Meteor fined after removing discounts

Telecom giant Meteor Mobile has been convicted and fined €25,000 for removing massive discounts from customers’ phone contracts without telling them.

In the first prosecution of its kind, the company pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to breaching statutory regulations.

The court heard the company, which is owned by Eir, had discontinued a 50% discount package. However, the bundle continued to be sold by shop operators and Meteor agents to 123 customers who later had it taken from them without any notification or any offer to withdraw from their contracts without penalty, which is required under the regulations. The case came after customers’ bills doubled and some of them complained to telecoms industry watchdog Comreg.