The penalty was levied following a determination by UOKiK that T-Mobile Poland engaged in misleading advertising practices related to its "1200 GB for free for a year" pre-paid offer.
The UOKiK, led by Chairman Tomasz Chróstny, found that the advertising for this offer suggested that the data package was entirely free. However, in reality, the terms required consumers to recharge their accounts monthly with at least PLN 35 to receive 100 GB each month. The total cost for consumers over a year amounted to PLN 420, a fact that was reportedly not made clear in the promotional materials and was only indicated in small print.
T-Mobile Poland has expressed strong disagreement with both the form and amount of the penalties. Asserting that the offer in question has been popular among customers and received positive feedback, the telecom operator intends to appeal the UOKiK's decision, as the ruling is not final at this stage.
The company has pointed out that its competitors have introduced similar offers and stated that the "1200 GB for free for a year" plan was designed in line with the mechanics typical of prepaid services. T-Mobile Poland also claims to have cooperated with the UOKiK voluntarily and proactively, making changes to all advertising communications related to the offer early in the year, in line with the Office's guidelines.
As part of its response to the investigation, T-Mobile Poland proposed several solutions to redress the concerns raised about the promotion's communication. According to the operator, there were very few objections from customers regarding this issue.
Source: PAP