That WindTre and TIM had decided to adjust their respective telephone rates to the trend of inflation it is certainly nothing new today: for CEO Pietro Labriola it is a question of being realistic, for the orange operator it is a necessity due to the unpredictable trend of today’s market. The fact is that right now WindTre has included the clause in the contractwith entry into force of the modification of the conditions from February 1, 2023.
USE: the contractual conditions change from 1 February 2023, but the first adjustments to inflation – with effect on the consumer – will be applied from January 2024 as originally planned.
The article involved is the n. 46 and concerns for the moment exclusively i mobile phone customers:
The customer acknowledges and accepts that, from January 2024in the event of a positive annual change in the national FOI consumer price index recorded by ISTAT in October of the previous year, WindTre is entitled to increase the monthly price of the service by a percentage amount equal to the change in this index or in any case equal to at least 5% where this variation is less than that percentage.
This is followed by an important specification:
The adjustment, applied within the first quarter of each year, does not constitute a contractual modification pursuant to art. 2.4 of the General Contract Conditions and, therefore, does not give the Customer the right of withdrawal without costs of contract.
However, the unilateral modification proposal foresees that the customer can exit the contract without penalty by exercising the right of withdrawal by 28 February 2023. The communication of Modification of the contractual conditions must be communicated to:
- Wind Tre Spa – Cancellation Service – CD Milan Address Baggio CP 159 20152 Milan (MI) by registered mail with return receipt
- 159
- [email protected]
- Wind Tre points of sale
- assistant will
In the event that a decision is made to withdraw and the installment payment of a modem or smartphone is in progress, the customer can request to pay the remaining installments in a single solution.
In a joint letter, Adiconsum, Adoc, Cittadinanzattiva, Federconsumatori and Udicon they turn to WindTre and TIM expressing their complete dissent. In particular they do not agree on the adjustment with exclusion of the right of withdrawal:
Fixed minimum increases of 5% are envisaged, even in the event of an inflation rate below this level.
The decision is defined “arbitrary” e “vexatious” which goes to hit customers who are “already victims of widespread increases in all sectors“. The response of the telcos is of a completely different tone: corporate sustainability is at riskthey say, due to excessive infrastructure and energy costs.
Consumer associations are calling the Italian government into question:
Government intervention is necessary and urgent to guarantee, in the immediate future, the elimination of the unjustly introduced contractual conditions.
Opening image credits: Pixabay