“Doubts have been raised about the advertisements of the '1200GB free for one year' prepaid offer. They, among others, appeared on billboards, city lights at public transport stops and displayed in ATMs and payment terminals – in Polish and Ukrainian languages. We started. Proceeding with a consumer complaint. We have analyzed the advertisements and advertising regulations,” the statement reads.
According to the office, the operator T-Mobile Polska misled consumers because the ads stated that the data package was free. In fact, instead of the promised 1200 GB package, the customer received 100 GB every month, provided that he topped up the account with at least PLN 35 per month. After a year, the amount that he needs to top up the card will be PLN 420. However, this information was written in small print at the bottom of the ad.
Fine for T-Mobile
– Advertising slogans are designed to attract the attention of consumers, to remember them and encourage them to purchase the advertised service. As a rule, the advertising message should be short, concise and understandable. However, this does not allow entrepreneurs to use false advertising. The user has the right to expect that the presented offer is fair and does not contain any catch. The actual promotion mechanism of T-Mobile Polska was based on the “installment” system, in which the customer received a 100 GB package every month for 12 months, provided that the card was topped up with at least PLN 35, said Tomasz Krostny. President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, was quoted in the statement.
The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection also said that information about the decision of the office's president will be published on T-Mobile Polska's website and will appear on the operator's social media profiles. It will be in two languages: Polish and Ukrainian, because users who speak these languages were also misled. The decision is not final – the operator can appeal to the court.
T-Mobile is a carrier with more than 12.5 million customers. The company creates a network through solutions such as fiber optic infrastructure, converged services, 5G network, entertainment services, cloud solutions, data center and cyber security services for individuals and businesses.
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