By Claire Reilly
SYDNEY, NSW: The minister responsible for the rollout of the NBN, Senator Stephen Conroy, has issued an announcement today warning Australians about phony door-to-door salespeople signing up users to the NBN in Tasmania.
Senator Conroy’s comments follow a report issued by Digital Tasmania that exposed the bogus representatives.
“NBN Co Limited, the company established to rollout the NBN, will advise communities in advance of any construction what the timeframe is for the delivery of NBN services,” Senator Conroy advised. “Residents and businesses will then have the opportunity to consider a range of retail providers of services and their different offers.
“There are a number of reputable retail service providers (RSPs) offering commercial services over the NBN in Tasmania, such as iiNet, Internode, Exetel, and iPrimus, and Telstra is continuing with its pilot program.
“As the rollout progresses more and more RSPs will start to provide services over the NBN in Tasmania, so people should look carefully at all offers and keep their options open as the NBN approaches in an increasingly competitive environment.”
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Senator Conroy also said that Australians should apply “common sense rules” to avoid trouble, and offered advice on what to do if approached by door-to-door salespeople.
Safety measures included obtaining details in writing regarding any offers made (whether by individuals or companies), not paying by cash or card at the time and checking claims with Consumer Affairs or the company that is supposedly offering the service.
Senator Conroy advised consumers to report any suspicious scams to SCAMwatch, the website run by the ACCC that provides information on recognising, avoiding and reporting scams.
SCAMwatch can be contacted via the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 795 995, or online at www.scamwatch.gov.au.