Well RodT when you buy a prepaid phone you pay for the handset, why shouldn't your $20 last until you spend it. I liken a prepaid phone to having the public phone box in your pocket so I think its a bit rich to have to buy the public phone box then pay 50 cents for each phone call.

Actually a mobile phone is like having a public phone box that tolls you for local calls at the same rate you pay for interstate calls.

RodT: Issues missed.

1. My daughter asked for a special service. Instead was sold a plan unable to deliver the requested service. No alternatives were recommended.
3. Dialling 000. I did not require ambulance, fire brigade, or power. All I needed was to contact a family member for assistance.
4. Dialling 000 takes time until the operator or robotic answering machine establishes what emergency you want.
5. Despite putting $20 into the account, the advice was there was no money in the account further wasting time.
6. We believed the Telstra consultant sold a service to provide a safety net for emergency calls, add the $20 paid to secure the account; it is reasonable to expect a service?
7. Alarmist? People injured, in pain, or other symptoms can result in confusion, fainting or coma. Fortunately in my case, despite pain, I was able to get to the house phone, although it took me five minutes. Add those delays; one can appreciate someone dying before help arrived.
10. E.g. someone suffering a heart attack; delays could result in help arriving too late.
11. I sincerely hope you are never in a situation requiring help yet unable to access it.
12. I paid $20 to ensure an emergency service Telstra failed to deliver.
13. A retired businessman; I am aware of infrastructure costs. However, Telstra has had the use of the Telecom infrastructure and has done minimal upgrades. Ask rural people or people living on the outskirts of the Metropolitan regions.
14. Comments imply it is ok for Telstra to take money from pensioners; deliver no service, yet Telstra profits increase annually.
15. Telstra not a charity. Agreed! However, under law, a service must deliver the service requested and believed to be paid for. Telstra did not do that.
16. Claiming by not using your bank account, still incurs a monthly fee is not quite correct. My Bank, provides, as a service, a pensioner account that attracts no fees.
17. Did you skim through the article without comprehending the issues or choose to misconstrue the content to deride and denigrate its content?

There seems to be a very narrow definition of emergency. I live 100 km from the nearest town and am concerned that if my car breaks down on an isolated road I need to contact RACQ - yet cannot without a mobile. (Can't use 000 for that!) I was bitten on the leg by a dangerous spider while in the yard and could not get help using my expired-mobile. (It would have helped to gain access to immediate help). A few weeks later I awoke to find a rough-scaled snake (highly venomous) in my bed. The situation was desperate I thought. I could have used the mobile then, I assure you, to call for help, but again not 000. I was eventually able to get away without being bitten and use the landline, but I still have the occasional nightmare - and have loaded my bedside table with pressure bandages, etc. Without mobiles, aged, and living alone without neighbours anyway near, I am extremely vulnerable to the vagaries of life and would appreciate help through the use of a reasonably priced mobile. But I can't afford to support Telstra's money habit.

I was also caught out by this pre-paid nonsense. When I bought my mobile I pre-paid and was able to use this over a reasonable period. But like the author, this changed and there was no notification to me of the change of rules. Twice my pre-paid facility ran out in a very quick time, much to my puzzlement. When I made enquiries I was told that was part of the contract I signed. I checked my contract and it said no such thing. I tried to get some answers and could not, and in frustration told Telstra I would no longer be a party to them stealing money from pensioners. So am in a vulnerable position. The local political member is not part of the government so could (would) not help. So where does one go, I wonder? Obviously it is no good appealing to Telstra's better nature.