Telstra fixes Freedom Connect bill bungle

Telstra has begun contacting customers on its Freedom Connect plans who were incorrectly charged for SMS, MMS and calls due to a technical error with the company's billing system.

Late last month, the telco's executive director for customer service and sales Peter Jamieson began notifying customers on Freedom Connect plans via email that they would have problems accessing their bill online. The email, as sighted by ZDNet Australia, did not pinpoint the reason behind the error:

If you try to view your Telstra bill online, it shows there's a current bill available, but when you try to access this bill, an error message may appear. The total amount due could also be incorrect. This is a technical problem, and we're sorry for any inconvenience. We're working hard to fix it.

This week, Jamieson followed up with another email explaining that "due to a technical issue", the telco had incorrectly calculated usage charges for this month.

"We've taken immediate steps to correct the mistake, and credited your account with [amount]. You can deduct this credit amount from your most recent bill, which you should receive in the next few days. This credit will appear on your next bill."

Telstra also extended the due date for the bill.

The company told ZDNet Australia in a statement that it was a "technical error", and the company is getting in contact with all customers.

"We have been alerting some customers on Freedom Connect plans that due to a technical error, they may shortly receive bills that do not include all of their calls, SMS and MMS in their eligible allowance as expected," Telstra said.

"Each customer will receive either a letter or email (depending on their preferred method of contact) advising them of the amount we'll be crediting to their account. We apologise for any inconvenience this might have caused."

Last month, the company unveiled a new simplified bill for customers that plainly outlines if a customer has gone over their allowed limit on the plan.