Dealing with the disadvantaged and vulnerable (clause 3.4): telcos must have regard to best practice on dealing with disadvantaged and vulnerable consumers as set out in the ACCC’s Compliance Guide Don’t take advantage of disadvantage: a compliance guide for businesses dealing with disadvantaged or vulnerable consumers (the ACCC Guide). Telcos must also adopt best practice as set out in the ACCC Guide in their debt collection activities.

Systems, processes and training (clause 3.3): telcos must have and must regularly review systems and processes to support their TCP Code obligations and ensure staff are adequately trained in those systems and processes.

Responsible selling (clause 4.5.1): telcos must ensure their sales representatives adopt a responsible approach to selling that assists consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. To achieve this outcome, telcos must:

• ensure sales representatives are appropriately trained to promote and sell in a fair, transparent, responsible and accurate manner;
• monitor periodically to see how sales representatives interact with consumers and take steps to address deficiencies in sales conduct; and
• ensure sales representatives are appropriately trained and have tools and aids to assist consumers to understand the telecommunications products they are purchasing.

Identifying and meeting consumer needs (clause 4.5.2): where a consumer identifies a particular need, telcos must advise if they have a product or service offering to suit the consumer’s identified need and provide information to allow the consumer to assess the suitability of the product or service to meet that need.

Authorised representatives (clause 3.5) and advocates (clause 3.6): telcos must ensure that a consumer can appoint an authorised representative or an advocate to act on their behalf.

Responsible provision of telecommunications products (clause 6.1): telcos must have appropriate credit and debt management processes, including by conducting credit assessments at the point-of-sale to prevent consumer over-commitment and providing advice about alternative products where the consumer is unable to meet the financial commitment.

Spend management tools (clause 6.5.): telcos must provide spend management tools and make information about these tools available in an accessible manner at no cost.

Notice to restrict, suspend or disconnect (clause 6.7): telcos must provide customers with adequate notice of any restriction, suspension or disconnection of a service for credit/debit reasons.

Financial hardship (clause 7.1): telcos must provide access to financial hardship assistance, including by having financial hardship policies that are easy to find and provide consumers with options to enable them to stay connected, and meet financial obligations.