📞 Swedish Mobile Operator Hallon Sued Over Hidden Customer Service Number

By [Your Name] – July 3, 2025

What’s Going On?

Sweden’s Consumer Ombudsman (KO) has filed a lawsuit against mobile operator Hallon for failing to display a customer service phone number on its website. Instead, customer support is mainly handled through a chatbot—a move that KO argues is misleading and violates Swedish marketing laws dagensps.se+6svt.se+6gp.se+6.

📵 The Issue

KO claims that while Hallon does have a customer service number, it's only provided in terms and conditions or contract confirmations—not openly on its “Support” or “Contact Us” pages .
The regulator warns that concealing this contact information undermines consumer access to support and breaches transparency requirements under marketing law .

🗣️ Hallon’s Response

Jasmine Sowood, Hallon’s press spokesperson, confirmed the company has received the lawsuit and has been in dialogue with KO for some time. She maintains that phone support is available, even if most service is automated, and looks forward to a legal resolution svd.se+4svt.se+4aftonbladet.se+4.

⚖️ What’s at Stake

KO is urging Sweden’s Patent and Market Court (Paten- och marknadsdomstolen) to prohibit Hallon from implying they cannot be reached by phone, potentially setting a precedent for digital support transparency marcusoscarsson.se.
With around 750,000 customers, KO states that hiding the hotline risks misleading a large portion of the Swedish public regarding Hallon’s true service availability .

🔍 Broader Context

The KO initiated this investigation during a larger 2023 review analyzing how accessible companies make their customer service lines. Hallon was flagged for not clearly listing its hotline aftonbladet.se+5marcusoscarsson.se+5svt.se+5.
This case aligns with other KO actions against telecom companies over misleading practices. Previously, operators such as Kviq faced potential fines of SEK 1.5 million for deceptive marketing calls dagensps.se.

✅ Why It Matters

Consumer protection: The case reinforces the consumer's right to easily access support and not be forced into automated channels without warning.
Transparency standards: Should KO win, companies may be legally required to clearly display direct support contacts, even if they also offer chatbots.
Industry impact: Similar findings could extend to other telecom and service providers, shaping how digital customer service is regulated.

📞 Swedish Mobile Operator Hallon Sued Over Hidden Customer Service Number