Optus regrets ‘unconscionable conduct’ against vulnerable customers

Australian Community Media

Telco giant Optus allegedly pressured vulnerable customers using inappropriate sale conduct and debt collection The ACCC has taken the company to federal court. Video via AAP

Transcript

00:00The conduct of the sales staff was deliberate and targeted.

00:05I'll give you an example.

00:07There is a young woman.

00:09She has intellectual disability.

00:12She has a carer.

00:14The sales staff befriend her,

00:16make arrangements for her to come to the store without the carer.

00:20Now, that is deliberate and targeted

00:23to avoid the protections that she needs.

00:27She has then sold multiple products,

00:29has debts and there's debt collection.

00:32Now, that is one example.

00:33That is targeted conduct.

00:35Manipulation of a credit check

00:38in order to fraudulently complete a credit form,

00:41that is deliberate conduct.

00:43So we are alleging deliberate conduct by sales staff.

00:46You then get to the question,

00:49when did management become aware

00:51that their own systems were being circumvented?

00:56That is an awareness question,

00:58but we allege that they became aware and continued the conduct.

01:02Any of these consumers experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage

01:07were living with a disability,

01:10were facing learning difficulties,

01:12were unemployed or financially dependent.

01:16Additionally, many of them were First Nations Australians

01:20living in regional or remote communities

01:23where the farms were unable to have coverage

01:26and unable to work.

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