The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) Tomasz Chróstny has imposed a fine of more than PLN 25 million on T-Mobile Polska. This relates to the operator’s advertisements with the slogan ‘1200 GB for free for a year’, which misled consumers. In order to take advantage of the offer, the consumer had to recharge the card with a minimum of PLN 35 every month.

UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny has issued a decision concerning the telecommunications operator T-Mobile Poland. The advertisements for the pre-paid offer ‘1200 GB for free for a year’ raised doubts. They appeared, among others, on billboards, citylights at public transport stops, were displayed at ATMs and on payment terminals – in Polish and Ukrainian.

UOKiK analysed the advertisements and regulations of the promotion. As it was found, the operator T-Mobile Poland misled consumers as the advertisements suggested that the data package was free. In reality, instead of the promised package of 1,200 GB, the consumer received 100 GB every month on the condition that he recharged his account for a minimum of PLN 35 per month. After a year, the amount he needed to load to his card would be PLN 420. However, this information was written in small font at the very bottom of the advertisement.

“Advertising slogans are meant to catch the consumer’s attention so that they become memorable and induce him to buy the advertised service. As a rule, the advertising message must be short, concise and clear. However, this does not entitle traders to use false advertising. The consumer has the right to expect that the offer presented is fair and does not contain ‘catches’. The actual mechanism of T-Mobile Polska’s promotion was based on an ‘instalment’ system, in which for 12 months the consumer received a 100 GB package every month, provided that the card was loaded with at least PLN 35”, said UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny.

The President of UOKiK imposed a fine of PLN 25,623,957 on T-Mobile Poland for violating collective consumer interests.

Adrian Andrzejewski