Telstra will overhaul its training practices after an investigation by the consumer watchdog found staff had misled hundreds of people about their consumer rights.
Over a three-year period, about 400 people contacted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission complaining they'd been misled about their rights to mobile phone refunds and replacement handsets.
Staff allegedly told some customers they weren't entitled to any remedy outside a handset-maker's warranty period, ignoring the existence of automatic customer guarantees.
Others were allegedly told they were not entitled to a replacement unless the handset had already been repaired three times.
Under consumer law, customers can ask for a replacement when a product has a major problem.
"Customers rely upon the statements that salespeople make in-store," said ACCC deputy chair Dr Michael Schaper.
"These statements cannot mislead consumers without breaching consumer law."
Telstra said it acknowledged the ACCC's concerns and had agreed to boost staff training around mobile phone complaints.
"We already run consumer guarantee training and compliance programs for our staff and we will now be expanding these programs to get it right with our customers every time," a representative said.
This will include yearly independent assessments of call centre and retail staff.
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