Financial Hardship Policy

INTRODUCTION

VIPtel understands that our customers may experience financial hardship at some point in the life cycle of their account. Keeping this in view, we have designed a Financial Hardship Policy that outlines how VIPtel intends to assist you and manage such customer accounts that are experiencing genuine financial hardship.

DEFINITION

Hardship has been defined the ACIF Credit Management Code as: A situation where a Customer is unable, reasonably, because of illness, unemployment or other reasonable cause, to discharge their financial obligations under their contract with the Supplier and the Customer reasonably expects to be able to discharge those obligations if payment and/or Service arrangements were changed. Financial hardship can be of limited or long term duration.

FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

VIPtel considers that financial hardship is a state of inability rather than unwillingness to pay bills and may be of limited or long duration.

Loss of employment of the customer or family or family member.
Family breakdown
Illness including physical incapacity, hospitalization or mental illness of the customer or family member.
A death in the family.
Natural disaster.

CUSTOMER ELIGIBILITY

This policy may apply to you if you are:

A residential customer
A small business customer
Experiencing financial hardship

VIPtel will assess your claim for eligibility and will consider your individual circumstances as part of the assessment. Note: If you are simply experiencing temporary payment difficulty, this policy won t apply.

ASSISTANCE BY VIPtel

VIPtel is dedicated to assist you or your authorized representative with your Financial Hardship Claim.
You may write to us at
- Edirect P.O.Box 7194 Melbourne VIC 8004 Australia Or email us at creditmanagement@viptel.com.au Or contact Customer Services on 1300-785-847 (9am -8pm AEST)
We will assess your claim; discuss your payment and service options with you with the aim to reach an appropriate outcome.
In addition to contacting us, VIPtel urges you to engage the assistance of a financial counselor. We are aware that there are sometimes waiting lists to see financial counselors so in the interim you may be asked for documents to substantiate your claim.

MANAGE YOUR CLAIM

We may ask you to submit evidence to us to support your claim. Please refer to REQUISITE DOCUMENTS to understand the types of evidence that we may require from you.
We will take into account your circumstance and financial position to reach an appropriate and reasonable financial arrangement that is suitable to both parties.
Payment arrangement will be made with a view to cover any future use and reduce your debt.
We may suggest that some or all the services provided to you by us be restricted to prevent you from moving into further debt whilst the arrangement is in place. We will attempt to contact you in case this action becomes inevitable and has not been discussed or communicated to you.
We will send you written confirmation of the agreed arrangement if you request us to do so.
We will attempt to contact you both by telephone and letter should the arrangement not be kept by you prior to taking further credit management action.
If you require us to review your arrangement due to a change in your circumstance we will do so accordingly.
Whilst your payment arrangement remains in place we will not report your debt to a Credit Rating Agency.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

You must make the agreed payments on the agreed dates.
You must show a willingness to reduce usage to a minimum during the term of the financial management.
You will contact us within 48 hours of an agreed payment date if you are unable to keep your commitment.
You will contact us to advise us if your circumstance has changed favourably or unfavourably during the term of arrangement.
You will act all promptly and honestly at all times throughout the course of this arrangement.

TERMINATION OF THE ARRANGEMENTS

In the event, the arrangement is not adhered to and we have not been contacted by you, we will take reasonable steps to contact you or your authorized representative before taking further action.
The arrangement will be considered terminated after this time and full credit management action will resume.
In the event that you choose to cancel your account with VIPtel, the arrangement will no longer be valid and normal credit management action will apply.
Failiure to make the agreed payments on a regular basis may be viewed negatively and result in termination of the arrangement.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM

VIPtel may ask you for any of the below types of evidence to support your claim of financial hardship:

Statement of financial position.
Evidence that you have engaged a financial counselor or evidence of a pending appointment to see a financial counselor.
Medical certificate from treating specialist or other medical professional.
Statutory Declaration from a person that is familiar with your situation (Family Doctor, Clergy, Bank Officer, etc.)

FINANCIAL COUNSELORS

The contacts below may be of assistance to you for your state or territory:

ACT

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia