Deaf, Non-Verbal Man Among 'Inexcusable' Targets

Deaf, non-verbal man among 'inexcusable' targets

Optus accepts sales staff acted unconscionably when selling phones and contracts to more than 400 people at 16 stores, including vulnerable customers such as Indigenous and intellectually disabled people. Photo: Reuters A telecommunications giant in Australia signed up a homeless, non-verbal, deaf amputee to five contracts and then resisted complaints about its sales practices, a court has been told.

Former Optus executives warned of fraudulent phone contracts

Optus ignored red flags from internal investigators into fraudulent phone contracts from 2020 and kept chasing vulnerable customers for debts, a court has heard.

Deaf, non-verbal man among 'inexcusable' Optus targets

Optus is hoping a court will approve a $100 million fine after it engaged in "unacceptable" sales tactics affecting Indigenous and disabled customers.

Inappropriate 'pattern of behaviours' from Optus staff revealed

The Federal Court has heard vulnerable Optus customers who were homeless, unemployed or receiving disability payments were wrongfully sold services and products.

Optus apologises for ‘pattern’ of unconscionable conduct

Optus admitted to a failure to act on unconscionable conduct within licensee stores, including one in Mount Isa, which fraudulently entered almost 50 consumers into contracts without their knowledge.

Deaf, non-verbal man among ‘inexcusable’ Optus targets

Optus signed up a homeless, non-verbal, deaf amputee to five contracts and then resisted complaints about its sales practices, a court has been told. The disability pensioner’s plight was highlighted in the Federal Court in Adelaide on Tuesday after the telco agreed to pay a $100 million penalty. Optus and Australia’s competition watchdog are seeking court approval for the hefty fine after the company admitted in June to breaching consumer law. …