Help for Aussies.

[Thaiguy]

Having just returned from the Murphies Law tour of Thailand I have a couple of items of interest for Australians who may need help from the Commonwealth Bank , Telstra and visa applications.
If you find your Commonwealth Mastercard is not operating or you need to contact the bank for any other reason lookiing for the help line on the internet will not help you.
1. the number shown will not accept calls from Thailand , sending an urgent email doesn't help ( I couldn't get a reply and still haven't 3 weeks later).
Calling a friend or relative in Aus. and asking them to contact the bank for help or asking the bank to ring you is useless.
I rang my daughter 5 time and she rang the bank 5 times before one operator had enough nous or compassion to ring me and tried to help.
Calling the bank results in being given the following numbers ( none of which work from Thailand :6626435000-1800188888-001800613475-16367227111.
The only one that works ( write it down)is +61299993283 and it is a pay line not free.
Telstra : lock out of your phone , sim card damaged - contact Telstra help line- email Telstra , advised to contact nearest Telstra Agent or dealer - ( thanked them for useless advice reminded them I was in Thailand and there were no telstra agents here.
Supplied security information and advised to contact +61 2 93961193 and ask for new Puk number - did so waited on Skype for 16mins 51 secs got an answer ,operator tells me I will transfer you to mobilenet - through to mobilenet operator , we are experiencing longer than usual delays please ring back later!
Absolutely useless , forget about your phone , wait until you get home.

Visa applications: If you are in Udon Thani ther is no courier service and the only way to get result and or visa and passport is to fly to BKK - no answer over the phone.

[Rigger]

If you find your Commonwealth Mastercard is not operating or you need to contact the bank for any other reason

Learned this lesson about 10 years ago when I was stuck for three days overseas with no money and no one to help. Me and the commonweath bank had words when I returned to Australia and I closed my account and moved to another bank.

[MeMock]

A while ago I got a letter from the commonwealth bank saying that an account in my wifes name which was fee free was going to start charging fees.
It hadn't been touched for years and only had $17 in it. I went on line to to transfer the remaining money out so I could close it down but the sms code that was set up on it was for an old mobile number in Australia.

Stuffed If I was going to call them at $1 a minute as I could guarantee I would spent $17 just being on hold.

So I sent them an email and explained the situation.

The said how about they call me so I gave them my number and a few days later they did call.

My wife was out at the time and of course they need her to answer the security questions so they called back a few days later. Wife answered the security questions I then spoke to them and they updated my sms code phone number to my Thailand phone so that I could do the transfer.

I went back online but of course it still didn't work so I sent them another email.

They replied and asked where I would like the money transferd to which I told them. They then called back again to check that with my wife. No problems so now the account is back to $0.

i sent one final email to check that they would close the account and they replied saying no they cant do that unless I write them a letter. I replied and said that the first girl who called me said she would close it down herself so please go and check your phone records.

The next day they called back again, spoke to my wife and closed the account!

So four phone calls and at least 4 emails. It didn't cost me a cent apart from a bit of time and saved me $17

[Nawty]

Geeeez MM...so nice and polite.

CBA is still I believe, using one of my phone conversations with an operator for 'educational training'

[MeMock]

I am always nice and polite

I must admit I thought my money was gone for ever and was pleasantly surprised they did call me. I always believe in giving praise where it is deserved.

[MeMock]

also.... that was my only account with them apart from a commsec trading account which is why I didn't expect any service.

All my other accounts are with the NAB where I have a direct line to the manager, know all the staff and the service is brilliant.

I did a money transfer the other day and forgot to put some money in the account to start with! They sent the money and 12 hours later politely emailed me to ask when I might be paying for it!

Maybe it does help that I am there land lord as well

[Nawty]

Kununurra NAB ?

Ask them what mates rates they give for $600k fixed 5 years refinance.

My NAB branch in Melbourne quoted me 1 to 1.5% higher than 2 other banks....fcukers.

[Thaiguy]

Geeeez MM...so nice and polite.

CBA is still I believe, using one of my phone conversations with an operator for 'educational training'

I did hear back from the bank and got a reply apologising and thanking me for highlighting a weakness in their service.
Also asked permission to use my experience for training purposes and as a goodwill gesture reversed 2 minor account charges on the card.

In retrospect the problem wasn't with the bank or Mastercard the problem was with that richard cranium airline AirAsia's server .
What it did was highlite a problem which could occur leaving someone no way to contact the bank unless you can contact a local 3rd party.