Canceling a telecom package free of charge, even in the event of a 12 or 24-month commitment, becomes possible from tomorrow, Thursday November 30, for over-indebted households. Here’s how it works.
This was one of the areas of focus of the so-called purchasing power law, adopted in August 2022: encouraging consumers to engage in competition by facilitating the termination of current subscriptions. In addition to the mandatory implementation of a termination button, the legislator has provided some safeguards against costs what your suppliers may charge when you choose to leave them.
Terminating a contract early can be expensive. If you cancel a contract with a 12-month or 24-month commitment during the first year, you remain liable for the full monthly payments planned for the first year. Operators no longer have the right, however, to invoice penalties, equivalent to 25% of the monthly payments for the 2nd year of commitment, which previously applied.
Internet subscriptions: you will soon pay less in the event of early termination
The purchasing power law also provided to completely exempt certain subscribers from feesin a specific case: when their financial situation deteriorates to the point of having to resort to the over-indebtedness procedure.
More than a year later, the decree (1) framing this early and free termination of mobile or internet plans for over-indebted people has just been published in Official newspaper. It will finally allow this measure to come into force from this Thursday, November 30, 2023. Here are the details.
Who and what contracts are affected?
Reminder: the exemption only concerns people whose file has been judged admissible by an over-indebtedness commission. But this is not the only condition. The decree also tells us that the contracts concerned are only those which have been subscribed at least 3 months before the date of submission of the overindebtedness file.
How does the cancellation request work without fees?
To obtain termination free of charge due to over-indebtedness, the consumers concerned must attach supporting documentation to their request: the copy of the notification of admissibility of the overindebtedness file. But that’s not all: the supplier can also ask to produce a copy of an identity document and the certificate of submission of the file.
What deadlines for termination?
Once the request is received, and provided that it is accompanied by the requested supporting documents, the termination must take place within a maximum period of 10 days. The deadline may be longer, but only at the express request of the consumer.