The Polish competition authority has taken action against Inea, a telecommunications operator, for two main unfair practices. Firstly, Inea charged customers high fees for early termination of contracts, which often exceeded the remaining subscription fees. This created economic pressure on consumers, making it more financially viable for them to continue paying for services they could not use rather than terminating their contracts.

In one complaint, a consumer reported being told that the penalty for early termination could reach 8006.95 PLN, while the remaining subscription fees were only about 2340 PLN. Many consumers were unaware of these high fees, which were calculated based on the total discounts provided by Inea, often leading to exorbitant charges.

Secondly, Inea was found to have automatically activated a paid antivirus service, Inea Safe, without obtaining clear consent from consumers. Initially offered for one grosz, the service's price increased to 9.90 PLN per month, and many consumers only discovered this charge upon receiving their first bills. Some were even told that the service was activated on a trial basis, despite their objections.

As a result of these practices, the President of the Polish competition authority imposed a fine of 1,882,000 PLN on Inea and mandated the company to refund the improperly charged fees to consumers. Inea is also required to inform consumers about the decision and to contact those eligible for refunds.

The decision is not final, as Inea has the right to appeal to the court.