Customers report misleading sales by three telecom operators

Yle received about 250 accounts in a single day from customers who said they had been misled in sales by DNA, Elisa and Telia, the broadcaster reported. Many described being sold unnecessary subscriptions, services or devices, with older people among those who felt particularly vulnerable.

The accounts followed reporting by Yle in which former telecom salespeople said customers were being sold subscriptions and add-on services they did not need or know how to use. The operators deny that problematic sales practices reflect a structural flaw in the industry, but say they will address rule-breaking.

One customer, Virpi Herranen, said she discovered she had been sold a 5G subscription that her phone could not support. When she went to an Elisa shop seeking a more suitable, cheaper 4G plan, she said a salesperson told her it was “5G or nothing” and also tried to sell her security features that would have increased the price. Herranen later moved her and her husband’s subscriptions to another operator.

Other respondents said they had been sold equipment they did not need. Jarmo Nordlin said Telia sold him a device for watching television channels, telling him the channels would not work without it. After paying monthly fees for a couple of years, he found that his television worked without the device. He said Telia declined to reimburse him.

Many respondents also said they had paid for two subscriptions at once because an old plan remained active after a new one began. Mauri Nyman said a Telia salesperson had often called him about a month before his fixed-term subscription was due to end.

Contacts from consumers to the consumer authorities rose by 50 per cent in 2025, according to Yle.