Customers outraged by switching mobile plans: they expect to pay almost double for what they did not ask for

It offered better conditions for twice

Mindaugas, a Tele2 client that has existed for 20 years, received a message from the company that since April 1. the mobile operator unilaterally changes the terms of the indefinite contract. Until now, you paid 2.9 euros for the calling service plan, and now you will have to choose twice as expensive: 6.5 euros, which will have unlimited calling minutes.

The man estimates that he spends an average of 150 minutes on the phone per month, so the current plan is sufficient for him. You don’t understand why you have to pay more than double for the same services.
The interlocutor says that according to the current plan, the man has 150 minutes of talk time. and 100 MB of Internet data, as well as unlimited SMS, under the new plan twice as expensive, the same, only contributed by unlimited calls.

“Based on the statistics of several years of use of this number, it can be seen that the number is spoken for no more than 100-320 minutes. And a 2.9 euro plan is sufficient. that the unlimited minutes for 6.5 euros are not an argument in this case.

The same thing happens here, if the retail chains unilaterally completed the products, you would go to buy a box of matches and the supermarket would tell you that you should buy a box of matches and 100 lighters. This is probably the same theft from customers: selling as much as the customer doesn’t need, ”says Mindaugas.

As he points out, these plans, which cost several euros, are used primarily by disadvantaged people or older people, and these price changes, especially during a pandemic, are likely to be extremely painful for them. Mindaugas says he has three phone numbers for this operator, one of which is used by his elderly mother.

“It just came to our knowledge then Tele2 did the marketing trick. The company advertises that having three numbers can offer more favorable mobile internet prices. However, this puts the customer in a kind of trap, they cannot terminate the contract without paying a penalty and the mobile operator can unilaterally raise the monthly price of those three numbers.

I have to keep those three numbers until the beginning of May, then the internet contract expires. The conditions do not establish that you can appreciate them at the time you want, only that you are obliged to keep them. The man has no other option, ”he says.

Tele2: we take into account the needs of massive customers

Andrius Baranauskas, Tele2’s director of corporate communications for the Baltics, says that when developing new payment plans and phasing them out, the telco primarily takes into account general customer usage statistics. When it is noted that the need for payment plans decreases, it is said that they are changed according to the needs of large mass customers.

“We periodically review existing payment plans and their conditions. We regularly cancel plans that are used by very few customers and instead offer others more in line with customer consumption trends. We see that a particularly high number of customers choose plans payment with unlimited services and we implement them ”, comments A. Baranauskas.

Commenting on the conditions for the termination of the contract, the Tele2 representative points out that the client must cover its obligations in this case: “The contract stipulates the period before which the client must be informed when changing the terms of the contract. Clients are not subject to penalties, they simply have to pay their obligations when terminating the contract. There are two types of commitments: customers are asked to cover the balance of the price of the equipment or to refund the discounts granted if the minimum commitment period has not expired. If customers do not have such obligations, they will not be subject to any additional payment. “

Other operators offer the same

There was also a discussion in the book about the prices of services charged by other operators. The situations are very similar to the first case. For example, the woman says that Telia also canceled her old calling plan, offering more additional benefits: unlimited SMS, calls and additional mobile data. As she says, she never runs out of that amount, but from now on she will have to pay double for the plan.

Another man says that after the operator improved conditions and raised prices for services without asking, he said he would choose the services of another operator. Then he supposedly got a better special offer just to remain a customer.

Another woman, who did not receive a favorable offer as a loyal customer, chose the same path: reject Bitė’s services and sign a contract with another mobile service operator. However, after a while, he received an offer to return for better conditions.

Telia: New plans add more value

Audrius Stasiulaitis, representative of Telia, points out that the telecommunications sector in Lithuania is particularly competitive and that the technologies used and the communication needs of most people are changing rapidly. Therefore, according to him, the renewal of older plans is constantly carried out and is a common practice not only in the Lithuanian market, but also in the European telecommunications markets.

“In the vast majority of cases, the new plans bring more added value to people: the ability to move unused data to the next month, provide more data when traveling to EU countries, and so on.

In all cases, we inform clients of any change of plans at least 30 days in advance, such conditions are also provided in the agreements with the client. However, if something does not suit customers when making changes to the plans, we always take their needs into account and apply a more appropriate offer from the new generation of plans, ”says a Telia representative.

RTT: The service provider has the right to unilaterally modify the price of the services.

The Communications Regulatory Authority (RTT) informs that telecommunications companies have the right to unilaterally modify the service provision conditions and service prices, if such right is provided for in the service provision contract.

According to Ugnė Karbočiūtė, Head of RTT’s Claims Division, the legal acts regulating electronic communications activities do not regulate what offers from electronic communications service providers, including prices for services, should be for recipients. current and future services. The offers of service conditions and payment plans are made taking into account the current offers in the market at that time, the technological solutions and the prices applied. A change in market conditions or applied prices may lead to a situation where the service provider can no longer offer such services and apply prices that were previously offered / applied.

” In accordance with Clauses 21 and 25 of the Rules for the provision of electronic communications services, the service provider has the right to unilaterally change the terms of service (including the price of services) previously negotiated with the recipient of the service, if such right is provided. in the service contract. As a general rule, the relevant right of the service provider is enshrined in the general terms and conditions of service, which are an integral part of the service contract and that the recipient must read before concluding the service contract and before committing to it ” . comments the RTT representative.

However, it points out that when making changes in the conditions of provision of services (prices, etc.), the service provider must comply with the following requirements established in the electronic communications law:

1. The service provider must inform the recipients of changes in the terms of service, including any increase in the prices of the services specified in the contract, at least 1 month in advance;

2. Information on planned changes must be provided to recipients in writing or in an equivalent form if a written contract has been entered into;

3. In the event that a fixed-term contract is concluded with the recipient of the service (there is a minimum commitment period to use the services, etc.), the recipient of the service must be clearly and unequivocally informed of the right. terminate the contract prematurely without penalty.

“Provided that the above requirements are met, the service provider will have the right to modify the conditions for the provision of services, including prices, and will not violate the legislation that regulates electronic communications activities. However, if these are not met requirements, the recipient should not be bound by the new terms of service until the recipient’s violations have been remedied and the recipient has been duly informed of the changes, ”says the RTT representative.

U. Karbočiūtė points out that services can only be provided with the consent of the customer, therefore, if the recipient of the service is not suitable for the specific changes made by a particular service provider (structure of the payment plan, prices of the service, etc.), it is recommended to evaluate other publicly advertised service offerings as well as payment plans from other service providers and choose the terms of service that best meet the customer’s needs.