Hot Mobile Accused of Hiding Costs Behind “Free” Gifts and Device Deals

A Hot Mobile customer, retiree Giora Meyuchas, says he left a company kiosk believing he had agreed to a monthly payment plan for two iPhone 16 Pro Max phones, only to discover charges far beyond what he understood. According to the billing details, he was charged 18,327 shekels for the phones, 4,561 shekels for accessories, and 4,284 shekels for a robot vacuum that he says was promised as a free gift. His total bill reached 27,172 shekels.

Meyuchas told mako that the salesman offered him no alternatives and suggested paying 250 shekels a month for 36 months. He said he later learned the phones were priced at 8,347 shekels and 9,980 shekels, with interest and indexation added. He also said company representatives repeatedly called him afterward, described extra items as benefits, and sent a box of accessories he believed were included at no cost.

He says the billed accessories included AirPods for 1,448 shekels, a charger for 424 shekels, a backup battery and accessories bundle for 540 shekels, a silicone case for 577 shekels, a cleaning kit for 206 shekels, a screen protector for 283 shekels, a transparent case for 355 shekels, and another charger for 428 shekels. He also said his wife was charged 800 shekels for incoming calls from London, even though she used only WhatsApp. Meyuchas has since cancelled his lines and switched providers, but says Hot Mobile continues to debit his account for the equipment.

The article says this is not an isolated case. It cites previous complaints involving a single mother of seven and a customer named Amir Gluckman, both of whom say they were promised free headphones but were billed in multiple installments and faced repeated refusals when trying to return the goods. In October 2025, the Communications Ministry fined Hot Mobile about 326,000 shekels after finding that 34% of complaints to the ministry that period came from Hot Mobile customers. Last month, the Tel Aviv District Court approved a class action settlement under which the company will grant about 10 million shekels in benefits over allegedly improper 5G charges. Hot Mobile said it acts fairly and transparently, and said that after reviewing Meyuchas’s case it found the transactions were valid and handled to his satisfaction.