Courts / Dublin / Report

Phone companies get the message after fines over marketing

Summary

Dublin District Court handed down sentences to four telephone companies for alleged breaches of communications regulations, following a case brought by the Data Protection Commissioner. Judge John O'Neill noted that Eircom, Meteor, and Vodafone pleaded guilty at an early stage and co-operated with the investigation. Eircom, which faced two charges including an alleged unsolicited visit to a customer who had opted out, was fined €3,000. Meteor pleaded guilty to three offences, including sending unsolicited marketing texts to a customer who had previously opted out, and was ordered to pay fines totalling €9,000. Vodafone, which faced 11 charges involving alleged unwanted promotional calls and texts despite prior opt-out requests, was fined €21,000 and ordered to donate €12,000 to charities. O2, which faced three counts and had no prior convictions, was spared a conviction but ordered to pay €2,000 to three charities. The court heard that O2 had sent texts to approximately 78,000 customers who had not consented to promotional messages. Meanwhile, a separate case brought by the Data Protection Commissioner against Pure Telecom was adjourned.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Phone companies get the message after fines over marketing. Charges or matters: pay fines totalling €9,000; Vodafone have to pay fines amounting to €21,000 and must donate €12,000 to charities; three offences, and Mr Delaney said that they had sent unsolicited marketing texts to a customer who had already informed Meteor they did not want to get these messages. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 7 Other
• May 23 Other
• 2013-12-02 Publication

Why: One upset woman, who had an ex-directory telephone number because she had previously received death threats, was contacted by a sales agent on behalf of Eircom and he later turned up at her house, without showing ID, Dublin District Court heard. Court evidence reported by CNI

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Read the original CNI report