails you!
It’s over now, move on - I’m still with Optus! Could have happened to other Telcos!!!
 
Well my area had an optus outage yesterday with home internet meaning no wi fi so needed to use our phones data. No TV ect.

I live in the heart of Sydney and this is the 3rd outage in 8 weeks. Neighbours with other telcos haven't had outages.

So I think we do have a right to complain and be upset 😡

One outage...OK two outages in such a short time ..NOT SO GOOD but three .. ITS VERY WRONG , I pay $120 amounts and expect to get what I pay for
 
Exactly! Things happen, technology isn’t infallible, people aren’t infallible!
Learn to cope folks! Calm your farm!
You want these conveniences, you have to put up with the inconvenience of when it fails you!
It’s over now, move on - I’m still with Optus! Could have happened to other Telcos!!!
3 outages in 8 weeks is not right
 

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