There will be slightly less merriment for Telstra this Christmas, after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) slapped the telco with a $102,000 fine for a misleading iPhone 6 advertisement.
The ad appeared in The Age plugging the iPhone 6 on Telstra's Mobile Accelerate plan, but the ACCC has concluded Telstra misrepresented the bundle's pricing.
Featuring a prominent $70 per month price, closer inspection of the ad's fine print revealed an additional $11 per month mobile repayment option, bringing the actual monthly total to $81.
Lesson learned
Telstra stated it was "surprised" at the ACCC's decision, and felt that the ad was "in line with the way many others in the industry advertise mobile plans with handsets."
Telstra has now paid the notice and made changes to its advertising making it clearer to customers that payments are required for both their plan and handset.
We'll mark this down as further evidence – as if it were needed – that you should always read the fine print when making a purchase.
- Looking to snap up a new smartphone? Read the iPhone 6 Plus review if you're on the fence about Apple's latest.
