UOKiK accuses Orange Polska of irregularities in the activation of paid services

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) brought charges against Orange Polska as a result of irregularities accompanying the activation of paid services offered by the operator and subscription services provided by other entities for Orange subscribers, the Office said. Such a practice may infringe the collective interests of consumers, which may result in a penalty of up to 10% of the entrepreneur's annual turnover.

"The proceedings against Orange Polska concern additional fees that may appear on the bill under the heading 'electronic services'. They are charged for two types of services:

- non-telecommunications services provided by Orange (activated, inter alia, via flash SMS notifications and clicking the 'OK' button by the consumer after receiving it). It is about such services as: 'Where is the child', 'Protect children in the network', 'Orange Navigation', 'CyberTarcza' and 'Secure PESEL',

- third party services billed by the operator using 'Order with Orange' (so-called direct billing, where the fee is automatically added to the bill). These are services such as GAMEMINE, KidzInMine, VIDIX.mobi " according to the announcement.

According to UOKiK, the above distinction is very important when submitting a complaint to the appropriate entity.

"On the invoice, the fees for both of these services were listed under the name 'electronic services', which made it difficult for consumers to recognize what the services were and who provided them. Many people who contacted UOKiK claimed that they did not order additional services and therefore did not Under the law, entrepreneurs should obtain clear confirmation from consumers that they are aware of the paid nature of the service ordered. In the case of Orange Polska, consumer signals confirm that the premium service ordering mechanism could be misleading and risking consumers for additional costs," said the President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny.

UOKiK reminded that the procedure for infringement of collective consumer interests may end with the imposition of a financial penalty of up to 10% of last year's turnover.

Source: UOKIK and ISBnews