A court decision may force operators MEO, NOS and Nowo (now integrated into the Digi Group) to return about 40 million euros to customers. At question are price increases applied between 2016 and 2017 which, according to the court, were not properly communicated. The action was filed by Deco Proteste in 2018 and could cover money return to about 1.6 million consumers, especially those who were subject to loyalty periods.
According to the Consumer Protection Association, each client may recover between 14 and 30 euros, amount to interest on defaults accumulated since 2018.
The amount to return was calculated by multiplying the monthly increase charged by the operators by the number of months in which it was in force, totaling approximately 40 million euros, a number that can still rise with new calculations.
How the dispute started
According to, between August and September 2016 customers received notifications of price increases far above inflation, which was at the time particularly low. Communications did not include clear information on the amounts to be paid or the right to terminate the contract without cost.
Vodafone was not aimed at the action because, according to the association, there is no registration of increases to private consumers during this period.
Court gives consumers reason
The Court considered the communications of the operators in light of the 2016 Electronic Communications Law, which requires the client of unilateral changes to contracts, including prices, as well as the possibility of termination without penalty.
The decision, however, is not yet definitive. MEO and us have already confirmed that they will appeal to the Court of Appeal and, eventually, to the Supreme Court. Nowo, now under Digi’s management, has not yet commented on the process.
Regulator reaction
The National Authority of Communications (Anacom) greeted the decision, stressing that “decisions favorable to consumers’ interests are always welcome.”
The regulator also recalls that they have taxable measures to operators and instituted contraordination processes related to these practices.
What to wait now
If the decision is confirmed at higher courts, consumers will be entitled to recover excess paid amounts, plus interest. Until then, it remains to be waited for the completion of the judicial process, which can drag itself for some time.
For now, the action represents a milestone in the collective defense of Portuguese consumers, showing that unilateral increases without transparency can have legal and financial consequences for companies.
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