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Vectra faces charges from the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection for unilaterally changing contracts and illegally increasing fees
The Vectra cable television provider has been accused of unlawfully raising subscription costs and unilaterally altering contracts, as reported by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection in an announcement. The company could face a penalty of up to 10 percent of its revenue and may be required to refund fees that were collected unlawfully.
„We have repeatedly raised concerns about improperly implemented changes to both open-ended and fixed-term contracts within the telecommunications sector and the financial industry. Following our interventions, the market is adapting to the legal framework. However, Vectra has once again raised its fees unlawfully. We will respond to this action. Such behavior by the company distorts market competition, harming those who adhere to the rules,” stated Tomasz Chróstny, the president of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, as quoted in the press release.
Read also: Vectra must refund customers. Office’s ruling
Vectra faces allegations from the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection
According to reports, Vectra unilaterally altered the terms of its internet and television access services for customers. This was done based on a modification clause that was incorporated into contracts without a legal basis. Consequently, it has increased the subscription fees for its clients by several zlotys (from 4 to 7 PLN per month for each service). Furthermore, the contract signed by the consumer – as stated by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection – did not include any provision allowing the company to raise the fees.
Another concern involves the unilateral addition of a so-called inflation clause to already existing contracts. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection pointed out that such clauses, recognized as abusive under the law, are ineffective and do not bind consumers.
The company is facing a potential fine of up to 10 percent of its revenue and must rectify the ongoing consequences of the violation by refunding the fees that were improperly collected.
In 2019, the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection issued a binding decision against Vectra concerning the unilateral changes made to contracts – modifications to service scope and price increases. At that time, the company avoided financial penalties, and consumers received compensation. However, ongoing monitoring and received complaints indicated that the company continued to infringe upon collective consumer interests.
At the end of 2022, the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection imposed a fine exceeding PLN 22 million on Vectra for unilaterally altering contracts and unlawfully raising the internet and television subscription fees by PLN 5 per month. He mandated the cessation of these practices and established compensation for customers. This ruling was upheld by the Court of Competition and Consumer Protection. The judgment is not final, as the company has lodged an appeal.
„We are not currently engaging in such activities”
Vectra’s press office communicated in a statement to the business editorial team of tvn24.pl that it disagrees with the claims made by the UOKiK president. The company emphasized that the UOKiK announcement „contains several inaccuracies that may mislead the reader, while simultaneously portraying the Company unfavorably.”
„Contrary to the impression one might gather from the announcement, the allegations do not pertain to our recent activities. Instead, they reflect another iteration of concerns that were part of the proceedings initiated in 2019. Once again, these pertain to modifications made during the 2019-2020 period, extended into 2022-2023. Notably, in both instances, we are discussing clients with only open-ended contracts. In practice, this meant a group that could resign from our services freely and without penalties,” the Vectra press office stated.
It was further noted that the decision regarding the proceedings from 2019-2020, which was communicated to the company in January 2023, concluded with a penalty imposed on it. „However, this is currently under judicial review, which will ultimately determine the legitimacy of the Office’s actions. Although the case remains unresolved, we adjusted our operations to align with the expectations of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection in January 2023 when we received the decision,” the statement continued.
Vectra highlighted that provisions related to the so-called inflation clause, referenced by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, have not been included in contracts for several months.
„In addition to the lack of clarification that these allegations are part of ongoing proceedings, the UOKiK announcement also implies that we have increased fees again. This is false – we are not currently engaged in such practices. In recent years, we have implemented several changes on our own initiative to ensure that the contractual terms we offer to our customers are as transparent and beneficial as possible,” the company reported.
„Our current agreements fully comply with the Electronic Communications Law effective since autumn 2024, which further validates the correctness of the method we used for introducing our modification clauses that the Office has questioned,” Vectra concluded.
