More than 90,000 NBN customers are yet to be refunded for slow speeds

Two in three customers impacted by retail service providers (RSP) who promised higher National Broadband Network (NBN) speeds, which couldn’t be delivered, are yet to receive refunds by Telstra, Optus, TPG, iiNet, Internode, Dodo, iPrimus and Commander.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is urging NBN customers who experienced slow connection speeds to contact their RSP as they may be eligible for a refund.

As previously reported, Telstra, Optus, TPG, iiNet, Internode, Dodo, iPrimus and Commander have all admitted to making false or misleading representations about the connection speeds NBN customers with fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) and fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) connections could experience. 

These providers sold plans of maximum 100Mbps speeds, which they couldn’t deliver.

Since November 2017, the ACCC has accepted undertakings from each of these eight RSPs that they would contact more than 142,000 affected consumers to offer them a range of options, such as moving to a lower speed plan of their choice, or exiting their contract and receiving a refund.

Now, the ACCC said that many of those customers are yet to exercise their rights, as many (two in three) have not responded to the letter or email from their RSP.

“They may be eligible for refunds, some in the hundreds of dollars," ACCC acting chair Mick Keogh said.

"The ACCC is urging NBN customers to contact their NBN retailer if they have received a letter or email offer of a remedy, or think they might be entitled to a remedy."

The ACCC has also reminded customers that those who have recently signed up to an NBN plan may also be eligible to a refund where the RSP has advertised maximum connection speeds with the plan.

RSPs now have to check their speeds within four weeks and if the speeds are below that advertised for the plan the consumer chose, the RSP must offer remedy options.

"Our message to RSPs is that if you advertise a particular connection speed and customers cannot experience that speed, you risk breaching the Australian Consumer Law," Keogh added.

"We expect RSPs to provide consumers with accurate information up front about the internet speeds they can expect to experience, and then deliver on those promises."