The decision by telecom companies Pannon GSM Távközlési Zrt and Invitel Távközlési Szolgáltató Zrt to collect an extra fee for bills paid by paper “postal checks” – as opposed to online payments – is unlawful, the National Consumer Protection Association (OFE) has said. But according to business daily Világgazdaság, the companies are disputing the ruling, which holds that extra fees can only be collected for extra services, which do not include billing.
Invitel said the fee they are collecting is not for preparing customers’ bills, but for covering the charges it has to pay Magyar Posta for fulfillment of paper checks, which works out to roughly Ft 80 per bill. The company also said it provided detailed information about the change to every customer last month, none of whom complained.
Pannon said it would modify its General Contract Conditions as of August 21, so subscribers paying their bills by “yellow slips” in the future will have to pay Ft 120 per transaction. Pannon believes the practice is lawful, as customers were informed in time. The company also said there are a number of options for electronic payment for which no extra fee is collected.