MADRID, 14 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) has sanctioned five companies this Wednesday for the irregular use of 118AB type numbers, those that are used to find out the telephone number of someone, a restaurant or another store.

Thus, the companies Alfa Medios Publicitarios, S.L., Promo Megastore Trading Company, S.L., 24-hour Customer Information Telephone, S.L., 11842 Información Telefónica, S.L.U. and Ludico Business Entertainment, S.L. They have received fines that, as a whole, add up to 117,500 euros, according to a statement from the regulator.

The companies have been penalized mainly for two reasons: keeping consumers waiting long, reaching in one case not cutting off after the maximum 10 minutes and 20 seconds established by law, and the use of these numbers as customer service .

The regulator has classified these offenses as serious and has imposed penalties ranging from 4,320 euros to 46,000, in the case of Promo Megastore, which has received the largest fine for not expressly acknowledging its offense like most other companies.

Those sanctioned now have a period of two months to file a contentious-administrative appeal before the National Court in case of disagreement with the CNMC's decision.