How to cancel your mobile plan?

Disappointed by your operator, moving abroad, more attractive rates with a competing operator... There can be many reasons for wanting to change your mobile plan. Have you subscribed to a package with a 12 or 24 month commitment but you don't know how to cancel it? Good news, you have clicked on the article which will give you all the explanations. We detail the procedure and the different possibilities available to you to terminate the contract that binds you to your mobile operator, if possible by avoiding paying compensation.

Subscribe to an operator without obligation:

- Free mobile, the pioneer of non-binding offers

- La Poste Mobile without commitment at a competitive price

- Sosh package attractive offers on the Orange network

- Auchan Mobile plan, a newcomer to the market

- NRJ Mobile package attractive offers

- Cdiscount Mobile plan the offers of the French merchant

Mobile plan: how to avoid cancellation fees?

It is certainly less advantageous to end your mobile plan when it generates cancellation fees, nevertheless it can still be interesting. To find out, just do the math: is the saving made more important than the cancellation fees? Many operators offer mobile plans at attractive prices such as the Free Mobile plan, Red By SFR, Sosh, La Poste, etc. In some cases, it is possible not to pay termination fees, but this requires justifying a legitimate reason, which you will send with your termination letter by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt. If you have any doubts about the validity of your commitment, you can check the end date of the commitment which is indicated on your invoices or on your operator's website, directly in the customer area. If you request an Operator Identity Record (RIO), this information will also be sent to you.

How to cancel your mobile plan free of charge?

If you pay attention to the general conditions of sale of the various operators, you will find that they mention legitimate reasons for cancellation. They allow you to terminate your mobile subscription, free of charge, even if you are still under contract. To do this, you must provide documents that justify your situation. Here are some examples of cases that may be legitimate grounds for termination:

• In the event of serious financial difficulties that have been approved by the Over-indebtedness Commission as an individual.

• If the court has ordered receivership or liquidation against your company.

• If you are hospitalized or have been ill for more than 3 months

• In the event of a case of force majeure recognized by the Court of Cassation, such as imprisonment or death.

• In the event of a long network outage, some operators may accept your request for breach of contract by exempting you from any additional costs.

How to calculate the termination costs of your mobile plan?

Before terminating your telephone contract that binds you to your operator, you must check whether it is with commitment or not.

• If you have no commitment, or if you have reached the end of your contract, simply send your operator a cancellation letter by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt. If your monthly payment is up to date, you will not need to pay any cancellation fees.

• If you have a commitment and it has not yet come to an end, you will have to pay a termination fee. They will be calculated according to the Chatel Law.

Let's take an example. If you have subscribed to a 12-month commitment, but you wish to terminate halfway through your contract (i.e. 6 months), you will then have to pay the last 6 months remaining, i.e. €90 for a package monthly at 15 €. If you are committed to 24 months and you decide to terminate from the thirteenth month, this will allow you to pay only a quarter of the monthly payments remaining due, i.e. €45 for a monthly plan of €15. On the other hand, if you cancel during the first year of your 24 months of commitment, you will then have to pay all the monthly payments until the 12th month, as well as a quarter of the monthly payments of the second year of your contract. .

The Chatel law, what is it?

The Chatel law has changed the relationship consumers have with mobile plans. Set up in 2008 by the Minister of the same name, it aims above all to give consumers confidence in the offers offered by mobile operators, by protecting them from so-called draconian offers. For this, this law strives to regulate contracts between professionals and individuals in the field of services. If the Chatel law instantly brings to mind mobile plan contracts, it is not limited to that since a more global part of the service sector is concerned by this law.

Here are the main measures concerning mobile plan contracts that have been introduced by this law:

• Mobile phone operators are no longer able to offer contracts with a commitment period of more than 24 months.

• Notice of termination is ten days

• Premium rate numbers on the technical support of mobile operators are no longer authorized

• Once you have signed your new mobile plan contract, you have 7 days to change your mind and withdraw, whatever the reason.

Cancelling your mobile plan by registered letter: instructions

If you want to end the contract that binds you to your mobile operator, you must first end your contract by sending a letter of termination by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt. Be careful though, you have to be a little patient. Indeed, your operator will take your request into account only 10 days after receipt of the mail, Sundays and public holidays not being included. Also note that terminating your mobile plan contract also terminates your contract in its entirety. Your phone number will therefore be lost, unless you follow the RIO procedure explained below.

How to keep your mobile number when you cancel?

To keep your mobile number, you must follow the porting procedure. Nothing very complicated! You will simply have to transmit the operator identity statement (RIO) to your new mobile operator. Whether it is SFR, Free, Orange or other mobile operators, the procedure is the same. Your RIO is made up of 12 characters directly linked to your telephone contract and you must dial 3179 to obtain it. This is a toll-free number, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will not be able to speak to a contact person but to a simple voice server, which will also send you this information by SMS, at no additional cost.

Content offered by our good deals experts, partners of Ouest France. The editorial staff did not participate in its realization. The prices mentioned in this article are indicative and are subject to change.