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• ClicknCall HOME
• Appointment of Advocate
• Financial Hardship
• Security Information
• Usage Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Complaints Handling
• CSG Waiver
• Billing and payment information
• Network information
• VoIP Coverage
• What you need to know
• Spend Management
• Disability Policy

Financial Hardship Policy

Although we offer pre-paid services only this policy has been developed to outline the minimum standards that ClicknCall will adopt in relation to dealing with customers who do not have the capacity to pay a bill due to financial hardship.

Purpose:

We are here to help. We will work with you to help you respond to financial difficulty, whether temporary or long-term. We are committed to helping customers facing financial hardship maintain telecommunications access and working with you to find a sustainable solution. Any help we can give will depend on your individual circumstances, and we provide help on a case-by-case basis. ClicknCall will treat all customers with fairness and compassion as far as possible within statutory and commercial business constraints.

• To recognise that some customers are experiencing genuine hardship and require assistance.
• To assist customers in meeting their financial obligations and responsibilities to ClicknCall.
• To offer options to meet individual customers needs.
• To assist customers to proactively manage their accounts.
• To allow for a continuance of the relationship between ClicknCall and the customer.
• To fulfil the requirements of the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code in regards to Customer Financial Hardship.

What is financial hardship?

The Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code defines financial hardship as:

a)a Customer is unable to discharge the financial obligations owed by the Customer under their Customer Contract or otherwise discharge the financial obligations owed by the Customer to a Supplier, due to illness, unemployment, being the victim of domestic or family violence, or other reasonable temporary or ongoing cause; and
b) the Customer believes that they are able to discharge those obligations if the relevant payment arrangements or other arrangements relating to the supply of Telecommunications Products by the Supplier to the Customer are changed.

Contact Us

We encourage you to contact us if you experience any difficulties paying our services. Please contact us by calling 1300857138 or email us financialhardship [at] clickncall.com.au if you would like to discuss any Financial Hardship matters with us. You can do so from 9am to 5pm AEST.

The process:

When assessing your eligibility for Financial Hardship, we may ask you to provide certain documents such as

• A statutory declaration or official written communication from a person or support group that is familiar with your circumstances,
• Evidence that you consulted a recognised financial counsellor,
• A statement of your financial position.

We may not be able to make an assessment of your circumstances if you do not provide us with the requested information. We may use the information you provide as well as other information available to us. Once we received all required information, we will let you know within 5 working days whether you are eligible for assistance under our Financial Hardship Policy. If you are eligible, will work with you to come to an arrangement that allows you to pay your outstanding charges in a way that does not worsen your financial position. A Financial Hardship arrangement will not commence unless you tell us you have accepted it. Once we come to an agreement we will put this in writing via letter or email to you. You must inform us if your circumstances change (for better or for worse) during our arrangement. We will not charge you for assessing your Financial Hardship circumstances or for administering the matter.

Review and complaints:

If you wish to seek a review of the outcome of your Financial Hardship application, you can do so by using our complaints handling process. You can access our complaints handling process:

• From the link here: Complaints handling

Options for assistance

Options we have available to keep you connected:
i) Spend control ii)Restriction of certain services iii)Transfer to per-paid service if applicable.
Options we have available as financial arrangement:
i)Agreeing on an alternative arrangement, plan, or contract, including discussing Pre-Paid Services;(ii)Discounting or waiving of debt;(iii)Waiving late payment fees;(iv)Waiving cancellation fees;

Finding a financial counsellor:

You can talk to a phone financial counsellor from anywhere in Australia by ringing 1800 007 007 (minimum opening hours are 9.30 am – 4.30 pm Monday to Friday). This number will automatically switch through to the service in the State or Territory closest to you. Alternatively, you can find the financial counselling service nearest to you by visiting www.financialcounsellingaustralia.org.au.