Israelis Recover Over 855,000 Shekels from Telecom Providers in Year

Israeli consumers have recovered more than 855,000 shekels over the past year due to interventions by the Ministry of Communications with telecommunications companies. A notable case involved a customer who paid for two unwanted phone lines for eight years. The ministry discovered the subscriber had never agreed to these lines and did not use them, while the provider ignored complaints. Following regulatory intervention, the customer received 16,660 shekels in compensation.

According to Ynet, common consumer complaints include illegal charges, refusal to disconnect services, and outright deception. The ministry processed approximately 8,000 complaints in the past year, deeming nearly half of them valid, marking a nearly 10% increase in claims. Mobile service providers accounted for over half of all complaints, with home internet services making up nearly 40%, and landline services the least frequent.

Leading companies in terms of complaint volume were Telzar, HOT, and Xphone. However, the specific issues varied by provider. Pelephone, Cellcom, Rami Levy Communications, and Partner customers frequently reported weak signal strength and unstable reception. HOT Mobile users often disputed incorrect bills, Wecom subscribers faced difficulties with number portability, and Xphone users experienced roaming failures abroad.

The regulator noted an increase in the average resolution time for disputes to twelve working days. Key ongoing consumer issues include slow fiber optic internet speeds, unexpected technical failures, and customer support's reluctance to promptly terminate contracts. While nearly half of disputed cases lacked clear resolutions due to insufficient documentation or scope limitations, the ministry is intensifying market oversight.