Organisations representing consumers in Spain have criticised Telefonica, the country's largest telephone company, for introducing charges for what up to now has been a free service.
As from October 1st Telefonica's customers will see a new charge on their bills for identification of incoming call identification. This service was introduced in 2001 with the introduction of domestic telephones with integral screens and Telefonica offered call identification, with the incoming caller's number identified on the screen, as a free service but now the telecommunications giant has decided that they must charge for it due to the cost of the equipment and personnel necessary for it to function.
According to the OCU consumers' organisation the new charge is outside the law as it is illegal to charge for a service which a customer has never asked for nor has personally activated. Telefonica never notified its customers that this was an extra service and so it is understood that it is included within the standard service offered by the company. The company will charge 50 cents plus vat. for the service. Official complaints have already been made to the Instituto Nacional de Consumo in Madrid, where Telefonica's headquarters are, and to the secretary of state for telecommunications.
Telefonica customers who do not want to take advantage of this service can have it deactivated by calling 1004.
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