On August 26th, 2008, PCR received a written complaint from an “ArmenTel” CJSC subscriber of the “ArmenТel” GPRS service regarding contradictory information. The problem was that “ArmenTel” CJSC presented misleading information on its website. There was information on the GPRS service page saying that sending and receiving 1 MB of information costs 90 AMD, while on the roaming GPRS-internet information page it was stated that GPRS internet costs 60 AMD. The below note on the page said that the price is for sending/receiving 0.01 MB of information. However, mathematical calculations show that 1MB of information will cost 6,000 AMD.
According to the website, in one case 1 MB of information costs 90 AMD, while in another case consumers had to make the calculations themselves. As a result of this misleading information on the website, a certain consumer was supposed to be charged 1,207,302,62 AMD for sending/receiving about 200 MB over a nine day period using GPRS roaming internet in Georgia.
PCR initiated steps on this issue. It studied the case and wrote a letter to the general director of “ArmenTel” CJSC and to the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of the RA. PCR requested a recalculation of the price of the service to compensate the consumer. Later, the Commission initiated an administrative case and announced a protocol statement, the second point of which stated that “ArmenTel” CJSC must change the information on the roaming section of its website so that it states the price for 1MB information at 6,000 AMD. At the same time the demand of the consumer was satisfied.
PCR held a press conference to inform consumers about the misleading information and suggested that consumers have a maximum amount of information before using a given service.
The resolution of this case on behalf of a subscriber will be a precedent for other consumers when protecting their rights in the telecommunications sector.
