Optus fined $100m for ‘unconscionable conduct’ in phone sales
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The news: Optus has been ordered to pay a $100 million fine by the Federal Court for unconscionable conduct through its phone sales, including to customers that could not afford it and were subsequently pursued for debts as a consequence.
The numbers: About 400 customers were impacted across 16 Optus stores between August 2019 and July 2023.
The context: Optus and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) jointly asked the Federal Court to impose the fine in June 2025. At the time, Optus admitted it acted unconscionably and breached Australian Consumer Law.
The ACCC initiated court action against Optus on 31 October following an investigation prompted by a referral from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
Examples of the misconduct included putting undue pressure on consumers to purchase a large number of products they did not need or could not afford, failing to adequately explain relevant terms and conditions to vulnerable consumers and not having regard to whether consumers had Optus coverage where they lived.
According to the ACCC, many affected customers “were vulnerable or experiencing disadvantage, such as living with a mental disability, diminished cognitive capacity or learning difficulties, being financially dependent or unemployed, having limited financial literacy or English not being a first language”.
Many were also First Nations Australians from regional, remote and very remote parts of Australia.
What they said: “Optus’s conduct in this case was truly appalling, and we welcome the substantial penalty imposed by the Court and the deterrence message that it will send,” ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said.
“During the course of our investigation we heard from many people who had not only experienced significant financial harm, but also emotional distress and fear after being pursued by debt collectors for long periods.
“A company of Optus’s size should have had better systems and controls in place to identify and stop this sort of behaviour."
The source: ACCC media release
