Telstra outage: What went wrong and what it means for you
When Australians woke up on July 8, many were met with silence – no calls, no data, no way to get to work. The Telstra outage that swept the country that morning, affecting everything from transport to Eftpos payments, has since triggered a Senate inquiry and the threat of hefty penalties for the country’s biggest telco.
Power up: What to do in a telco outage
If the Telstra outage in early July has taught us anything, it’s that a network failure can upend your day in an instant. And telco outages are not unique to any one provider, as Optus customers found out in 2023 and again in 2025.
Get smart: Avoid telco customer service complaints
Want to avoid the need to make telco customer service complaints? While there is no surefire way to prevent issues with your mobile, landline or internet provider, there are steps you can take to help reduce the chances of significant issues.
Call waiting: Australians demand action on telco complaints
Australians are fed up with their mobile providers, with the number of people taking telco complaints to the industry ombudsman rising for the third consecutive quarter.
Happy customers: We’ve got a handle on your complaints
It’s been another busy year for the team at Handle My Complaint. Since launching our new online system in February, we have handled almost 2,400 complaints for Australians across a range of industries.
From vehicles to travel, home renovation to insurance complaints, if there’s a customer who feels hard done by, we’ve assisted them to get the outcome they deserve. As the year draws to a close, we take a look at some of the situations we’ve helped resolve and share some of the lovely feedback we’ve received from our clients.
Removing road blocks to customer care
Saul Frank knows when he’s being given the run-around with customer care. And he would never do the same to his customers.
The ripple effect of poor customer service
Like most of us who have renovated a kitchen, the Wilsons couldn’t wait to enjoy it.
The 12 Pains of Christmas and how to avoid them
Have you heard of The 12 Pains of Christmas? Released in the mid-1980s, the song is a parody of the popular carol, The 12 Days of Christmas, where instead of touting the pleasure of receiving various gifts, the singer bemoans the less than sunshiny parts of the festive season.
But even if Bob Rivers sounds a bit like the Grinch who stole Christmas, we all know he has a point. For all the family get-togethers, presents and general bonhomie, there is plenty to complain about this time of year (and we don’t just mean the price of cherries).
Fifty years of loyalty — and nothing to show for it
Yvonne Arnall didn’t expect any special treatment. Like most of us, she simply expected to be treated with respect and have her issue resolved in a timely manner.
Instead, what the Melbourne grandmother got was an abject failure in customer service that dragged on for almost six months. A saga that involved her driving hundreds of kilometres on multiple occasions for appointments that never eventuated. And when her initial request was finally resolved — on the eighth appointment — it came with an added insult: a pool of urine.
Protect your good name: Why you should check your credit report regularly
Jessica Meyer was excited about buying her first home with her mother. She’d saved a good deposit and was ready to sign the contract.
Until the bank contacted her to say they had checked her credit status with a credit reporting company and she was deemed a risk.