The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) has fined telecom operator Lycamobile €280,000 for failing to properly inform customers of their right to reclaim unused prepaid credit when switching providers.
Under rules introduced in January 2023, mobile providers must, upon request, reimburse customers for any remaining prepaid credit when they transfer their number to another operator.
The refund can be issued either through a bank transfer or another agreed method, and operators are permitted to charge a fee of up to €5 for the process, according to the BIPT.
In its investigation, the regulator found that Lycamobile failed to offer its customers two functional channels for requesting reimbursements. It also determined the company had not provided clear instructions on how to proceed with such requests.
The BIPT has been conducting checks to ensure compliance with this regulation, emphasising that customer rights must be protected during number transfers.
