UOKiK has issued a decision finding telecommunications company Novum misled consumers and fined the company 481,000 PLN (ca. 110,000 EUR).

Novum provides telecommunications services, which it pitches over the phone, in addition to other sales channels. During its proceeding against the company, Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) analysed consumer complaints, scripts used by company consultants and recorded conversations from actual phone calls.

The Authority established that consultants cold called consumers with the intent of marketing, which Polish law forbids. They would then attempt to convince consumers that the offer they were presenting was coming from their current service provider. To that end, they claimed to be in a position, thanks to new company policy, to offer lower monthly bill. The consultants proceeded to ask for customers’ personal data, which they were using to fill out a service order form. They would also read a statement about terminating the contract customers held with their current operator, quickly and unclearly enough as to render it essentially unintelligible.

The consultants’ actions may have led consumers to take advantage of the „lower monthly payment” offer. In practice, it also meant terminating the current contract, which could have precipitated a termination fee. Further, customers who later opted to return to their original service provider incurred yet another fee — to terminate the contract they had signed with Novum.

In addition to imposing the fine, UOKiK has ordered the company to publish the decision on its website and in one daily newspaper. The company has abandoned the practice. The decision is not final and can be appealed in court.

Additional information for the media:

Press Office, UOKiK
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw
Phone.: +48 22 827 28 92, +48 22 55 60 314, +48 22 55 60 430
E-mail: [SCODE]Yml1cm9wcmFzb3dlQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]

Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL