Telephone, internet or television: termination of the contract

Verified 08 June 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

You can terminate your telephone, internet access or television contract in certain situations provided for by law or the contract. Depending on your situation (with or without commitment), fees may apply. Your operator may also terminate your contract in certain cases. In what situations can you terminate your contract, what fees may apply, what steps to take and what are your remedies? We present you the information to know.

Depending on the conditions under which you have subscribed to your contract, you may have a right of withdrawal allowing you to cancel your commitment quickly, free of charge and without having to justify your decision.

This right applies mainly when the contract is concluded at a distance (internet or telephone) or following a door-to-door canvassing. In these cases, you have a period of 14 calendar days to go back on your commitment. However, it does not apply to contracts signed in a shop or, except as provided for in the contract, at a fair or trade show.

The withdrawal must be communicated to the operator according to the procedures provided (online, mail or form). It entails the cancelation of the contract and the reimbursement of the sums paid, with possible deduction of the services already consumed.

Before taking any action, you must check whether your contract includes a duration of commitment.

This information is indicated on your invoices or in your customer area.

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Contract without commitment or with commitment period ended

When your contract is non-binding or the commitment period is over, you can terminate your subscription at any time, without having to justify your decision and without any termination fees related to the commitment.

Cancelation can be requested directly from your operator or made by your new operator if you wish to keep your phone number.

To terminate your contract, you must make your request by mail, preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

You can use the following letter template:

Terminate your electronic communications contract for personal reasons

You do not have to give a reason for termination.

Termination of the contract during the commitment period

If you cancel your contract before the end of the commitment period and without legitimate grounds, fresh may apply. These fees depend on the remaining commitment period provided for in your contract:

  • In the case of a 12-month commitment, you must pay the remaining monthly installments until the end of the commitment.
  • In the case of a 24-month commitment, you must pay all outstanding monthly payments until the end of the first 12 months, and then 25% of outstanding monthly payments beyond that.

FYI  

The operator may not charge fees that are not provided for in the contract or that do not correspond to a service actually provided.

You can however terminate before the end of the commitment without paying these fees in certain situations provided for by law or contract, in particular in the event of legitimate grounds, modification of the contract by the operator or in the event of a malfunction of the service.

Termination for legitimate reason

You can terminate your contract free of charge when you are faced with an event that makes it impossible to continue the contract. For example, dismissal, long-term hospitalization, moving to an area not covered by the network, disability or illness preventing the use of the service.

To terminate your contract, you must make your request by mail, preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

You can use the following letter template:

Terminate your communications contract (internet, telephony, television) for a legitimate reason

You must send the operator the supporting documents corresponding to your situation. (for example, a copy of a letter of your termination).

Termination following a modification of the contract by the operator

When the operator changes the terms of the contract (price increase, removal of a service, change of the terms of use), you can terminate your contract without charge.

The operator must inform you of this change before it enters into force.

You have a period of 4 months from the modification.

To terminate your contract, you must make your request by mail, preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

You can use the following letter template:

Terminate its electronic communications contract following its modification

Termination in case of service malfunction

If the service provided does not function normally (e.g. repeated internet outages, long-term lack of a mobile network, inability to access the channels provided for in the contract), you can request the termination of the contract if the difficulties persist despite your representations to the operator.

It is advisable to keep the exchanges with the operator and the evidence of the malfunctions encountered.

To terminate your contract, you must make your request by mail, preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

You can use the following letter template:

Request the termination of your telephony or internet contract at the operator's expense

You can request a refund for the subscription period during which the service was not rendered.

Termination can be made according to the terms and conditions of your contract.

You can usually make your request:

  • from your customer area,
  • by post,
  • or through a new operator.

It is recommended to keep proof of your cancelation request (registered mail, electronic acknowledgement of receipt, screenshot).

Where the contract has been concluded online or can be managed online, the operator must allow its termination by electronic means.

The procedure must be easily accessible and allow you to terminate the contract directly online, without you being obliged to contact an advisor or send a letter.

The operator must then confirm that the termination has been taken into account.

FYI  

The cancelation confirmation must be sent to you on a durable medium, for example by email or in your customer area.

If you wish keep your mobile or landline number, you can request the portability with your new operator.

In this case, the new operator will take the necessary steps to terminate the contract on your behalf.

You must provide your operator identity statement (RIO). It is an identifier that allows you to keep your phone number when changing operators. It can be obtained free of charge by calling 3179.

Effective Date

Termination usually takes effect in a maximum 10 days from the receipt of your request, unless you request a different date.

The operator must send you a confirmation of termination.

Return of equipment

When equipment has been made available to you (internet box, TV decoder, wifi repeater), you must return it under the conditions provided for in the contract.

This refund may be made:

  • in the shop,
  • in relay point,
  • or by post.

Warning  

In case of non-return, you may be charged a fee.

Reimbursement of amounts paid

If you have paid prepayments for a period after termination, the operator must reimburse you the corresponding share.

The security deposit must be refunded within a period of time maximum of 10 days after return of equipment.

It is advisable to keep proof of return of the equipment and documents relating to the termination until full reimbursement of the amounts due.

Refunds must be made within a reasonable time after the contract has been concluded and the equipment has been returned.

The operator may terminate your contract in certain situations provided for by law or by the contract.

Before any termination, he must inform you of the situation and specify the date on which the contract will end.

Termination for non-payment of invoices

In the event of unpaid invoices despite reminders from the operator, the operator may:

  • send you a reminder or a formal notice,
  • suspend service,
  • terminate the contract if the situation is not rectified.

Termination for breach of contract

The operator may also terminate the contract in the event of a serious breach of your obligations (for example, fraudulent use of the line, prohibited use provided for in the contract, provision of false information when subscribing).

In all cases, the remaining amounts must be paid until the effective date of termination of the contract.

Before the final termination, the operator may temporarily suspend access to the service to allow you to regularize its situation.

In case of difficulty with your operator, you can first contact the customer service then, if the problem persists, the consumer service of the operator.

It is advisable to keep all exchanges and supporting documents (letters, emails, invoices, screenshots).

If no agreement is not found, you can enter for free the electronic communications ombudsman.

Please note

Before lodging a complaint with the mediator, a written complaint must have been addressed to the operator.

As a last resort, you can enter the competent court.

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