Telephone, internet or television: conclusion of the contract

Verified 21 September 2020 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

To enter into a contract for a telephone, internet or television subscription, you must be of age. Your operator or supplier must provide you with certain mandatory information. It cannot impose an unlimited duration of contract on you. A security deposit may be required. If you have a disability, you must benefit from adapted services and products. In the event of a dispute, you can, in particular, refer the matter to the Ombudsman for Electronic Communications.

You must be at least 18 years old to sign an Internet, telephone or television subscription.

However, you can sign a contract for your minor child (for example, for a mobile phone). You will be recognized as a subscriber and your child will be a simple user. You will be responsible for this contract as if it were your own phone (for example, in case of oversubscription).

Before the conclusion of the contract

The operator or supplier should inform you about the following:

  • Conditions of supply of its services (sending of invoices, duration of the package, after-sales service...)
  • Minimum duration of the contract if there is one
  • Conditions for renewal of the contract
  • Quality of service conditions (connection speed...)
  • Conditions for the protection of your personal data and the right to access and request to rectify your personal information provided when signing the contract
  • Delivery times and maintenance services offered
  • Price of offers and different services offered
  • Existing Compensation and Reimbursement Conditions
  • Remedies offered in case of dispute

This information is generally detailed in the general conditions of sale or service, and in the standardized fact sheets available on the website of the operator or supplier. They must also be accessible at the point of sale.

If you take a remote subscription (e.g. via internet), the professional must provide further information.

In the contract

Your contract must contain at least the following information:

  • Identity and address of your operator or supplier
  • Services offered, quality level (connection speed...) and time required for their commissioning
  • Details of the prices charged (including termination and maintenance fees) and means of obtaining updated prices
  • Proposed means of payment for the service and their conditions
  • Financial compensation and reimbursement schemes provided for if the quality of the service is inadequate
  • Duration of the contract and conditions for its renewal
  • Ability to enter the electronic communications ombudsman or departmental services for the protection of populations in case of dispute
  • Procedures put in place by the operator or provider to steer traffic and avoid network line congestion
  • After-sales services provided and ways to contact these services
  • Restrictions on access to and use of services and equipment provided
  • Possibility of appearing in a telephone directory or not
  • Possibility to register for free on the list of objections to telephone solicitation (Bloctel)

This information must be provided to you in a clear, precise and comprehensible manner.

Once you have given your consent, your commitment begins.

Agreement

The operator or supplier must obtain your agreement to the contract. If an option is offered to you free of charge over a given period, the trader must collect your agreement at the end of the free period before charging you for this option.

Your agreement may be made by your handwritten signature or electronically if the contract is concluded on the internet.

If you have concluded your contract on the Internet or following a door-to-door selling, you have 14 calendar days to give up: it's the right of withdrawal. If you have concluded your contract in-store, you cannot waive it.

Contract delivery

Your contract must be made in 2 copies of which 1 must be delivered to you personally or by any durable support (e.g. by e-mail).

You must keep this original copy. It will be useful in case of dispute.

Security deposit

At the conclusion of the contract, a security deposit may be required. This must be provided for in the general conditions of sale or service.

This security deposit is a sum of money that you must pay in exchange for the supply of equipment (box, decoder...).

The operator or supplier may not impose a commitment period of more than 24 months (2 years).

If he offers you a commitment greater than 12 months (1 year), he must at the same time offer you the same offer for a minimum duration of 12 months under the same commercial conditions. It should also offer you the possibility to terminate your contract after 12 months, subject to certain conditions if you choose a 24-month offer.

If the contract is concluded without a commitment of duration, it is terminated at any time. Operator or supplier has 10 free days from the date of the request for termination to terminate the contract. Termination fees may be provided for in the contract.

Your contract, invoices, and documentation of products and services must be presented to you in a manner or in a medium appropriate to your disability (for example, on audio if you are blind).

You must have full or partial access to the services of the operator or provider equivalent to those provided to other users.

The operator or provider must also put in place signs indicating the terminals and services best suited to each category of disability.

Where the contract provides for the supply of terminal equipment, the operator must make available to you the terminal available on the market adapted to your disability.

In the event of a dispute concerning the performance of your contract, you can enter the electronic communications ombudsman or departmental services for the protection of populations.

FAQ