How Telstra scammed me out of $240 by lying about free accessories and using an ARO.

Billboard for Telstra Store Fountain Gate Level 2

On the 20th of October 2016 at 8:30pm, I walked into the Telstra Store on Level 2 at Fountain Gate, ready to buy a new Pixel XL on a brand new plan. The sales assistant was friendly, and walked me through the setup.

During that time, I enquired about the giant billboard outside of Westfield Fountain Gate, which stated that you could receive $200 worth of free accessories for joining up with Telstra on a new plan for 24 months.

The sales lady gladly said they would honor the offer, and offered me a portable speaker, generously referred to as a soundbar. (Which retails online for $99.) Not exactly $200 worth of free accessories, but I was happy, it was free.

She then generated the contract, which showed a $10 per month for 24 months ARO (Accessory Repayment Option). She scribbled it out and said I would not be charged the ARO. Fair enough, I said, unbeknownst to me that this was a common scam played by some unscrupulous Telstra licensees.

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