Inea, one of the leading cable operators in Poland, has committed to returning charges it collected illegally from its subscribers.
In a statement, the country’s consumer protection authority UOKiK says that current clients have a month to apply for a refund and former subscribers three months.
UOKiK initiated proceedings against Inea, the largestg cable operator in the Wielkopolska region of western Poland, in June 2015, for infringing collective consumer interests. The district Consumer Ombudsman in the city of Poznan alerted UOKiK about the potential irregularities.
The proceedings showed that Inea twice unilaterally changed agreements at the turn of 2014/2015, raising monthly charges for the internet and TV. The increases ranged from just under PLN1 to more than PLN7 (around € 0.25 to €1.90) and were applied to contracts of both fixed and indefinite length.
The UOKiK says that because Inea’s contracts did not include the appropriate modification clause, raising prices was illegal. However, during proceedings the company committed to refund the money, leading UOKiK to accept its proposal, resulting in the quick elimination of the harmful practice.
According to UOKiK president Marek Niechcial, “The commitment decision was made possible thanks to the cooperation of the company, which during the proceedings voluntarily pledged to change its practice. Consumers will recover the difference between the amount of fees applicable before and after the modification”.
