ITI Neovision has been fined nearly PLN11million (€2.64 million) by Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) for breaking the law by violating consumer interests when it launched the DTH platform nc+.
The UOKiK began administrative proceedings on April 2 following reports from nc+ subscribers that they had the terms of their contracts changed in terms of pricing, programme package and binding period of their contracts.
It has now concluded that ITI Neovision broke the law by unilaterally changing the contracts of what had previously been platform n customers.
The UOKiK has also “contested the way of informing consumers about the change in contract terms, as well as insufficiently long period of notice regarding the automatic switch to the nc+ offer.”
The UOKiK now requires ITI Neovision to undertake the following:
- In the case of subscribers who did not terminate contracts:
- inform consumers that television services will be provided on current terms till the expiry of the binding specified time agreement or till they select the nc+ offer
For those who did:
- inform consumers that they may cancel their contract termination by May 31. If they do so, the television services will be provided based on terms binding prior to the contract termination till its expiry or till they select “nc+” offer
For those who took up the nc+ offer:
- inform consumers that they may withdraw from the selected nc+ offer by May 31. The television services will be provided then based on conditions binding prior to the selection of nc+ offer, till contract expiry or till they select the nc+ offer.
- The says that its decision must be placed on the nc+ website.
It adds that in taking the decision to fine ITI Neovision the amount it took into account that the company had “ceased to apply the prohibited practice and had taken relevant measures to eliminate its negative effects.”
It also says that its decision is not final and may be appealed.
The platform nc+ was launched on March 21 following the merger of n and Cyfra+.
