Israeli Ministry of Communications Report Details Consumer Complaints and Refunds
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
A report by Israel's Ministry of Communications shows a 9.5% rise in telecom complaints in 2025, with 855,423 shekels refunded to consumers. The report details cases of wrongful billing, including one where a customer received 16,660 shekels after being charged for unused phone lines for eight years. Mobile services generated the most complaints, with Xfone leading in issues per customer, though Rami Levy Communications improved.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's Ministry of Communications reported a 9.5% increase in telecom complaints in 2025.
- A customer was awarded 16,660 shekels for being wrongly billed for unused phone lines for eight years.
- A total of 855,423 shekels were refunded to consumers due to various telecom service complaints.
- Mobile services accounted for 55% of all complaints received by the ministry.
- Xfone led in mobile complaints per customer, while Rami Levy Communications showed improvement.
- The ministry handled 100% of 7,913 complaints, with an average response time of 12 business days.
A report released by Israel's Ministry of Communications on consumer complaints in the telecom sector revealed that a customer was awarded 16,660 shekels after being wrongly billed for eight years for two mobile phone lines he never purchased or used. The report, which details public complaints against telecom companies, identified TeleZar, HOT, and Xfone as leading in the number of complaints. The ministry's intervention resulted in 855,423 shekels being returned to consumers across mobile, internet, and landline services in 2025 due to various issues, including service termination, billing disputes, and misleading practices.
Overall, the ministry received 7,913 complaints in 2025, a 9.5% increase from the previous year, marking the second consecutive year of rising complaints, particularly in the mobile sector. The report attributes this rise partly to the ongoing conflict, which highlighted the critical need for reliable communication infrastructure. While the ministry handled 100% of the complaints, the average response time increased to 12 business days.
The report also highlighted other egregious cases, such as an 84-year-old customer who was billed thousands for communication equipment he believed was a free gift, and a soldier on reserve duty who was charged for international calls for his five-year-old daughter despite only subscribing to data services. In both instances, the ministry's intervention led to significant refunds and the return of equipment.
Mobile services accounted for 55% of all complaints, followed by internet services at 38%. Within the mobile sector, complaints were primarily related to reception and international calling, with Xfone receiving the highest number of complaints per customer. However, Rami Levy Communications showed improvement for the second year in a row, while HOT Mobile led in a new metric measuring the percentage of resolved or compensated complaints.
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