Polish cable company Vectra has been fined PLN22 million ($5.1m) for illegally raising subscription fees.
The heavy fine has been handed down from Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (Urzad Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentow, UOKiK).
This fine relates to what the regulator calls unlawful modifications to customer contracts in 2019 and 2020.
According to the regulator, Vectra implemented price rises of PLN5 ($1.15) per month for its fixed broadband and pay-TV tariffs, equating to an additional PLN120 ($27.70) if customers took both services.
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Following the decision, the regulator confirmed that customers will be reimbursed after first pushing for action against Vectra in November 2021.
“The entrepreneur should observe the agreement concluded with the consumer both in terms of content and terms and conditions of provision of services,” said Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.
“The Vectra agreements concluded for an indefinite time did not have a clause which would define the criteria and scope of possible amendments. It is necessary for consumers to be able to predict in what situations unilateral amendments may be introduced, e.g. when the price of the service may increase.”
