Two months after the law initiated by MK Shuli Muallem took effect, which forbids businesses to discriminate against clients due to their place of residence, a lawsuit was filed against a business for discrimination against a client who lives in Shomron.

About a month ago, Yuval Morgenstern, a resident of Shomron and a public relations man, published his Facebook story: “Last Monday I ordered two SIM cards from the Hot Mobile website, with the commitment that appeared on two pages on the website, that the SIM cards would arrive in my home within three days.”

After the time elapsed, he phoned HOT Mobile asking to verify the address to which they were sent, informing the company representative he did not receive the SIM cards. He was assured they will arrive within three days. The package never arrived, and he has not heard from a company representative. He called again, and was told “this almost never occurs but the order was lost”.

He was then told he lives in a location which they cannot provide messenger service, and if he wishes, it can be mailed to a post office and he can pick it up instead of being sent by a messenger service. HOT Mobile uses UPS, which does not operate over the Green Line.

Morgenstern was not lazy, and filed a lawsuit against Hot Mobile, from which he ordered a SIM card: “Throughout the process of joining the company there was no restriction on the place of residence of the customer or warning that the sending of a SIM card is not done in certain areas.”

Using Facebook, he further explained HOT Mobile offered to have the package sent to Ariel, and he could get the package from that post office. He feels this is blatant discrimination based on his place of residence, now a violation of the law. He has since canceled his order and filed a 20,000 shekel lawsuit against HOT.

When asked to comment, HOT Mobile explained it operates in accordance to law, and provides service nationwide. In addition, it has not yet received the lawsuit and therefore, no comment on that matter.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)