New Regulations of the Ministry of Communications

Below you will find a list of new regulations in the communication field. Please read them carefully but try to understand this is like a “newborn”. It will take time to implement them, it will take even longer to get used to them and teach companies how to adapt to them.

It is up to us, the consumers, to make these laws become a reality. Right now they are only on paper and, as a diamond, will need polishing.

I have created a prototype of a small claim form for you ready to be served in court. You will find instructions on how to use the form on the second page. After filling out a few blank lines concerning the main points only, you will be able to present your case in court, even in low-level Hebrew.

The New Regulations - Effective as of 2011

• The commitment period will be reduced to 18 months in the cell phone industry;
• Lower mobile fares when making overseas calls - similar to a stationary phone call, the consumer pays only to the supplier abroad without having to pay additional fees (double) to the mobile operator in Israel;
• Everyone will have the option to block SMS services;
• Customer service centers, (run by the Israeli mobile operators) must attend/respond to clients within 24 hours (for emergencies only);
• Cancellation “penalties” in the communications field: Companies will be allowed to charge up to 8% of the average invoice value – multiplied by the remaining months until the end of liability;
• Cellular operators will be required to offer routes that allow setting limits in advance on the level of expenditure: As soon the bill reaches 75%of his allocation, the consumer will receive an alert and choose whether to increase the amount;
• The E-mail mobility: Soon it will be possible to leave your Internet provider and “move” your existing e-mail address to any other competitor, for a period of six months, free of charge;
• Contracts: The essential points in a contract must be presented in one page only;
• Payments for services: Will be permitted only by the written permission from the consumer;
• Cellular operators will be required to advertise all of their rates on their websites;
• Privacy and Secrecy: Cellular operators will be required to delete the details of the client`s payment at the end of the contract;

I hope you can enjoy your new consumers’ rights in this new year and don’t forget to use the two ultimate weapons you have: Your wisdom and the small claims courts.

 Sincerely,

Tzvi Szajnbrum, Attorney at Law