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How to choose your TV subscription
11.08.2016
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When the users wish to conclude a subscription for receiving television programmes, they should ask their providers for more information before signing a contract. For example, they should find more about the minimum number of channels included in the desired subscription and a full list of these channels. The providers may modify the TV channel list during the contract execution, whereas the minimum number of channels must remain unchanged. Only when choosing dedicated channel packages or specific extra-options, which require the payment of a separate amount in addition to the chosen subscription, the providers are bound by contract to offer the very programmes specified in the respective package.
What a TV subscription offer should contain
According to ANCOM’s Decision no. 158/2015 on the obligations of informing the end-users, the TV subscription offers posted on websites (irrespective of the subscription type – cable, DTH or IPTV) must contain at least the following information:
ü service coverage area;
ü list of TV programmes included in each tariff plan or a direct link to the website where the list has been posted, as well as - if applicable - the mention that this list can be amended during the contract execution;
ü tariff installation fee, if applicable;
ü minimum contract period for each tariff plan and penalties to be paid by the user if the contract is terminated before the expiry of the minimum contract period; a notification should be duly included where no minimum contract period is applied;
ü validity period for each tariff plan, and the validity period of the discounts or promotional offers available for the respective tariff plan, where applicable.
Itemised bills for TV subscriptions
The providers have the obligation to issue unitemised bills for the services of audio-visual programme retransmission. For further details on the service billing manner, the users can also request an itemised bill, either in printed or in electronic format, or can access it online, on their provider’s website. Some operators issue, for a charge, the itemised bill in printed format.
According to the obligations imposed by ANCOM based on Decision no. 158/2015 on the obligations of informing the end-users, an itemised invoice must include details such as:
ü billing period;
ü monthly flat rate for the subscription;
ü fees charged for connection/installation/reconnection/disconnection, where applicable;
ü free offerings and discounts from which the subscriber benefitted and how they have been granted, where applicable;
ü a telephone number the user can call to request additional information on the itemised bill.
About what, how and where to complain
Where such information is not to be found on the providers’ websites, respectively in the itemised bills issued by them, the users can complain to ANCOM – read more here.
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