Optus customer slashes her phone bill amid rising costs: 'Don't be scared to walk away'

In the face of rising living costs, Australians are constantly on the lookout for ways to save money and cut down on monthly expenses.

One area where savings can be significant is with our phone bills, and a savvy Optus customer just showed us how a bit of negotiation can go a long way.


Melbourne resident Justina found herself facing a phone bill increase that would see her monthly payments rise from $53 to $60.

In a time when every dollar counts, this was an unwelcome prospect.

However, instead of accepting the hike, Justina took a proactive approach that many might overlook—she decided to negotiate.


compressed-optus.jpeg
Optus customers could see an increase in their payments due to multiple factors. Image Credit: Shutterstock/AustralianCamera


After receiving an email from Optus about the impending increase, Justina did her homework.

She compared her current plan with other offers on the market and found several competitive options.

Armed with this information, she contacted Optus.

'I told them that I wanted to cancel my plan because I found essentially a better deal,' Justina recalled.

'I was connected to the Optus loyalty team, and from there, they had a look at my account history and saw that I had been a long-term customer.'

Thanks to this, she negotiated a new plan at just $32 per month—halving her original bill and doubling her data allowance.


Justina's story was a testament that companies have wiggle room when it comes to pricing and customer loyalty can be leveraged.

Her experience also highlighted the importance of being informed about what you need from a service and what you're willing to pay.

'When it comes with any negotiation, don't be scared to walk away if they come back and say they can't match that deal or give you a deal that you like,' she stated.

Justina's success with Optus was not an isolated case.

She also managed to negotiate better rates for her car and health insurance, showing that a little effort can lead to substantial savings.


Aside from Optus, Telstra and Vodafone also announced increases in their rates, citing the need to invest in network performance, reliability, and security.

According to Canstar Blue, the average prepaid phone plan in Australia costs around $25 a month, and postpaid plans average at around $42.

There's a significant opportunity for consumers to reduce their bills through negotiation.

Before you start paying more for your phone plan, consider taking a page out of Justina's book.

Watch her story here:

Source: @jusfitna/TikTok

Review your current plan, compare it with the market, and don't hesitate to negotiate with your provider.

You might find a better deal, just like Justina did.
Key Takeaways

  • An Optus customer managed to halve her phone bill by negotiating with the provider after she was informed of a price increase.
  • Melbourne local Justina secured a new plan with the same inclusions but double the data allowance at a reduced cost.
  • Due to the rise in phone plan prices among major Australian telcos, Justina encouraged customers to shop around and negotiate for better deals.
  • Optus, along with other providers like Telstra and Vodafone, have recently increased their plan prices, citing growing costs for maintaining networks.
Have you ever negotiated a better deal with your service providers? What tips can you share for successful negotiation? Share your experiences with us in the comments below, and let's help each other keep more money in our pockets!
 
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Yes, good idea to shop around, we did a few years ago and now each have $15/month pre-paid mobile (unlimited calls / 5gb data - would never opt for post-paid), we also have NBN unlimited data at home, so by connecting to it by Wi-Fi when at home we rarely use more than 2gb max. of our mobile phone data in a month!
 
I ve been a long term customer with Vodafone and always pay my phone on time
I'm not in contract and called to say I wasn't happy with my plan and was offered a better deal elsewhere.

They then put both mine and hubby's plan down to $25 from $49.

Two of my kids had cheaper plans with other companies, one being Amaysim problem was yes it's cheaper but they said the reception and internet was crap.

I always call and ask for better deals with my mobiles, home internet , electricity and foxtel.

I've saved big with all these by doing this
 

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