This was posted 8 years 3 months 29 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

Related
  • expired

Free Calls to France for Telstra, Optus & Virgin Mobile Customers + Free Calls to France on Google Hangouts

2150

Telstra

Telstra offers free calls & text to France following tragic events

Our thoughts are with all those affected by this terrible incident on what was a day of national celebration in France.

To help our customers check on friends and relatives, we’re offering free standard voice calls and texts made from personal post-paid mobiles and fixed lines to France from 12.01am AEST on 15 July until 11.59pm AEST on 21 July 2016.

For personal pre-paid customers, we’re offering a refund of the costs of your standard voice calls and SMS to France from 12.01am AEST on 15 July until 11.59pm AEST on 21 July 2016 (refunds will be applied by 29 July).

Please keep in mind that disruption to services in France may impact calls getting through.


Optus

Free Calls to France for Optus Customers

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the terrible events that have taken place in Nice, France.

Optus consumer post-paid mobile and fixed customers will receive free standard voice calls to France from 12:01am AEST 15th July 2016 until midnight 21st July 2016. This includes calls to mobile and landline numbers. Calls made to France during this time will not be charged on your next bill.

Pre-paid mobile customers will receive zero-rated standard voice calls made to France from 07:00am AEST Saturday 16th of July until midnight 21st July 2016.

The high volume on the telecommunications network around France may impact calls getting through. You may experience busy tones, recorded voice announcements or the call might go straight to voicemail when calling.

Any customers who wish to discuss their individual circumstances can call our Customer Services team on 133 937


Virgin Mobile

Free calls to France for postpaid customers

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the terrible events in Nice. Our Postpaid customers are able to make free voice calls from Oz to France to check on friends and relatives from 2.00PM today (15 July) until 11.59PM on 17 July, and on Prepaid from 12.01AM on 16 July until 11.59PM on 17 July, AEST.


Google

To all those affected by the attack in Nice, you’re in our thoughts.

To help people stay informed and connected with their loved ones, we're making calls to France from Hangouts, Google Voice and Project Fi, free — from anywhere in the world those services are supported.

Android → https://goo.gl/75u3GM
iOS → https://goo.gl/FDOfq

Additionally, ​for those in and around Nice, ​we’ve published a Google Now card with critical updates from French authorities, and we’ll continue to update it as new information becomes available.


Vodafone

Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the terrible events in Nice, France
In response to this, we will reactively give voice only credits to customers that have made calls to France (From today, Friday 15 July 2016 until 11.59pm AEDST, Tuesday 19 July, 2016) and have raised the issue with us
The voice only credits can be given up until 11.59pm (AEDST), Tuesday 19 July, 2016
If you have made calls to France in this time, please contact customer care on 1555 to have these call costs credited back to your account.


Mod:

Please note this is a deal for free calls to France. Obviously there are a lot of raw feelings but personal attacks on religions and groups of people is not acceptable. Those who can't control their comments are best not making a comment at all.

Commenting Guidelines

Related Stores

Telstra
Telstra

closed Comments

  • +3

    Boo Vodafone?

  • +11

    Wow another attack happened? Finding out about it here first.
    77 have died, apparently.
    Very sad.

      • +7

        The hell.. it's not as simple as that.

        • -6

          2 ignorant morons downvoted so far. I wonder how many more we'll see. Endless wars and millions dead and trillions of taxpayer dollars swindled.
          www.infowars.com/rumsfeld-says-2-3-trillion-never-lost-just-…
          https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5jqmnjIXiVE
          https://www.corbettreport.com/911-a-conspiracy-theory/

          keep spewing the anti-muslim hate, tools. Just like you were programmed to do, while they continue to loot and pillage using the public purse.
          www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/12_06_01_death_profits_pt…

          Deal with the enemy for decades then announce he must go. Just so you can continue sewing up deals in resource-rich nations.
          www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7895997/Tony-Blair-met-Col…
          https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ChIF6yvTL6k

          Western Imperialism. Brainwashed lamestream media GMO-eating morons. Hate and fear is so much easier than opening your eyes.
          Let's see some more ignorant downvotes

        • +9

          @cheepwun:
          Here, I crafted the tinfoil into a Napleon hat style for you, in honor of France.
          It looks fanastique on you, Emperor

        • @King Tightarse:
          Implying that these TRUTHs are nothing but paranoia?

          Nobody here can refute truth, that's what it comes down to. Nobody. I challenge anyone to.

          Even when ex-CIA employees speak. Even when engineers and scientists speak. Even when those that survived the Pentagon attack speak of no plane hitting the Pentagon, or the fact that there still isn't a shred of footage showing it did (and nearby security cameras from businesses were confiscated).

          Even the total impossibility of the third building coming down when it wasn't even hit by any plane isn't even questioned. Even the truth about the hijackers themselves is not questioned. Even when countless lives are lost from witnesses that would bring truth to the whole issue. Even when George Bush's brother is in charge of the company doing security for the World Trade Centre. Even countless other inconsistencies and mistruths. Nope, even with all this, people still prefer their State Programming.

          The countless murders. The countless lies for profit. The countless profiteering going on every day. And all we get are tinfoil hat comments. Ignorant morons with zero interest in learning about how you are being swindled.

          I guarantee that if it happened on your doorstep (like you or your relatives homeless or injured or dead) you'd be in a fast-track path to truth, but since it is not on most of our doorsteps nobody is willing to step away from their State Programming.

          A shame to all of tools who downvoted. But then again ignorance is plenty. Ignorant convenience wins the day. Until shit really hits the fan on your doorstep. For shame. All the souls destroyed for profit. Nobody would be ignorant to what is going down if it were happening to them. Nobody. For now, some taxpayer dollars swindled in Australia is "a-ok" as long as it keeps the perpertrators swimming in profit and as long as the ignorant plebs can continue spreading their Corporate Media-programmed hate. Tools of State Programming. Uninterested in the truth.

      • a) your comment was sarcastic - in which case I didn't get it
        b) if not sarcastic - Didn't realise this was XenophobicBargain

      • +9

        "We must accept more Muslims into our countries to demonstrate that ISIS's tactics are not working and only unite us further."
        Because folks, more Muslims is the sure-fire path to happiness and success.
        Ask any high-in-Muslim population country; ask the happy gay people, ask the women ask the Christians, the Jews.
        ………. oh wait.

        • +4

          I am with Tightarse.

          Islam isn't well known for it's acceptance of non-believers.

          I condone the exact opposite of what hcetigol proposes.

        • -3

          @GreatWhiteHunter:

          Ohh yeah, it was the Muslims that invaded Afghanistan and gave the Taliban all the weapons. And those same crazy Muslims who invaded Iraq and gave birth to ISIS. Also those same crazy Muslims who invaded Lebanon and gave birth to Hezbollah.

          Ohh wait a minute…..

          Look at history, its quite often the other way around.

        • @tonytone:

          Was the driver of the truck who killed 80+ people in Nice a Muslim?

          YES

        • -1

          @GreatWhiteHunter:

          Was Hitler a Christian?? Yes.

          Killed a few more than 80. But no one blames his religion.

        • +1

          @tonytone:
          Hitler was generally regarded as an atheist, like his father.
          He was baptised Catholic but that was out of his control. He did not go to church or practise his religion.
          But really why bring up Hitler in a thread about the terrible losses in Nice?

        • @King Tightarse:
          was a response to greatwhitehunter when he asked if the nice attacker was Muslim. Just as an example.

          I'm just saying that we can't judge a whole religion based on the actions of a few. Fair point I think.

        • @tonytone:
          http://www.salon.com/2016/02/10/obama_on_verge_of_launching_…

          Mass murderers get a free ride.
          Mass murderers get Stupid Celebrity support.

          No point trying to talk to anyone here about the truth, it seems. They are Lamestream Media morons.

      • -2

        haha
        Exactly what I was thinking.
        Maybe even bring sharia law to turn us into an islamic country to be truly united.

    • +9

      Same here.. I found out about this only from OzBargain. Not sure whether I should be proud or ashamed of myself.

    • Heared it over the radio live as it happened. There were initially 30 dead now it's up to 80. Terrible thing. 3 terrorist attack apparently in just 2 years.

      • +5

        We don't know if they're terrorists, oh wait sorry yes, their passports were recovered near the site

        • +7

          They had terrorist passports?

        • +4

          @MrTweek: apparently all terrorists prior to committing their attacks grab their passports with them, seems to be the norm these days to locate passports near attack sites. (shrug)

        • +1

          @frostman:

          As with the French terrorist attacks last year, sometimes those involved escape and do a runner to another country (Belgium).

          If you somehow escape to another country, that's one of the things you would want with you.

        • +2

          @odysseus: Yes, a very logical conclusion, especially in a borderless place like Europe..
          Anyway, the bigger picture is that the world has become a kinda a sad, scary place..

        • @Xizo: You seem to think being "border-less" (it isn't, every country in Europe has borders) means passports don't get checked at airports for some reason.

        • @odysseus:

          If you somehow escape to another country, that's one of the things you would want with you.

          You'd think in more discreet situations like kidnapping and smuggling, your idea may play well.

          But in situations where a man rams 100 people, or opens fire at random public cafes, the thought of waltzing away from the scene to an airport can't even make it to a sci-fi movie with UFOs having sex with humans.

          Don't drink from the Kool-Aid, there's more to it than meets the eye.

        • @frostman:

          Yes, that's what you'd think, but I was using the actual example from last year where 1-2 of those who were involved in the shootings in Paris fleed to Belgium straight after.

          Plus this guy had a load of weapons in the back of his truck that weren't used, so we have no idea of what his plans were. History shows that they have a) fled to other countries from large shootings where many died, and b) we don't know what this guy's plans were.

        • @Diji1: IDs get checked at airports, but definitely not at land border crossings. In fact, as a European citizen there's no need to even own a passport unless you want to leave the EU.

          Still doesn't explain how finding a passport helps you finding out it was a terrorist attack.

        • @odysseus:

          History shows that they have a) fled to other countries from large shootings where many died, and b) we don't know what this guy's plans were

          History? there's never been a "terrorist" attack without the perpetrators being somehow killed in the action, they're never captured and taken away for questioning to identify others cells. Dead men tell no tales.

        • @frostman:

          You're quite wrong there.

          The example I'm referring to was the terrorist attack in Paris last year, though that's from the only one.

    • -8

      Very sad indeed, can't believe truck drivers are playing pokemon GO in highly populated areas….

  • +3

    What about free calls to Iraq? Wouldn't mind calling my army mates.

      • +2

        Smartphones are restricted in some places. Stupid ADF rules. I usually just contact them at the local airforce base.

    • Calls to Iraq and for that matter Turkey and Bangladesh are usually charged at a much higher rate than calls to France.
      The Telcos would likely be incurring a much greater cost to provide calls to these places free of charge.

      Someone has done the math and found the PR gained by offering free calls to France offsets the costs incurred.
      This is not the case for Iraq, otherwise you would be seeing a similar offer.

  • +22

    Did they do the same deal for the Turkish attacks?

    • -4

      Perhaps not, there are more French people here in Australia than Turkish.

      • +29

        they didn't do it for the recent Turkish, Bangladesh or Iraq attacks (to my knowledge). Naturally the media coverage of these attacks was significantly less and for any ignorant people out there most of the victims from ISIS attacks are actually Muslims.

        • +4

          @boomramada: It's not an over-reaction, it's a fact and a valid answer to someone's question. I personally don't have anyone to call in any of the countries listed so I'm not looking for a freebie at all. Your reply is actually so invalid & irrelevant that it made me laugh.

        • +1

          @strawberrybug:
          Brussels bombings, 32 killed, 300 people injured, no free phone calls.
          Turkey airport attack: 41 killed, 239 people injured, no free phone calls.

          And now France, 73+ died so far.

          I have been to all those three locations same time last year. Its a sad time, sure you can have a laugh and enjoy while it last. I just don't appreciate the people doing the blame game on things on sad occasions that's all.

        • +1

          @boomramada:

          you just answered your own question. the number is between 41 and 73 obviously

        • +1

          @boomramada: Let me be clear, I'm not laughing at anything to do with the situation at hand. I'm laughing at your absurdity in stating that my comment was an over-reaction or me looking for a freebie! Not sure what the negs I got are for.

          As for your list, you left off countries with a high rate of deaths, ie, Iraq but that's ok since you were just talking about places you personally had visited.

        • @suicine94: Not quite… over 200 Russians died when ISIS bombed their plane leaving Cario… no free calls there…

        • @DWH:

          When did that happen? did it happen after the free calls to terrorism started? cos before it was just natural disasters, now they extended to man made events.

          if so number between 41 and 200 then.

        • @suicine94: Exactly, it barely even hit our news, because our news instructs us to 'hate Russia'.

          I was mistaken, it was 224 dead. Oct 2015.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrojet_Flight_9268
          https://www.rt.com/news/322393-russian-plane-crash-terrorist…

          A recent terrorist attack with the most number of casualties and nobody knows about it… time to question more…

        • @DWH: @DWH: Uh.. I remember hearing about it, and it was covered by a lot of online media ABC, ABC update, News.com.au, News.com.au update, the guardian to name a few.

        • +1

          @NigelTufnel: And if you asked the average Aussie on the street about it…? Most people I speak to haven't heard of it.

          My point was it was a blip on our news, not absent altogether.

        • @DWH: It was all over the place. Maybe find some different people to speak to?

      • +7

        Maybe more People with French ancestry, but according to wiki and the 2011 Sensis it is the opposite (more Turks than French)

        • +5

          Turkish community is huge in Australia.

        • +3

          *Census
          Also, it's not just about ancestry, it's also due to many more Australian tourists/expats living in France with family here compared to Turkey, Bangladesh and Iraq.

        • +1

          @NigelTufnel: ah yes census, it's that time of year and I have Sensis yellow pages on the mind

  • +4

    This really saddens me.. My heart goes out to the victims and the survivors.

  • So sad, what's the use for free phone if they dead…? (profanity) this animals..

    • +5

      To call family and friends over there, to make sure they are ok. If not, the victim might have family member other family member there which you can call and comfort them from here.

  • +30

    These are just cheap publicity stunts by the Telcos. They get lots of free coverage and really aren't providing anything to most of their customers.

    Eg. My mobile plan includes over 6 hours of free calls if I was calling France, or I could use my home phone to make an untimed call to France for 10 cents…

    • Complete garbage. Just because your plan includes it, doesn't mean it isn't beneficial to most of their customers. What do you want them to do, no announce it so people don't realise? I personally know of people who have benefitted from these "offers" in the past, and although they would have happily bared the cost of the call under the circumstances, it clearly helped them a little to have one less thing (moey) to worry about in a terrible time.

      Being contrary just for the sake of it is the behavior of a troll.

      • +9

        I hardly think he's being contrary just for the sake of it. He's merely pointing out that these companies don't do this as a gesture of goodwill, it's just a PR exercise for them. This is illustrated clearly by the fact that they only seem to offer free calls during popular tragedies, it wouldn't be to their advantage to offer it for something that doesn't get a lot of media coverage here in Australia.

        Ozbargain is basically being used as a free marketing tool by the carriers. If anyone genuinely needed to ring anyone affected by this attack I'm sure they wouldn't be worrying about the cost and I'm willing to bet that hardly anyone on Ozbargain will actually use this deal.

        I'm sure the immediate reaction from many people is. Wow goodguy telstra really cares, what a company! when they are offering something that wouldn't actually cost them anything anyway.

        • +2

          it's just a PR exercise for them

          Pretty much most of the posts on OzBargain are.

        • +5

          This times a million

          Don't know why these are deals anyway. If it were up to me they wouldn't be posted. What kind of cheap skate would NOT call their loved one until they saw it was free on Ozbargain. And if we follow that logic, what kind of low-life would then see this as a bargain? "Oh, sweet, a tragedy in France, time to make some long distance phone calls to xyz who wasn't anywhere near Nice and whom I wouldn't have bothered calling otherwise"

        • +2

          @Savas:

          I think most posts are more of a marketing exercise which is what Ozbargain is for - to find a good deal. This is different, the phone carries are trying to turn a tragedy into a feel good story about themselves. It just feels cheap and in poor taste to me.

        • +1

          @chiefbodge: Yeah it's not very Nice

        • +1

          Ozbargain is basically being used as a free marketing tool by the carriers.

          Well whilst I'm the last person to give carriers a break they aren't responsible if someone makes a post about their publicity stunt on Ozbargain.

        • +1

          @Diji1:

          Oops, I didn't mean it to come across that way. Of course the carrier's haven't posted this themselves. My point was that I don't think ozbargain should allow this kind of thing to be posted but that's just my opinion.

  • +5

    What about free calls to Iraq /Bangladesh when they had Bomb blast in market killing 200 ppl. Why ignoring non-western countries… Shame on ppl who only see live matters in Western countries.

    • +5

      Shame on people who only see PC BS and not the real world.

    • +6

      That's the media for ya.

      • +1

        More the consumers actually.

        It's common knowledge that a lot of news is just made up these days but people continue to consume it knowing that.

    • +9

      It's a natural human instict to group with and care about people with whom you are similar. (European) Australia has a long history with France, we fought for their freedom and with them in both World Wars. It is easy to imagine them as similar people. Right or wrong that does not apply to the same extent with Iraq or Bangladesh so overall care-factor is lower and indifference is higher.

      • It is easy to imagine them as similar people

        What does that mean. You only support which you can imagine them as similar people. Other non-western country human are not the same ? Are they different from you due to their race/color/religion ? Where is the humanity ?

        • +2

          I agree but it is human nature, it just happens that way. FWIW I think the moden era interent/instant communcations etc gives us a much better chance of understanding each others humanity. Back in the 1970 and 80's it would take thousands of foreign, non-western deaths or even tens of thousands to make the news here.

      • +2

        It's a natural human instict to group with and care about people with whom you are similar.

        Replace similar with familiar with, then I agree.

        If it snows in sahara = newsworthy for anyone in the world (we all know it doesnt snow in sahara)
        If it snows in Orlando florida = newsworthy for people who is familiar with orlando (snow is very very very rare in Orlando). Normal aussies wouldn't give a flap.
        If a bomb explodes in Iraq = sure its newsworthy but there have been many many instances of bombing anyway.
        If a bomb explodes in Bangladesh = it is newsworthy but an average aussie will go where bangladesh is again? cant remember if they're good or bad guys?

        Disclaimer: I don't hold the view of above examples, just trying to explain what other might think.

      • +2

        "It's a natural human instict to group with and care about people with whom you are similar"

        EXACTLY. There's nothing wrong or mean about mourning differently.

        If a close family member died, you'd be devastated.

        If a work colleague died, you'd be sad.

        If someone down the street from where you lived died, you be a little sad.

        When someone dies in a different city, you wouldn't blink an eye.

        Enough with this rubbish about how we should be mourning people who die in Iraq or Syria etc. We mourn and feel sad by events that impact us personally. Many people have been to France. Some may have even been to Nice. Some may have walked along that street. Contrast this to how many people have any personal connection to Iraq or Syria etc etc.

        Stop making us feel guilty because we have a limited amount of emotions with which we can mourn.

        • Some may have even been to Nice.

          That was me 9 months ago. Certainly makes me feel more of a connection.

        • @McFly: And there proves my point. The closer the personal connection to anything in life, the greater the impact it has on us. When people die in a country you've never been to and/or have no connection to whatsoever, then the impact it has on your is less than if it was people you knew or places you'd previously visited. There's nothing wrong or shameful about mourning some events more than others.

      • The Telcos are a business, not a charity.
        Free calls to France is good business.
        Thinking that the Telcos are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts or by some cultural loyalty is erroneous.

    • +7

      BangladeshiLivesMatter.

    • This has been done for non western countries if you bother to pay attention or fact check. A recent example i can recall was Nepal.

      • +2

        When they had earthquake because Most of tourist were Australian climbing Mr Everest tracking.

        They didn't care about Baghdad when they had bombing last month.. there are many family/friends live here in Australia for them.

        i am not against services provider to give free calls in this situation but play equally for every one / ever race / every religion.

        • Sigh… more political correctness masquerading under the cloak of morality/equality. I praise your idealism but try and temper it with the reality. It's easy to go out of your way to offended. By what your saying since companies are not regulated to provide free calls then none of them should under any condition. Ease up.

        • @Xizor:

          I don't see he's saying none should. Just pointing out that the 'generosity' is selective.

          It's a bit like the complaints against facebook similarly initiating an emergency facility in Western countries, when they didn't activate it elsewhere with similar hurt.

          You mention "reality" as the justification but why should the reality be different? Why should they not say set a benchmark and then offer it if they actually are doing it as a humane gesture?

        • play equally for every one / ever race / every religion

          You seem to be under the impression that the free calls aren't a self-serving publicity stunt and that telcos should be doing inappropriate marketing for a systemically racist country's population.

    • +3

      What about free calls to Iraq /Bangladesh

      If they gave free calls every time there was an attack at a mosque or marketplace in a Muslim country, they would never make in money.
      This is the sad truth.

      So don't blame the Telecos if they do not do this every time.

  • Please note this is a deal for free calls to France. Obviously there are a lot of raw feelings but personal attacks on religions and groups of people is not acceptable. Those who can't control their comments are best not making a comment at all.

    Commenting Guidelines

  • +11

    200+ in one bombing in Iraq last week. No Free calls to Baghdad?

    • Can you please show us on the Telstra Customer Service Charter where they must give customers free telephone calls where tragedies have taken place?

      • I ran out of Pokeballs, free calls to my place?

  • Go to France they said. It will be fun they said.

    • +5

      It's no longer fun when certain types of people live there.

  • +3

    +1, just wondering if there is any possible that could have free calls to China since there is a massive flood happening in there.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-11/china-s-wo… (apparently no Aussie media give an attention about follow up this, but apparently it impacted nearly quarter area of China)

    • +3

      don need to call china everyone got the wechat

      • True, but so does French on Facebook msger or whatsapp maybe…

    • Including the South China Sea?

  • Viva La France.
    Viva La Rebellion.

Login or Join to leave a comment