Cellcom customers will receive cash vouchers totaling NIS 5.4 million as part of a class action settlement.
In the coming days, the company will send its customers NIS 100 vouchers each, which they can redeem at Cellcom's service centers and Dynamics Plus stores. Vouchers will not be given for any minimum purchase amount. Customers will be able to redeem them even if they have redeemed a similar voucher in the past.
About a year ago, a class action lawsuit was filed against Cellcom. This was after Cellcom offered customers who update their details on the website a benefit voucher in the amount of NIS 100 to be redeemed at Cellcom service centers, which can be redeemed within 60 days from the date of delivery.
It was claimed that the voucher included a link to the list of service centers on the Cellcom website, while the list also included the stores of Dynamics, Cellcom's subsidiary.
The plaintiff, Adv. Valeria Flexberg, came to the Dynamics branch in Modiin and asked to redeem the voucher, but it could not be redeemed and she was referred to Cellcom's service centers, which do not even exist in Modiin. The lawsuit was filed through attorney Neria Haroa.
After the request for approval of the class action was submitted, Cellcom turned to Adv. Neria Haroa in order to negotiate a compromise. Even before Cellcom filed a response to the request for approval of the class action on its behalf, the parties managed to reach a compromise, which was recently approved by the Lod Center District Court in a ruling by Judge Avi Stav.
As part of the settlement, all Cellcom customers who received a benefit voucher between April 1, 4 and November 2022, 5, will receive a new voucher at full rate, i.e. NIS 11 as was the rate of the original voucher. The voucher can be redeemed within 2022 days of receipt. The voucher will be sent to eligible customers automatically, directly to their email address, without any need to contact Cellcom in order to receive the voucher. The new voucher will also be received by customers who managed to redeem the original voucher they received in the past. A total of 100,60 customers will be credited. The distribution date for the vouchers is expected to end on January 54, 165.
The advantage of the new voucher that will be given as part of the settlement is that customers will be able to redeem it both at Cellcom's service centers and at Dynamics branches. It should be noted that the voucher is not conditional on every purchase and in fact it is possible to arrive and receive products free of charge as their actual price at Dynamics branches, if their price does not exceed NIS 100. For products worth more than that, customers will only be required to pay the difference.
In its ruling, the court ruled that: "It is also important that this is a voucher whose redemption is not conditional on anything (i.e., it is not a 'coupon' that grants a discount, but a credit), and the voucher is also valid at Dynamics branches, so that proper deployment of the sites where the benefit can be redeemed is guaranteed."
The settlement also stipulates that if Cellcom sends additional vouchers to its customers in the future, it will attach links only to branches where the voucher can be redeemed, thus preventing future deception.
Attorney Neria Harua said: "This is an excellent settlement for the members of the group. They receive the voucher again, only this time they can redeem it at Dynamics' 50 branches, and not only at Cellcom's 20 branches. Everyone receives the voucher, even those who redeemed in the past. The voucher is not conditional on anything and you can get free products if their price is right. We have even succeeded in bringing about a future correction, by correcting the links sent to customers. Our office is pleased to bring such a good result for the team."
Cellcom did not respond to a request for comment.
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