Cancellation of high fees and penalties from contracts A1 and Drei!
The court in Austria issued a ruling in favor of consumers following a complaint filed by Arbeiterkammer (AK) against telecommunications companies A1 and Hutchison Drei, due to their imposition of fees and terms deemed illegal. The ruling forced the two companies to remove 35 clauses from their contracts that contained excessive and unjustified fees.
Company A1 will cancel 29 clauses, while Hutchison Drei will cancel six clauses. Among the most notable clauses that have been banned are the imposition of very high late fees, reaching 12% annually at A1 and 10% at Drei, while Austrian law does not allow more than 4% without proof of actual damage.
Additionally, the two companies imposed high fees on those who chose to pay via Zahlschein (paper payment receipt), with Drei charging 10 euros and A1 charging 2.50 euros, along with a 15 euro administrative fee for errors in payment data at A1, which has also been abolished. One of the most notable other items that was abolished is the fee for restarting closed lines at A1, which was 30 euros.
Since March 1, these companies are no longer allowed to use these terms in new contracts, nor can they rely on them in old contracts. The Arbeiterkammer (AK) advised consumers to review their bills, and if they find that such fees were imposed on them previously, they can claim a refund. AK has provided a ready-made claim form on its website to assist those affected.