A PYMNTS Company

Australia: ACCC takes action over Telstra’s billing

By  |  March 26, 2018

Telstra’s latest run-in with Australia’s competition regulator has seen the nation’s dominant carrier confess to scamming up to 100,000 customers through premium services to which they did not consent, reported Reuters. At issue is the misuse of Telstra’s premium direct billing service, which allowed customers to have content billed to their mobile account rather than paying the content provider directly.

“Telstra has admitted that it misled customers by charging them for digital content, such as games and ringtones, which they unknowingly purchased. Many Telstra customers paid for content they did not want, did not use, and had difficulty unsubscribing from,” Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman Rod Sims said.

Telstra has agreed to refund customers and will make joint submissions in court in relation to the imposition of penalties totalling AU$10 million (US$7.7 million), the ACCC said in a statement.

Full Content: Reuters

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.