The consumer council protests againstthe conduct of mobile phone operators and calls consumers to stop using mobile phones when at home or in the office. The council backs this appeal with advertisements in newspapers, radio jingles and information on its website.
" The cellular companies' behavior is frustrating and enraging" says Ehud Peleg, C.E.O of the Israeli Consumer Council. " A survey we've conducted shows that consumers believe that the mobile phone operators' conduct is the worst in terms of fairness and transparency . Their contracts are complex, long and difficult to comprehend, and they bind us with a 36 month obligation to the mobile device, thus bypassing the regulator that banned obligations longer than 18 months. All communication with them is through a package deal that makes it imposssible to compare prices, they force us to purchase an internet package and charge connectivity fees for any call outside of the network. When ordered to reduce these fees, the companies petition the High Court of Justice.
According to Peleg, "The situation in the cellular field is of a failed consumer market. The market is divided between three companies and the competition is minimal. Consumers have no bargaining power and they are somewhat a captive audience, absorbing the restrictions and rate increases commanded by the cellular companies.
Consumer council data teaches that if consumers made calls from stationary phones instead of cellular phones when around them, one billion N.I.S a year won't reach the cellular companies' pockets. Research conducted by the Council shows that replacing three minutes of conversation from a cellular phone to a stationary one could save each user hundreds of N.I.S a year.
More ways to save money that are suggested by the Consumer Council: Erasing your cellular phones' voice mail, making calls and sending text messages for free on the internet, and purchasing phones through an independent marketer rather than through the companies- this could save up to 45% on their price.
