When Optus Prepaid Activation doesn't go so well

Many have discovered that you can save thousands by switching your mobile phone provider each month, taking advantage of introductory offers from Vodafone, Optus, Kogan, Amaysim, Vaya, Telstra, Boost etc. However, activation doesn't always go smoothly and as we discovered, usually when it involves Optus receiving a port request.

Have you tried to activate a prepaid service on Optus? Quite likely it went like this - you logged onto the Optus website and chose to activate the sim card. After 10 minutes, filling in the form you get a message that says "we could not activate your sim card, please call 1300 757 252 to activate this sim". It seems that this happens when you choose to port over from another provider such as Kogan which uses another company's mobile network such as Vodafone. You could avoid this issue by choosing to port your number from Vodafone instead of selecting "other".

If this happens and you do call them up, don't select the option that you have a smartphone or a computer, otherwise you will just be told to activate online. Eventually, you will get an operator who will ask you all your details to register over the phone. They will have a system at the end of the call to confirm your name, date of birth and network that you are porting from. This serves as a good way to have peace that they got your details right.

Annual Fee Charged after Cancellation of Credit Card

Credit card companies are now facing increased pressure on profitability since the federal government regulations on credit card fees eroded their margins overnight. Don't be surprised that you might find them looking for an extra dollar in different ways. I cancelled an ANZ credit card in early April and was waiting for the final statement to come in the mail. Today when it arrived, they had charged an annual fee in late April!

I was already very dissatisfied with the ANZ credit card because when you log into your account, they deliberately make it impossible to find out your closing balance and the date it is due. If you have an ANZ account, feel free to prove me wrong in the comments with a screenshot. But I'm quite sure it is not possible to see the closing balance and due date. This had caused me to miss my payment once before I had my direct debit set up. Of course, even with DD set up, you also need to know when to make funds available for the amount to be fetched.

Anyway, I called them up and after half an hour on the phone, they finally reversed the annual fee charge and hopefully that will be the last I hear about that card. But the lessons for all of you out there are -

1. Remember, just because you cancelled your card, don't assume they won't try to charge you an annual fee a few weeks later. 
2. Watch out for credit cards that hide the amount you owe. Online services are supposed to make things more convenient. 
3. Don't be afraid to call up to have any annual fee after your cancellation reversed.