The Ministry of Communications imposed a fine of NIS 326,180 on Hot Mobile Ltd. for collecting payments from subscribers in amounts higher than those stipulated in the contract agreements with them.
The decision was made following a supervisory process that revealed dozens of justified inquiries from customers who were charged more than agreed upon.
The examination revealed that the percentage of complaints against the company regarding overcharging is significantly higher than its market share, with 341% of all complaints on the subject received by the office during the period examined - June-December 2024 - being directed against Hot Mobile.
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The ministry assumes that the actual number of cases is even higher, as many consumers do not recognize the overcharge or refrain from filing a complaint.
The company's claims that these were exceptional and isolated cases were rejected - and the ministry found that the company's level of non-compliance with the provisions of the law had worsened since a previous supervisory procedure conducted in this matter last year, which led to an increase in the level of the sanction.
Although the company claimed that it had taken steps to correct the deficiencies, the ministry determined that no sufficient evidence was presented for this, and the findings on the ground indicate that there has been no improvement in the matter.
In addition, the ministry imposed a fine of 65,360 shekels on the company 'Xphone 018 Ltd.' for failing to transmit complete and timely information to the ministry and failing to maintain documentation of contract agreements with subscribers, in violation of the provisions of the Communications Law and regulations.
