The National Communications Authority (Anacom) has imposed a fine of 2.5 million euros on MEO, Altice Portugal, for "violation of the rules applicable to the termination of contracts".

"Anacom decided to impose a fine of 2.460 million euros on MEO, for violations of the rules applicable to the termination of contracts on the initiative of subscribers, provided for in the decision of this authority regarding the 'required procedures for the termination of contracts, on the initiative of subscribers, regarding the offer of public networks or electronic communications services accessible to the public, from 9.03.2012'", says the entity, in a statement.

According to the regulatory authority, "at issue is, above all, the non-acceptance of contractual termination requests presented in stores and the submission of contractual termination requests subject to prior receipt of a call from the retention line, without which customers could not submit their requests or the procedure already started could not continue".

In addition, "situations were also verified in which MEO did not provide subscribers with the denunciation form that it is obliged to hand over whenever requested, and others in which the company did not ask customers for documents that were necessary to confirm the denunciation of respective contracts or requested documents that were not necessary because he already had them in his possession", points out Anacom.

The Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações also refers that it was found that MEO "did not confirm several complaints about contracts presented by customers and provided incomplete information on the means and contacts available for submitting termination requests - which can, at least, be submitted in store, by letter, by email, by fax and by telephone".

According to the entity, "with such conduct, MEO aimed to place unjustified and unauthorised obstacles in the procedures for terminating contracts on the initiative of subscribers, in order to hinder, delay or even lead to the withdrawal of processes for changing service provider, thus impeding the development of competition in the electronic communications market".