1N Telecom: Consumer advocates sue after baseless claims for damages

The NRW consumer advice center has once again filed a lawsuit against 1N Telecom. The telecommunications company is unsettling consumers with letters about switching providers and claims for damages. The NRW consumer advice center had therefore issued a warning to 1N Telecom. Due to a lack of response, the consumer advice center is now going one step further.

According to the consumer protection agency, 1N Telecom had sent letters requesting that "the previous Internet connection be terminated and an order for number porting be placed". Those affected stated that they could not remember signing a contract. In this way, the provider suggests to those affected that they have concluded a contract with the company. If those affected ignore the letter, they receive further letters weeks later with claims and compensation payments in the three-digit range. The consumer advice center repeatedly receives questions about letters from 1N Telecom.

Do not ignore letters

"The provider's demands are usually unjustified and a targeted scam to unsettle consumers and get them to pay," says Erol Burak Tergek, a lawyer at the NRW consumer advice center. Nevertheless, the letters should not be ignored, but contested due to "fraudulent misrepresentation and error", says Tergek. Although nobody has to react, the company commissions debt collection agencies. Those affected must react as soon as they receive reminders at the latest, even if these are unjustified.

The consumer advice centers provide sample letters for this and similar cases. 1N Telecom is repeatedly criticized, for example due to the conclusion of contracts following an alleged competition. The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations has now registered more than 11,000 complaints. Deutsche Telekom has already obtained several injunctions against the namesake. The misleading advertising letters, which give the impression of an official letter from Deutsche Telekom regarding a tariff change, have been circulating since the beginning of 2022. Many customers only realize that they have ordered a provider change after receiving confirmation of termination from Deutsche Telekom.

The Federal Network Agency was already able to stop around 15,000 switches to 1N Telecom in 2023. The Federal Association of Consumer Advice Centers and other centers have sued the provider for several legal violations and have now initiated more than 15 different legal actions. For affected customers, consumer advocates and Telekom recommend seeking legal advice and, if necessary, contesting the contract on the grounds of error or fraudulent misrepresentation.

(mack)