Optus sent me two iPhones - What should I do?

[Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 13:27
Last edited 11/03/2018 - 09:49

Hello,

I ordered one of the Iphone 8's on the Optus deal back in December: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/348344

Optus took over 6 weeks to deliver the phone and gave me different reasons each day. I contacted them over 40 times in that period and wasted countless hours.

Eventually I get in touch with the Sydney based Manager and she tells me that the phone can no longer be sent as the deal is over and the online chat team were just telling me stories to make me happy but never intended to actually deliver the phone. She felt bad and paid for my months bill and then spoke to the repairs team to see what they could do.

The repairs team apparently had stock of the phone, brand new and sealed, I was happy and it was delivered in early Feb.

I got an email from Optus last night saying my order was sent for delivery I got online to the chat and asked them what this was about. They told me to "ignore this email" and everything on my account was in order.

Today I receive another Iphone. I asked the online team how many phones are linked to my account and they state it's just the one.

I would be more inclined to waste my time to try and return this device if they have not screwed me around so much in the first place. The amount of time spent on hold and with incompetent staff members in dollar value would have been over $1000. The two conversations I've already had with them about the device took over 30 mins each.

According to the accc if they don't ask for it back in 3 months it's mine: https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/sales-delivery/receiving-t…

Anything I should be worried about? I will leave it packed away and sealed until this time.

Update: Took the OzB Moral advice and returned the phone unused to an Optus store. Case closed.

Mobile

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Comments

  • bargainhunterrr17 on 09/03/2018 - 13:28
    +9

    send it to me! I'll return it for you ;)

    • SlickMick on 10/03/2018 - 12:56
      +1

      I only came here to see how many times this was the reply

  • GG57 on 09/03/2018 - 13:40

    If you keep it for the three months to claim ownership, won't it be outdated by then?

    • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 13:41

      I'm more of a Pixel user. The other iphone was for my wife. No interest in them so would sell it.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 13:46

      I'm sure Telstra didn't screw them around like Optus did to me. The only reason they delivered the other phone was because I spent over 20 hours with over 40 team members hassling them everyday. It's a huge corporation, not like they are going to go hungry, they don't even know it's gone.

  • idonotknowwhy on 09/03/2018 - 13:43
    +4

    Gumtree

  • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 13:54
    +6

    After reading that other forum I'm going to send it back to them. Not because it's the right thing to do but because I don't want any charges added to my account.

    • djkelly69 on 09/03/2018 - 14:14
      +2

      Notify them that they sent you an extra one, and tell them they need to arrange for it to be collected. If they don't do it within 3 months (I think), its yours!

    • poboy on 09/03/2018 - 14:15
      +5

      I think it's important to do the right thing.

    • spychiatrist on 09/03/2018 - 14:32

      "Not because it's the right thing to do." - Mysterymeat, 2018.

      • D C on 09/03/2018 - 14:41

        "Hi OzBargain, how do I take advantage of a mistake…"

      • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 14:43
        +13

        I have a selective moral compass. I'll give to charities, return dropped wallets, go out of my way to help others. But Optus are scrum.

        • angelkulit025 on 09/03/2018 - 14:51
          +1

          so keep it!

        • D C on 09/03/2018 - 15:24
          +2

          But Optus are scrum scum.

          And yet you still decide to be a customer despite there being other options. Serves you right, I suppose.

          (You've a funny definition of scum.)

        • [Deactivated] on 10/03/2018 - 18:29
          -1

          YOU chose to sign up with them but they are scum? You chose to sell a phone that isn't yours, but Optus is scum? Now they want the RRP price for a phone back that you rushed out and sold but legally isn't yours because you've only signed up with a contract for 1 phone, of course, they would do this, they have every right to.

    • gimli on 11/03/2018 - 11:24

      Just send them an email or letter, ask for them to pick it up at a time convenient for you.

  • toniyellow on 09/03/2018 - 14:14
    +2

    Would it count as unsolicited if you did ask for a phone? They've made a mistake, but not just randomly sent a phone to someone that didn't want it.

    I'd be more tempted to go for the ACCC's middle ground option. Notify them in writing that they made a mistake and sent you two, and give them a month to arrange to collect it.

    • dcep on 09/03/2018 - 14:18
      +1

      no, just act dumb and write back, thanks for the phone as compensation.

    • garage sale on 11/03/2018 - 09:05

      yep, if they haven’t arranged collection in 3months, dispose of it as you want , optus can’t expect you to warehouse their goods for free, space costs money, plus the added responsibility over 3months.

      their systems and processes are not geared up for all possible scenario, and staff aren’t empowered or paid enough to use initiative outside of their approved processes …

  • Borg on 09/03/2018 - 14:16

    Just reply back to them asking why another phone arrived and what they want to do? Now you have a record of it and they can't just charge you. PLUS let them come collect it…….its not your stuff up. If they neglect to arrange or follow-up then just keep it after 3 months. No dishonesty there and you did your bit.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 14:20
    +1

    im sure they'd notice an iphone is missing from their stock - a simple stocktake would account for this and once they tie it up to the delivery - bam

  • Caped Baldy on 09/03/2018 - 14:29
    +1

    Don't open it for a start.

    Just let them know. Chances are you will have to send it back and if that happens make sure they pay or send a courier.

    Similar thing happened to me, HN sent me a second camera. They claimed the first one on their insurance and I got to keep both.

  • spychiatrist on 09/03/2018 - 14:31
    +9

    OzBargain. Where people go for moral compass because their parents and teachers didn't teach them well enough.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 15:22
      +1

      Thanks Trump. Always a source of moral inspiration <3

    • garage sale on 11/03/2018 - 09:09
      +1

      there is actually also a legal compas, because they sent you a phone by mistake doesn’t make you the owner if they can prove you took possession of it , eg you signed for receiving it, same when bank puts too much money in your account , they wil, take it back so don’t spend it.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 14:32
    +3

    Don't send it back, keep it. A certain provider once sent me a modem and other goodies twice. I put them on Gumtree and sold them. Never heard from them or had any charges added.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 14:32
    +2

    Well that backfired. Called them up, on hold for 45 mins, no thank you for being honest or anything. They asked for the IMEI number of the first phone which I couldn't give them because I sold it. They said they are going to charge my account full retail rrp for the first phone and I will have to now repay the new one. Only sold it for $850 and now have to pay $1079. Scum Optus.

    • brokeunistudent on 09/03/2018 - 14:37
      +22

      Scum Optus.

      It's their fault you sold it for less?

      • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 14:38
        +3

        No, the phone is not worth that in the market. Why can't they just let me return the phone they sent me.

        • brokeunistudent on 09/03/2018 - 14:38
          +15

          They should allow you to do that. Contact ACCC.

        • pegaxs on 09/03/2018 - 16:13
          +14

          They can't force you to keep the second phone. If you opened it and used it, then you own it. If it is still in unopened condition, they cannot force you to keep it.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 14:45
      +10

      lol owned

      • montorola on 09/03/2018 - 15:39
        +15

        +1.

        Optus Wins. BRUTALITY.

      • SeVeN11 on 11/03/2018 - 14:48

        Note to self: when dealing with large corporation do not go out of your way to do the right thing. Like you said earlier, have a selective moral compass… you would have been better selling that phone and giving it the money to some charity or even using that money to buy something from an Australian small business to help them out (even if its not an ozbargain deal)

        FYI: you are better off contacting the telco ombudsman. Make sure you include the hours you spend on the phone waiting and researching at a rate of $50/hour so that you can get that back in credit. etc.

        It's stupid they sent you something you didn't order then charge you for their own mistake when you tell them to take it back!

    • HardQuiz on 09/03/2018 - 14:45
      +5

      Man, edit your original post and put this update.

    • AlanHB on 11/03/2018 - 08:12

      So you had two phones.

      Sold one.

      And then told Optus that you sold the phone that you mistakenly received.

      What did you think Optus were going to do?

      • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 09:38

        NO! I sold the first one not the one I just received. Does no one read.

        • AlanHB on 11/03/2018 - 16:03
          +1

          I think maybe you've just explained it poorly.

          Is this right?

          • Received phone in January that you were meant to recieve.
          • Sold that phone, continued to pay it via plan payments.
          • Mistakenly recieved second phone.
          • Returned phone to Optus.
          • Got charged for phone that you returned.
        • John Kimble on 11/03/2018 - 16:14

          @AlanHB: +1 for the first sentence. It's one of those times where it makes sense to him in his head, but he is not communicating it well.

    • garage sale on 11/03/2018 - 09:15

      if you are on a plan you just keep paying the plan , if you cancel the plan early, they charge the remainder of the rrp price of the phone as part of your plan is a portion monthly repayment for the handset. …. after 12mths you owe 1/2the rrp if you cancel.

      the $1079 is over the 24 mth contract, they don’t do it as a lump sum unless you can the contract and then it’s prorata to remaining term.

    • Ahbal on 11/03/2018 - 09:27

      So you sold a phone they sent you by accident, then told them about it, and now are calling them scum?

      Should have either kept it without telling them due to being messed around with earlier, or just return it…

      • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2018 - 09:41

        Omg. How many times must I explain this. I sold the phone they sent me in January not the one that was just sent to me. Face palm.

  • Donaldhump on 09/03/2018 - 14:37
    +50

    send them an email and tell them to ring your call center (your mobile) to get a return address….

    when they ring
    answer and play on hold music for 42 minutes.

    then

    answer and ask for credentials, their name, address, and company ABN, and talk for 60 seconds collecting few more details, then transfer them to your wife.
    play on hold music for 4 minutes.
    answer ask for credentials, their name, address, and company ABN, talk for 60 seconds collecting details, then transfer them to your son.
    play on hold music for 4 minutes.
    ask for credentials, their name, address, and company ABN, talk for 60 seconds collecting details, then transfer them to yourself again .
    play on hold music for 4 minutes.
    then give them a bogus reference number and if the phone does not arrive back in 500 business days then to call up again, and that you have escalated to your dog to take action

  • PR0r on 09/03/2018 - 14:49
    +1

    Can you go off the grid for the next 3 months?

  • pegaxs on 09/03/2018 - 16:08
    +19

    So, in the last 2h 30mins since you posted this question you managed to sell a phone and have a 45 min wait and conversation with Optus???

    It didn't backfire. It worked exactly how it should have. YOU were the one that sold the phone. What you should have done was not have sold the phone and held onto both phones until you got contact and confirmation of what Optus intended to do. It is up to them to retrieve the phone and cover the costs to retrieve it. It's your job to not sell property that you down own and hold it until such time as it is either retrieved or forfeited. Just cause you sold it for $850, doesn’t mean that's all Optus is entitled too. You bought it off them for $1079 and sold it for a loss, not them.

    Send the phone back that you are not entitled too and use that $850 to offset the cost of the sold phone. Sure, you'll be $229 in the hole, but lesson learnt.

    It's not about what's morally right or wrong, it's about what is legally right or wrong. Optus made a mistake and you want to keep both phones or the phone and the money for the sold phone and that isn’t going to happen. Either find a $850 iPhone (cause that's market value), buy it and send them both phones back. Or send theirs back and just re-buy one at $850 for yourself and keep paying your contract.

    • pyramid on 09/03/2018 - 16:31
      +6

      He must have already sold phone before making a post here.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 17:32
      +1

      That's not what happened at all. I received 2 phones, one in January and one today.

      The phone I received all the way back in January was sold and of course happy to continue to pay the contract.

      The phone I received today is sealed in its box waiting for further instruction.

      The lady on the phone asked me for the IMEI number for my first phone in January that I sold not knowing they would send me another one by mistake.

      When I told them I wish to return the phone they sent me by mistake they said that I would need to keep that one and pay for the one that I received in January.

      Why not let me return the one that was sent today in brand new condition.

      • jjjaar on 09/03/2018 - 17:56
        +3

        What was their reason for wanting the January one sent back over the march one?

        Go into a store with the product and hand it over. They have a brand new unsealed phone identical to what they delivered.

        Why do you remember the imei of the old one? Why didn't you tell them t was the new one?

      • pegaxs on 09/03/2018 - 20:56
        +7

        If the second phone is the extra phone and it is still unopened, they cannot force you to keep it and make you pay for it.

        There is no reason that the first phone has anything to do with this if that is the one connected to the contract. IMEI number or not, the first phone is your contract phone. What you do with it is your business. The second phone is the extra. Inform them that they need to retrieve it and you are not paying for a phone that you don’t want, need or have any rights too.

        And do NOT hand it back at an Optus store. They don’t give a rats. They will not receipt it into stock or send it back. Only take it to a store if Optus asked you too and get a delivery docket signed by the person you give it too.

        And for God’s sake, do NOT sell, give way, open or tamper with the extra phone. Don’t give them any reason to get on your case any more than they have already.

        The important thing is, who cares about the first phone, that’s your business what you did with it. The second phone is their issue and you CANNOT be forced to buy something you didn’t order or want.

      • Drj55 on 10/03/2018 - 08:40
        +6

        Sorry but this makes no sense at all! Why do you have to pay outright for a phone you got on contract? If you sold it, dropped it, lost it - what's it to them? Presumably the payment of the phone is factored into your contract. The new phone should just be sent back at their expense and case closed.

      • StarvingOat on 10/03/2018 - 20:57
        +4

        You learnt a life lesson. Don't listen to advice on Ozbargain seriously for moral reasons and just do what you think is best according to your research. You should've put the second in a drawer and moved on with your life. If they contacted you within 3 months, you could have given it back else keep it. Doing the right thing can also be not wasting your time with Optus and just waiting for them to fix their mistake. None of these guys on Ozbargain are gonna help you pay that money off or fix your problem for you personally.

        Optus chat was one of the most cancerous things I've ever had to deal with in my life aside from Co-op. If they are willing to throw you under the bus, you can do the same to them. In the meanwhile, walk into a store and fix their problem there. To these big companies when you 'try' to 'fix' their mistakes, you end up creating more for them cause now someone in their support has to log the phone, figure out where it came from, ask the stock people, the stock people ask their manager, they have to ask you to return it, take it back to the warehouse or repair centre etc and finally log it back into their stock count. Not worth the hassle and its easier for them to make your life harder too.

        People are saying why why why, the universe doesn't know why. All you know is the ACCC was on YOUR side. Your name was on it and it was unsolicited. On one hand, these Ozbargainers say pay your car fines, pay your transport fines, pay your landlord for damage to apartment which might be due to bad structural design cause the rules/contracts say so but on the other hand when the rules were in your favour, they suddenly take the moral high ground. They buy stuff on price errors, knowing full well it was a mistake by the business and can damage their profits. Somehow that's fair game for them. The right thing was to do nothing, it was not your issue. Your time was wasted on their support and now you got screwed by them too. Is the time you take to go to their store gonna be compensated as well?

        Optus isn't a charity you do right by, they are a mega business. If they are this incompetent at managing their deliveries and support, they should find another line of work.

        Just something to wonder. Hopefully whatever you'll learn from this will help you next time.

  • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 18:01
    -2

    Wow, you went back for a second serving of good ol' fashion unwanted buttseks.

    In retrospect (for future reference) wait the 3 months and then call them. That way you are within entitlement to do as you wish but can still clear your conscience if you so wish.

  • FoxJump on 09/03/2018 - 18:49
    +7

    I have a good story to tell.

    Once, my little Sony android phone broke. I sent it back to Vodafone for Warranty.
    A month went past, I called - still being repaired.
    Two months passed, I called - it's being repaired, about to be shipped.
    Three months passed, I called - they lost it.

    So … that's the summary.
    The details are:
    Each time i called tech support they said sorry, and then i talked to customer service, they added a credit to my account - i would call maybe every two weeks.
    After two months I demanded a free courtesy phone, they sent 1x super cheap android phone as a "gesture of good will"
    On the third month the tech people adminited they had no idea where the phone was, and they were going to send me a phone. I said to them - hang on, i'll go pick a phone and you call me back in a day and i can tell you what phone i want - they agreed. Immediately after hanging up I called customer service, complained, and told them the story of the tech team and asked for a specific phone to be sent (it was an "upgrade"). The customer service team said they couldn't give me a free phone, but they could give me one at 50%. I agreed.
    The customer service people said they would credit my account for 50% of the phone and charge me the full amount. I agreed.

    A few weeks go past and a phone arrives - not the phone i had asked for!
    A week later, another phone arrives - the one i asked for, and the 50% credit of its cost had been added to my account.

    Many years later - i still have not been chareged for that phone i asked for.

    All up:
    Vodafone lost my phone.
    Vodafone gave me 3x phones, and maybe $400 of credit all up.

    Best phone i ever lost! RIP little Sony.

    • FoxJump on 09/03/2018 - 18:51
      +8

      Things like this happen to me all the time.
      Just today woollies said the ham I bought with my groceries wasn't in stock, so they gave me a credit.
      I go to pick up my groceries - and there's the ham!

      • StingyBritches on 10/03/2018 - 12:23
        +1

        Ha, you are such a ham!

      • argonbay on 10/03/2018 - 16:56
        +4

        Are you telling porkies?

      • Symbiotic on 11/03/2018 - 08:53
        +2

        Stories like this are a bacon of shining light.

      • FoxJump on 11/03/2018 - 10:50

        I do appreciate the ham/bacon/pork jokes :)

    • DiscoJango on 11/03/2018 - 09:28
      +1

      i remember back in uni days (before iphones) i had a nokia, it came with a free 12 month subscription to nokia music (very similar to apple music) after which time i could opt to pay for it or cancell. the library was huge, had every song and album from pretty much everyone. anyway, after 12 months, the free subscription kept going, and i wasnt being billed either. being a broke ass uni student i just kept quite and paid my regular $40 whatever phone bill each month. after 3 years that nokia music subscription finally cancelled one day.

  • HeWhoKnows on 10/03/2018 - 19:37

    SIMPLE

    Keep quiet
    Say Nothing
    Wait for Optus to ask
    Check your account to ensure you havent been charged for both phones

  • elgrande on 10/03/2018 - 20:21

    Ok.. let me get this straight. . You sold it and then you called them to tell them that they sent you two???

    P.s. I feel your optus pain. Took me 3 months to get my bonus data added 2 my account. Countless hours.

    • [Deactivated] on 10/03/2018 - 21:18

      No.. please read the forum.

  • ipiok on 10/03/2018 - 21:07

    I think green day said it well back in 1997 "Nice guys finish last, You're running out of gas, Your sympathy will get you left behind"

  • Charity on 10/03/2018 - 21:16

    Fake story.

    • Wiede on 10/03/2018 - 23:02

      Nope, similar thing happened to me also. I returned the 2nd phone and the bastards IMEI blocked the first one as they reported it as “missing”. One week without phone as I need to jump through so many hoops to get it unblocked.

      I don’t blame them, it is those f**kers who configure the systems who needs to get an ass kicking

  • Autonomic on 10/03/2018 - 22:37

    Say you are keeping your original phone. They either take back the new one or let you keep it - don't pay them a cent for their own mistake. Like other commenters said - who cares what you've done with your first iPhone? You're paying for it on contract already. You could have blended it and drank it for all they (should) care.

  • Draxxx on 10/03/2018 - 22:51

    Would have told you they have no idea about stock, and should have sat on and returned if they asked for it.
    Oh well. Lesson learnt.

  • BertieBrown on 10/03/2018 - 23:26

    It might have already been explained somewhere but why sell the phone that you received in Feb?

    My understanding from the thread is that you eventually were able to get hold of an iPhone 8 that you wanted, but months later Optus erred and sent you another iPhone, which Optus will not accept as return because the original iPhone was sold? It doesn’t make sense to me from reading through. 😕

    • [Deactivated] on 10/03/2018 - 23:40

      Mate it doesn't make sense to me either. It's the Indian call centre that had no clue. Called another person that told me to return it to an Optus store. I'm just going to keep it until they ask for it back.

      • berry580 on 11/03/2018 - 03:07

        They can send a courier to pick up the good at their cost and your convenience.

  • Zee on 11/03/2018 - 03:52

    You should consider contacting the same manager you contacted last time. Maybe she’d be able to help you out :)

  • Butt Scratcher on 11/03/2018 - 03:54
    -1

    Same thing happened to my cousin. He pushed them to send it asap, and they ended up sending him 2.

    He just kept the 2nd one and sold it.

    That was about 4 to 6 years ago, and I don't think they've realised it

  • MagicOZ on 11/03/2018 - 05:00

    So you are -200 from the second phone? I know is bad to keep it, but seems it ends up worst for you. There are countless Iphones from china one less won't make Optus or Apple bankrupt.

  • ghostdom on 11/03/2018 - 05:24
    +1

    As I said in the other optus. unlimited data sim only plan, stay away from optus. They treat customers like shit when shit happens. They sent me the wrong phone and still wanted to charge me monthly fee even I returned the wrong phone. After refused to pay the bill, they passed my bill to debt collection company. Just hopeless.

    • solidussnake on 11/03/2018 - 08:14

      And now you would have bad credit by not paying too.

  • John Kimble on 11/03/2018 - 08:01
    -4

    Yes Optus treated you poorly.

    Yes Optus made an error and sent you two phones.

    But that doesn't mean you had the right to try and profit from their mistake. You tried to do the right thing afterwards, but it might have been too late. Karma's a bitch sometimes I suppose.

    Having said that, you could probably still go to TIO and see what they rule if Optus do go through with their billing. It seems reasonable to me if you got sent two identical phones, it doesn't matter which one you return, but maybe there is more to it on their end.

    Good Luck!

  • Matslurpee on 11/03/2018 - 08:36

    Return it after talking to them about the phone and they give you a method of return.

    This has happened many times, most times they eventually find out and charge you full retail for the phone if you have used it.

  • z10cvbnm on 11/03/2018 - 08:41

    Re the update, definitely go to a store as they are better in handling this kind of situation. This is from my own personal experience. Their offshore staff has no clue.

  • LUTSlit on 11/03/2018 - 08:48

    Coles are moles
    Woollies are bullies

    • belongsinforums on 11/03/2018 - 14:03
      +1

      Forums are where
      We go for our sookies

  • DiscoJango on 11/03/2018 - 09:23

    keep in mind, when you are calling a call center, you might gets someone who is on minimum wage and not the smartest person on the block. dont expect them to understand reason or logic

    • John Kimble on 11/03/2018 - 09:28
      +1

      They are trained not to think. They are supposed to follow procedures and scripts.

  • belongsinforums on 11/03/2018 - 14:01

    the second recent optus thread detailing consistent very poor customer service :D

  • Aneurism on 11/03/2018 - 14:02

    I would have held onto the phone unused until someone asked for it back

  • J23SD on 11/03/2018 - 21:32

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/343741

    Hi OP above is my thread similar thing happened to me… I ended up getting around $500 credit from Optus. Take it too the complaints team and do not give up on it keep fighting until you get at least 4 months worth of bills covered

    • J23SD on 11/03/2018 - 21:35

      By the way so many people put shit on me for wanting compensation but don't listen to them you will get it you just have to push.

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