Deceased Customers Account Management
How we manage a deceased customers account
Managing a Deceased Customer’s Account
We are sorry for your loss. When someone close to you passes away, dealing with their accounts and services can feel overwhelming. You don’t have to do this alone – we are here to work with you, step by step.
This policy explains how you can let Dreamtilt know that a customer has passed away, what we will do when we are told, and how we will manage the account in line with your instructions – whether you would like the service to continue, be transferred to someone else, or be closed.
We will handle every request about a deceased customer’s account in a timely and sensitive manner. Our staff will be respectful and patient, will explain what is needed and why, and will not ask you for the same information more than once where we can avoid it.
What Happens, Step by Step
This is a guide you can use as needed. The steps do not always happen in strict order, and some can happen at the same time. We will keep you updated along the way so there is no guesswork.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Notifying us | Let us know that the customer has passed away. |
| 2. We protect the account | We note the account, pause collection activity and marketing, and prevent unauthorised changes. |
| 3. You tell us what you would like | The authorised estate representative tells us whether to continue, transfer or close the account. |
| 4. Final account summary | We send a summary of the services, any amount owing and any credit on the account. |
| 5. Finalising the account | We carry out your instructions, refund any credit to the estate and confirm in writing when everything is complete. |
Who We Will Work With
We can accept notification that a customer has passed away from anyone – for example a family member, friend, carer, neighbour or funeral director. Once we are told, we will take immediate steps to protect the account (see Step 2).
When it comes to providing information about the account, or continuing, transferring or closing it, we need to work with an authorised estate representative. This is a person authorised to act in relation to the deceased customer’s account who has:
- appropriate evidence of the customer’s death; and
- met our identification requirements, or given us the information we reasonably need to verify their identity.
An authorised estate representative may include (but is not limited to) the next of kin, an executor or administrator of the estate, a trustee of the estate, the lawyer managing the will, or a person who held power of attorney for the customer.
If there is more than one person acting for the estate, please let us know who we should deal with as the main contact.
Step 1 – Notifying Us
You can notify Dreamtilt that a customer has passed away through any of the following means –
Phone: 1300 306 126 Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm (AEST)
Email: admin@dreamtilt.com.au
Online: https://www.dreamtilt.com.au/contact-dreamtilt/
Post: PO Box 7073, Gladstone QLD 4680
It helps if you can tell us the customer’s full name, their service address, and their account number or phone number if you have it. If you cannot find these details, we will still help you – please contact us and we will locate the account with you.
Australian Death Notification Service
The Australian Death Notification Service (deathnotification.gov.au) is a free government service that lets you notify a number of organisations at once that someone has passed away. We are not currently a participating organisation, so please also contact us directly. We will accept a notification from the Australian Death Notification Service as evidence of the customer’s death.
What we will ask for
| What we need | Examples of what we can accept |
|---|---|
| Evidence of the customer’s death | Any one of: a death certificate; a notification from the Australian Death Notification Service; letters of administration or a grant of probate; documentation from the funeral home (such as a funeral notice or invoice); or a medical certificate issued upon death. |
| Evidence that you are authorised to act | Information showing your relationship to the customer or your role in the estate – for example, being named as next of kin or informant on the death certificate, a copy of the will naming you as executor, a grant of probate or letters of administration, or a letter from the solicitor managing the estate. |
| Verification of your identity | A current government-issued photo ID such as a driver licence or passport, or other information we reasonably need to verify who you are. If you are already a customer or an authorised representative on the account, we may not need to collect ID again. |
Copies, scans or clear photographs are acceptable . You do not need to have every document ready before you first contact us. If you do not have these documents, please contact us to discuss alternatives – we will be flexible wherever we reasonably can.
We will only use the documents you give us to verify the death and your authority, and we will handle them in line with our Privacy Policy https://www.dreamtilt.com.au/privacy-policy/.
Step 2 – What We Do When We Are Notified
As soon as we are told that a customer has passed away, we will:
- record the notification on the account so that you do not have to explain the situation each time you contact us;
- acknowledge your notification and explain the next steps within 2 business days (immediately if you contact us by phone or in person);
- stop sending marketing and promotional material to the customer;
- pause overdue notices, late fees, service restriction, suspension, disconnection and debt collection activity on the account while the estate is being sorted out;
- place a hold on changes to the account, so that nobody can make unauthorised changes or access account information until an authorised estate representative has been confirmed; and
- give you a single point of contact, where we can, for the rest of the process.
We will not disconnect the service simply because we have been notified. We understand that family members or others in the household may still rely on the internet or phone service, including to contact emergency services. The service will normally stay connected until the authorised estate representative tells us what they would like to happen.
If payments were being made automatically from the customer’s bank account or card, the bank will usually stop these once it is notified. Please do not worry if a payment is missed during this time – let us know and we will hold the account while arrangements are made.
Step 3 – Continuing, Transferring or Closing the Account
The authorised estate representative can ask us to do any of the following. You do not need to decide straight away, and you can choose different options for different services on the same account.
Option 1 – Continue the account
We can keep the service running for a period while the estate is being finalised – for example, where someone is still living at the premises, or where the service is needed for a monitored alarm, medical device or home phone. We will:
- keep the service active on the existing plan and note the account as being managed on behalf of the estate;
- update the contact and billing details to those of the authorised estate representative; and
- agree with you how the service will be paid for and when we will review the arrangement, normally within 90 days.
Option 2 – Transfer the account
We can transfer the account to another person, such as a spouse, partner, family member or housemate who will continue to use the service. We will:
- transfer the service to the new account holder without any transfer, connection or administration fee;
- keep the existing equipment, plan and (where possible) phone numbers and other service details, so there is no interruption to the service;
- ask the new account holder to verify their identity and accept our standard terms, as they will become responsible for charges from the date of transfer; and
- not ask the new account holder to take on any debt owed by the deceased customer before the transfer, unless they were already jointly responsible for the account.
Option 3 – Close the account
We can cancel some or all of the services and close the account. We will:
- cancel the service from the date you ask for, and stop charges from the date we were notified of the customer’s death;
- not charge any early termination, cancellation or disconnection fees, and waive any remaining minimum contract term;
- arrange the return or removal of our equipment at the premises at a time that suits you (we will arrange for a technician to remove the antenna and router at no cost), and not charge for equipment that cannot be returned in these circumstances;
- help you keep any phone number by transferring (porting) it to another provider before the service is cancelled, if you would like to; and
- help you retrieve content from any email, hosting or other services held on the account , and keep that content for 30 days after closure before it is deleted, where an authorised estate representative asks us to.
We will confirm in writing once your instructions have been completed.
Step 4 – Final Account Summary, Amounts Owing and Refunds
Once we have confirmed the authorised estate representative, we will send a summary of the account within 10 business days of your request. This will show the services held, the amount owing or in credit, and any equipment we have supplied.
If the account is in credit
We will refund any credit balance, including any charges paid in advance for a period after the date of notification, to the estate or as directed by the authorised estate representative within 10 business days of the account being closed.
If there is an amount owing
- Any amount owing is a debt of the estate. We will not ask family members, friends or the authorised estate representative to pay it personally, unless they were jointly responsible for the account.
- We will not add late fees or interest, and we will not refer the debt to a collection agency or list a default, while the estate is being administered.
- We will give the estate reasonable time to pay and will consider any request to reduce or waive the amount owing, particularly where the estate has limited funds.
Financial assistance
If you are taking over the service, or you are finding it hard to pay for your own services with us after the loss of a loved one, please tell us as early as possible. Information about the help available is in our Financial Hardship Policy https://www.dreamtilt.com.au/financial-hardship/.
Our Timeframes
| What we will do | When |
|---|---|
| Acknowledge your notification and explain next steps | Immediately by phone or in person; within 2 business days in writing or by email |
| Pause collection activity, marketing and account changes | Within 1 business day of being notified |
| Let you know if we need anything further to confirm you as the authorised estate representative | Within 2 business days of receiving your documents |
| Continue, transfer or close the account as instructed | Within 5 business days of receiving your instructions and the information we need |
| Send the final account summary | Within 10 business days of your request |
| Refund any credit balance to the estate | Within 10 business days of the account being closed |
If something will take longer than these timeframes, we will contact you to explain why and agree a new timeframe.
Other Things to Know
- Authorised representatives and advocates. Any authority the customer gave another person to deal with us on their behalf ends when the customer passes away. That person can still notify us, and can ask to be recognised as the authorised estate representative.
- Joint and business accounts. If the account is held jointly, the surviving account holder keeps full access and we will update the account to remove the deceased customer’s name once we receive evidence of death. If the account is held by a company, partnership or trust, we will work with the remaining directors, partners or trustees.
- Privacy. We will only share account information with a confirmed authorised estate representative, and only what is needed to manage the account.
- Mail and messages. After the account is noted, we will address any necessary correspondence to “The Estate of” the customer or to the authorised estate representative.
If You Are Not Happy With How We Have Handled Things
If you are unhappy with how Dreamtilt has handled a deceased customer’s account, please tell us so we can put it right. Our Complaints Handling Process is available at https://www.dreamtilt.com.au/complaints-process/.
If we cannot resolve your complaint, you can contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), an independent body that provides a free service:
Telephone: 1800 062 058
Email: tio@tio.com.au
Online: https://www.tio.com.au/complaints
Other Support and Contacts
Losing someone is hard, and there is a lot to organise. The organisations below are independent of us and can offer emotional support and practical help.
Where to go for emotional support
| Organisation | How they can help | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Grief Australia (formerly the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement) | Not-for-profit organisation providing grief and bereavement counselling, support and education. | 1300 664 786 grief.org.au |
| Services Australia – Social work services | Short-term support, counselling and information from a social worker during this difficult time. | 13 23 00 servicesaustralia.gov.au |
| Beyond Blue | Tools and support to help you look after your mental health. | 1300 224 636 beyondblue.org.au |
| Lifeline | 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. | 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au |
| Relationship Matters | Not-for-profit organisation offering relationship counselling and education services. | 1300 543 396 relationshipmatters.com.au |
| Relationships Australia | Relationship support services for individuals, families and communities. | 1300 364 277 relationships.org.au |
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.
Where to go for practical and financial help
| Organisation | How they can help | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Death Notification Service | Free government service to notify multiple organisations at once that someone has passed away. | deathnotification.gov.au |
| Births, Deaths and Marriages registry | Register a death or apply for a death certificate through the registry in the state or territory where the person passed away. | Search “births, deaths and marriages” for your state or territory |
| Funerals Australia | National funeral service organisation with offices in every state and territory; information on arranging a funeral and finding a funeral director. | 03 9859 9966 funeralsaustralia.org.au |
| Services Australia (Centrelink) | Helps you adjust after the death of a family member or friend, with payments, counselling and financial services, and a checklist of who to notify. | 13 23 00 servicesaustralia.gov.au |
| Australian Taxation Office (ATO) | Information on managing the tax affairs of someone who has passed away. Contact the ATO with the name of the executor or administrator as the contact person. | 13 28 65 ato.gov.au |
| Moneysmart (ASIC) | Guidance on managing your finances after losing your partner or a loved one. | moneysmart.gov.au |
| National Debt Helpline | Free and confidential financial counselling. | 1800 007 007 ndh.org.au |
Calling Us with a Hearing or Speech Impairment
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can call us via the National Relay Service:
TTY users: Call 13 36 77, then ask for 1300 306 126
Speak and Listen users: Call 1300 555 727, then ask for 1300 306 126
Internet relay users: Visit the National Relay Service website and enter 1300 306 126
Translation into Different Languages
If you require this policy translated, you can contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) via their website here – https://www.tisnational.gov.au/ or call them on 13 14 50
This policy was last reviewed on October 2026. To download a PDF copy of this policy click here.
