Communications Minister banned the communications company ICE from recruiting new customers

Communications Minister Yoaz Handel has banned the communications company ICE Smart Communications - which has received hundreds of complaints from customers - from recruiting new customers in the next four months. After this examination period, it will be decided whether to revoke her license permanently. At the same time, due to harm to its customers, the company was also imposed a financial sanction of almost NIS 3 million on behalf of the Consumer Protection Authority.
Since last January, the series has been following the problematic activities of  Ice. The company already received a license from the Ministry of Communications to provide Internet services three years ago, but since then there have been countless complaints from disappointed consumers.
A letter sent by the Israeli Consumer Council to the Ministry of Communications claims that in the first half of the year alone, the council received no less than 500 complaints about Ice. Hundreds of additional complaints reach the Ministry of Communications itself, and the series also receives complaints about the company every day. In 2019, the office received 103 complaints, in 2020 461 complaints were received and in 2021 (until June 9), 246 complaints were received about the company. In relation to the size of the company, these are undoubtedly exceptional numbers.
The complaints are repetitive: customers pay thousands of shekels, but suffer from a lack of response in the service and technical support centers; The company delays credit, makes excessive charges, and misleads customers.
Minister Handel's decision means that the company will shrink, when the credit companies, which the courts have so far forbidden to deny transactions of existing customers, will no longer pay new payments to the company. Although the announcement to stop recruiting customers was received today, it will only take effect in 21 days. The current decision does not concern existing customers, and the Ministry of Communications calls on them to call the public for inquiries on the ministry's website, through which they exert pressure on the company to gain existing customers.
The Ministry of Communications mentions that it commented to the company numerous times about the poor service it provides to its customers, and there was even a hearing for the company last November, in order to reduce the amount of complaints and harm to consumers - but encountered lack of cooperation from the company.
Minister Handel said: "After the company received countless inquiries in the previous term, unchanged, this is one of my first decisions in the current term. The message is clear: the ministry I head will not allow continuous harm to consumers. I am in favor of reducing regulation, but we will use its sticks Red. '
Director General of the Ministry of Communications, Liran Avishar Ben Horin: "The Ministry of Communications considers it very important to conduct itself fairly and to provide quality service to consumers. This is a drastic step that should signal to all service providers in the market. We will not allow harm to the consumer public and vulnerable populations in particular, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to stop anti-consumer behavior. "