Optus accused of misleading advertising by ACCC

According to recent report the broadband and communications giant Optus has been accused of running misleading advertisements by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The issue over broadband providers advertising services as being ‘unlimited’ has been at the centre of controversy for some time, as with most providers the services are not truly unlimited, and there is usually small print that relates to the limitations that actually apply to the service.

Broadband and communications giant Optus has recently been pulled up on just such a claim by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which has accused the broadband provider of misleading people with its advertisements for packages that provide ‘unlimited’ internet access and home phone calls.

The accusations against Optus by the ACCC come just a year or so after the broadband giant struck a deal with the commission agreeing to ‘raise the bar on clarity in advertising’. However, despite this promise the provider has now been accused of running advertisements that could be misleading because they are being advertised as unlimited when the small print actually indicates that there are restrictions.

A spokesperson from Optus defended its advertising, stating that it did not believe that its advertising was misleading at all, and that the ACCC defined the word unlimited in a different way to the provider. The spokesperson stated: “Optus has a different view to the ACCC regarding the use of the word ‘unlimited’ in our advertising. We believe our advertising is clear, it is not misleading, it complies with all laws and our customers understand it”.

Source – Top News