EP candidate lauds Vodafone on time window decision

Nationalist MEP candidate Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas has praised Vodafone for having, she said, lifted time window restrictions on top-up cards.

Speaking at a press conference outside the operator's offices in Valley Road, Msida, she said Vodafone Malta removed time-windows on pre-paid cards last week after a meeting with her regarding the ‘Ban Time Windows’ campaign she began in March on www.bantimewindows.org.

She urged other companies to do the same, while applauding Melita Mobile for having launched its service without the restriction.

She said the imposition of time windows was an "unjust” practice that negatively affected consumers and competition in the mobile phone telephony sector.

“I believe that it is extremely unjust that consumers lose their credit simply because their time window had lapsed. In effect they are paying for a service they are not getting."

She explained that Vodafone had adopted a system whereby anyone on their pre-paid tariff would only have to make one chargeable call or message a year in order not to lose any of their credit. She described this decision as “great news and a decision that should be applauded”.

“It is with great satisfaction that in less than two months of this campaign one of Malta’s biggest operators has taken this important step to remove time windows. This is a victory for Maltese and Gozitan consumers who are benefitting from strong competition in this sector." She said that prior to the press conference she had sent letters to Vodafone and Melita congratulating them on their decision. She said that she also wrote to all other operators in Malta – namely Go Mobile, RedTouch Fone and Bay Mobile calling on them to follow suit and also remove time windows.

The 30-year-old lawyer, explained how part of her campaign for a seat in the European Parliament was dedicated to consumer-related issues.

"If I am chosen to be one of Malta's representatives in the European Parliament this 6th of June one of my roles would be to help ensure that every Maltese and Gozitan will fully benefit from all their rights and opportunities as European consumers", she concluded.