If you have ever called a service provider and spent countless minutes pushing different phone keys while listening to annoying music this may bring a smile to your face.

As the Ministry of Communications begins taking steps to enforce laws that compel companies to respond to subscribers in a reasonable period of time, it has levied a 100,800 NIS fine on HOT for failing to do so. YWN-ISRAEL phoned HOT last week seeking to determine response time and hung up after 13 minutes of waiting and listening to prerecorded messages of sales and “We are busy handling other calls and will get to you as soon as possible”.

In HOT’s case, the mounting number of consumer complaints made the ministry’s work a bit easier and ministry officials vow this is just the beginning, stating it will no longer tolerate such blatant abuse of subscribers and total indifference to the law.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)