Emu Plains man still receiving Telstra bill for his dead mother two years later
A shot to the heart, for two years an Emu Plains man has been receiving a monthly reminder from Telstra that his mum is dead and he has had enough.
Penrith
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Telstra have apologised to an Emu Plains father who was still receiving a bill for his mother who died two years ago.
Following a story by the Penrith Press, Telstra today contacted Nicholas Noel and apologised for the billing mistake. Telstra issued the following statement.
“Telstra’s investigations found that there was an issue in the billing system which unfortunately prevented the successful closing of this account, this issue has now been resolved, the account finalised and all outstanding payments have been removed,” a Telstra spokesperson said.
“Telstra has today spoken to Mr Noel and sincerely apologised for the inconvenience and stress this situation has caused.”
Mr Noel said after two years of battling the issue, having it resolved is a bittersweet feeling.
“I am glad that the situation is resolved, but I am still disappointed that it has taken so long and it has been so difficult,” Mr Noel said.
“I am frustrated that it took going to the press to finally have something done about this.”
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For the last two years, Nicholas Noel has been getting a monthly painful reminder his mother has died.
Mr Noel’s mother Virginia died in June 2017, but thanks to Telstra, the Emu Plains father of two receives a monthly account bill in her name.
“I keep asking why the bills keep coming when everyone agrees the account is closed,” Mr Noel said.
“It is like a shot to the heart each month and a reminder that mum is still dead; and then they want us to pay $150.
“Thanks Telstra.”
After his Mum’s death, Mr Noel filled out the required paperwork to cancel her phone and internet package. Yet he is still receiving a bill for $150 and a $15 late fee.
The bill is now more than $4000.
After Mr Noel initially contacted Telstra they said the matter was with a special bereavement team and he would be contacted.
But more than two years later he is still waiting.
He was also told nobody in Telstra knows how to contact the team.
To make the situation worse, the house his mother lived in has since been sold, meaning there isn’t even a Telstra connection at the property.
Even after informing Telstra of this the bills have not stopped, instead they are now addressed to his mother’s estate.
Mr Noel said the matter is taking an emotional toll.
“It is really getting to the point where it is affecting my mental health and that monthly bill gives me a real feeling of being powerless,” he said. “It is awful to have to keep being reminded of such a stressful time in my life.”
Mr Noel has made a second complaint to Telstra and is waiting on a response.
He will not stop fighting.
“It worries me that other people are in this situation and there could be people that are just paying the bill because they can’t get them to stop,” he said. “I am lucky that I am stubborn enough to keep fighting it.”