Maximulta mobile operators for unsolicited services to users – BBC

Maximulta mobile operators for unsolicited services to users – BBC

antitrust

Milan , January 21, 2015 – 20:36

     
     
 

Arriving fines for mobile operators. The reason? They delivered to users unsolicited services. In practice, it is 1.75 million euro for Telecom, and H3G and 800,000 euro each for Wind and Vodafone. Furthermore, announces the Antitrust, “against H3G, because of the significant effects of the conduct which was also willing to publish an extract of the measure.” During 2014, the NRA has received numerous reports with which consumer groups and mobile phone users denounced the unsolicited supply, and the corresponding obligation on the part of the operator on the phone bills of the sim, the premium services (the so-called premium services, such as games and video) accessible during navigation in mobility through banners, pop ups and landing page.

In respect of the company H3G and Tim the practice was divided into further conduct consisting in the dissemination of messages that omit material information or that determine access and activation premium services without an express manifestation of will by the user. The Antitrust Authority, the responsibility of the four companies descends, as well as directly from the adoption of such conduct, “also by other factors: operators derive in fact a specific economic benefit from the marketing of premium services, as they share with suppliers revenues the services provided by holding a high percentage. And also, have proven largely aware about the existence of activations and charges for services not required by its mobile customers. ” Under the Consumer Code, the AGCM has therefore judged this practice “contrary to professional diligence and likely to distort appreciably the economic behavior of the consumer. The Authority has banned so the spread or continuation, as well as impose sanctions, establishing that operators communicate within 60 days of the steps taken to comply with the notice, “the statement concludes.

Even on the basis of what has emerged in the course of inspections carried out with the assistance of the Guardia di Finanza (Antitrust Group – the Special Protection markets), the Authority found that the four operators have implemented an unfair commercial practice due to two pipelines: “On the one hand – writes the Antitrust – the omission of information about the fact that the mobile phone contract signed preabilita the sim receipt of premium services, as well as about the existence of selective blockade to prevent such receipt and the need for the user who wants to take advantage of it by having to turn through an explicit request for membership to the blocking procedure. ” On the other hand, the note continues, “the adoption by the mobile operator’s behavior qualified as aggressive, consistent implementation of an automated service activation and billing – it says – in t he absence of any authorization from the customer to pay, as well as any control over the reliability of activation requests from parties such as service providers to foreign contractual relationship between user and operator. “

January 21, 2015 | 20:36

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED