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Unjust default on my name. Can I sue Vodafone Australia?

• In early 2009, I got one of those internet deals from Vodafone (Australia) where you get a Dell mini laptop for free. First of all, the keypad was faulty. Then a week later, the laptop would not even turn on! Went to the Vodafone shop at my local shopping centre only to be told that because I ordered it through the Vodafone website, they can't help me fix it. Which I thought a bit weird at the time. So I rang Vodafone to let them know what's going on. Vodafone customer care did not even know how to deal with the my inquiry. They don't even have a technician that would tell me what to do. If they provide internet connection/laptop deal, you'd think that they'd hire technicians to assist people with their troubleshooting. But there's no one that could help me. I was told to ring Dell instead! So I rang Dell. I was on the phone with them for at least an hour and a half. The first hour mind you, was pretty much begging them to help me because they couldn't find my name in the system. Which makes sense because I didn't buy the laptop from them! I got it from Vodafone! Anyway, after all that, the guy couldn't fix it. He said they will have to arrange a technician to come over. A week later, a technician from Dell came over. He could barely speak English and most annoying of all, could not fix the laptop! So, I ended up getting it fixed myself! Had to pay $180 to get the damn thing fixed! Which I shouldn't have had to because it was still under warranty with Vodafone. Laptop has been working fine until early-mid last year when the charger gave up on me. Remembering what I had to go thorugh the year before just trying to get the damn thing fixed. I didn't bother ringing Vodafone, I didn't bother getting a new charger. I left the laptop sitting in my bedroom not being used. Therefore, the internet is also not being used. So here's the fun part, because I was not using the internet and the fact that Vodafone could not give a damn thing about me, as a paying customer. I didn't see their montly internet bill as a matter of urgency. Which is probably the biggest mistake I've made. I didn't pay it for a few months. It accummulated up to $380. Until Vodafone submitted my account to a third party collector. I have made an arrangement with them that it will be paid in two installments. Which I have breach the agreement as I had other things to pay at the time and I didn't really have anything else after that. The third party collector agreed to make another payment arrangement. I have paid it in two installments, the last installment was on 17 November. But I found out yesterday that Vodafone have placed a default on my name at the end of October this year! Which I thought is very unjust! For a start, the internet was not being used for a whole freaking year so you'd think that they will give some consideration for that! And second, I was liaising with their third party collector at the time to finalise the account once and for all! I am definitely considering legal action against them! Would love to get some advise from people in Australia on how I go about it. The defauly on my name will sit there for the next five years! I have a little one and was planning to get a house next year so she can grow up in a much better place! Now, I'm not so sure that will still happen. An advise would be very much appreciated.

• Answer:

  Contact the Telecommunications Ombudsman, it's free and there is information about what to do on the ACCC website: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/815400