What is the Cheapest, Fastest, Easiest way to phone CBA in Australia?

[The Sly Fox]

Last week bought myself a new smartphone. Downloaded all the required apps and put in my user names & PWs...no problems until I got to the Commonwealth Bank Net Bank app. Put in my client number and PW but it needs to send a Net Code. Trouble is they still have my old number from Aust' not my current mobile number in Thailand. In order to change that I have to phone them. But they never answer the fkn phone. I've called 4-5 times now, late at night, at 4.30am this morning, but just get waiting listening to the damn music for 15-20 minutes then I give up. So far used over 400 bt worth of credit. BTW I use the 009 prefix which gives a cheaper rate. On their website they say can use a landline and reverse charges but nobody I know has a landline. 

Any ideas, tips, for me other than putting a couple thousand baht credit on my phone and just sitting there for an hour or so hoping someone will eventually answer my call.

[Farangkie]

30 minutes ago, The Sly Fox said:

 

Any ideas, tips, for me other than putting a couple thousand baht credit on my phone and just sitting there for an hour or so hoping someone will eventually answer my call.

Iv'e got a friend that had the same problem a while ago , he used Google Fi , and it worked 

I don't know much about it , so you will need to do a bit of research on it.

https://fi.google.com/about/plans/

[The Sly Fox]

3 minutes ago, Syco said:

Iv'e got a friend that had the same problem a while ago , he used Google Fi , and it worked 

I don't know much about it , so you will need to do a bit of research on it.

https://fi.google.com/about/plans/

Thanks for the info, I just checked and my new phone, Redmi Note 10 isn't listed with the compatible models.

[chirockr]

Heres some details that may assist your charges. I’d endeavour to email them too. You should be able to easily update your details via the app or pc. Keep us posted, Ive always wandered what would happen in this instance as I could potentially be in similar situation in the future.

I think you may have an option to change from sms confirmation to email  

Edited April 9, 2021 by chirockr

[The Sly Fox]

5 hours ago, chirockr said:

Heres some details that may assist your charges. I’d endeavour to email them too. You should be able to easily update your details via the app or pc. Keep us posted, Ive always wandered what would happen in this instance as I could potentially be in similar situation in the future.

I think you may have an option to change from sms confirmation to email  

Can't use the app until I enter the Net code, can't change the mob number online, have to walk into a branch (bit difficult when I'm in Toyland) or phone them and have one of their techs do it. Can't email them, can only phone. I already saw that about using a landline but nobody I know has a landline. Today I tried the local PO, you used to be able to make calls from Thailand POs but that's a bygone era. So I'm currently searching around for someone with a landline I can approach. This is a real fkn mess. I could have just copied the app across from the old phone to the new phone, but had no idea all this was going to happen.

[kd_traveller]

It is a bit "old fashioned" these days, but I have used Skype Credit to call landlines in Australia like the CBA number.  It costs 2.3 cent per minute and so even being left holding for an hour will only cost something like $1.38 or 30 baht. You just have to put a small amount of credit $10 or Euro5 and the credit does not expire for a long time.

I always keep some in reserve for when I have to call from overseas to say Australia for banking or insurance purposes and when it cannot be done online.

[Fire Bar Matt]

Sorry, just noticed you’re in Korat so my suggestion of where to find a landline in Patts is useless.

Edit. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by Dr No

[Arnie85]

Can you put your Aus sim into your phone and roam it for a day ($5 probably) and get the NetCode txt?

 

[The Sly Fox]

1 hour ago, kd_traveller said:

It is a bit "old fashioned" these days, but I have used Skype Credit to call landlines in Australia like the CBA number.  It costs 2.3 cent per minute and so even being left holding for an hour will only cost something like $1.38 or 30 baht. You just have to put a small amount of credit $10 or Euro5 and the credit does not expire for a long time.

I always keep some in reserve for when I have to call from overseas to say Australia for banking or insurance purposes and when it cannot be done online.

That's a good tip, many thanks, I always thought Skype was only to other Skype contacts. But I'll look into this. How do you pay for the phone credit?

[The Sly Fox]

28 minutes ago, Arnie85 said:

Can you put your Aus sim into your phone and roam it for a day ($5 probably) and get the NetCode txt?

 

You know I thought about that too but can't find that damn Vodafone sim. When I'm in Thai I always put my Oz sim away in a safe place but it's vanished. Seems like the stars are lined up against me on this one.

[kd_traveller]

21 minutes ago, The Sly Fox said:

How do you pay for the phone credit?

I have just used a credit card although you can also buy credit in Woolworths etc, not much use to you in Thailand!  The minimum amount varies, I think it is AU$10 or Euro5 and similar type amounts in other countries.  Just make sure you don't tick a subscription or auto renew and any remaining credit will last at least a year and can be easily extended.

Easy to use and quality is ok too

[chirockr]

2 hours ago, The Sly Fox said:

Can't use the app until I enter the Net code, can't change the mob number online, have to walk into a branch (bit difficult when I'm in Toyland) or phone them and have one of their techs do it. Can't email them, can only phone. I already saw that about using a landline but nobody I know has a landline. Today I tried the local PO, you used to be able to make calls from Thailand POs but that's a bygone era. So I'm currently searching around for someone with a landline I can approach. This is a real fkn mess. I could have just copied the app across from the old phone to the new phone, but had no idea all this was going to happen.

You should still be able to use an internet browser on the phone and enter manually without the app, like you would a pc, and go from there.

PM sent. 

[Hallmark]

2 hours ago, kd_traveller said:

It is a bit "old fashioned" these days, but I have used Skype Credit to call landlines in Australia like the CBA number.  It costs 2.3 cent per minute and so even being left holding for an hour will only cost something like $1.38 or 30 baht. You just have to put a small amount of credit $10 or Euro5 and the credit does not expire for a long time.

I always keep some in reserve for when I have to call from overseas to say Australia for banking or insurance purposes and when it cannot be done online.

 

58 minutes ago, The Sly Fox said:

That's a good tip, many thanks, I always thought Skype was only to other Skype contacts. But I'll look into this. How do you pay for the phone credit?

Be a bit wary of Skype and only put on the minimum amount ( $5us ? via paypal for me ) as there's an awful lot of landline operators in the UK that won't accept calls from Skype, no idea why at all but worth thinking about. Yeah I know it's an Aussie number you're trying for but still worth thinking about.

If you know anyone that has Skype maybe ask them to try the number you have to see if it connects alright or not before you pay into it.

[kd_traveller]

8 minutes ago, Hallmark said:

If you know anyone that has Skype maybe ask them to try the number you have to see if it connects alright or not before you pay into it.

I have never had a problem calling any number with Skype, I have called numbers in Australia, Ireland and the UK and have called CBA in Australia in the past which is where the OP wants to call which is why I suggested using Skype!

Agree with only minimum amount being purchased.

[The Sly Fox]

12 hours ago, chirockr said:

You should still be able to use an internet browser on the phone and enter manually without the app, like you would a pc, and go from there.

PM sent. 

I can't go forward until I receive a Net Code. It's their security. On my old phone the gal in the CBA in Perth set it up for me...with the Aussie sim I had at that time in 2019. 

[The Sly Fox]

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. There's a little local restaurant we go to often that has a landline, we'll go there soon and ask if I can use their phone to make the reverse charge call. If so problem over. If not then I'll whack $5 on Skype and give that a shot.

[The Sly Fox]

FYI: all sorted now. I ended up biting the bullet and called and waited. 40 minutes later I got a nice friendly female human who fixed it up in 40 seconds. It cost me 320 bt in DTAC credit. The CBA gal also told me no need to call on a mobile from OS and chew up my credit, just go to the CBA Facebook page and send a message and they'll phone me back.