Arrangements made as a result of financial hardship

The fundamental principle of any agreed financial arrangement is that repayments be sufficient to cover expected future use of the service as well as providing a continued reduction of debt.

Southern Phone imposes no charge on customers for the implementation of a financial arrangement. In reaching an arrangement a customer may be required to:

• Acknowledge the debt and the obligation to repay the debt
• Provide sufficient information for both parties to ascertain what is a reasonable payment arrangement
• Indicate a willingness to reducing usage to a level that they are able to pay and take up relevant service options to that end
• Make repayments as agreed
• Use appropriate products, services and access levels, as negotiated with Southern Phone
• If any further financial difficulty is experienced, immediately notify Southern Phone so that the arrangement can be reviewed.
• In reaching an agreement Southern Phone will:
• Ensure that none of a customer
• Confirm that the customer is the person who is legally liable to pay the debt
• Refrain from credit management action whilst financial hardship arrangements are being discussed unless credit management action appears to be reasonable in the circumstances
• Explain rights and obligations under the terms of the payment arrangement
• Explain service limitations if service limitations are part of the arrangement
• Require assurance that the arrangement will be one that the customer can meet
• Monitor customer compliance with the financial hardship arrangement
• Not vary the terms of the arrangement if the customer is meeting those term

If an agreed arrangement is not kept, Southern Phone will:

• Take reasonable steps to contact the customer or nominated financial counsellor (if applicable) before taking further credit management action.