This all sounds very familiar! I have spent around 24 hours(!!!) on the phone to Telstra over the last few months because of problems they caused. And my internet connection broke down over 20 times in the first month of their new cable connection, as opposed to 3 times in 10 years with my old ADSL2 with Adam...
They don't pass on their information to each other, their technicians are constrained by their nonsensical "protocols", they can't over-ride their computer-billing, and one operator will offer a deal that the next one denies. Plus you have the joy of trying to talk to their deaf robot when you ring them.
Unfortunately they are the only company that has coverage to a number of relatively remote towns that I have to visit...
Gotta love giant corporations!
