Telephone, internet or television: conclusion of the contract

Verified 21 February 2024 - 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. Would you like to know if your operator can impose an unlimited contract duration on you, if a security deposit can be required? We give you the information you need to know.

You have to have at least 18 years to sign an internet, telephone or television subscription. However, parents may sign a contract for their minor child.

For a mobile phone contract, the parent(s) will be recognized as a subscriber and the child will be a simple user. The parent(s) will be responsible for this contract as if it were their own phone (e.g. in case of oversubscription).

The information to be provided to you by the operator or service provider differs depending on whether the contract is established in a shop, fair, trade show, at home or at a distance:

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Purchase in store, at a fair, at a trade show

You must receive a contract summary outlining the main elements of the service offering prior to the conclusion of the contract. The summary should allow you to compare service offerings in the market.

This document is an integral part of the contract. It must be given to you free of charge.

The main elements that the service offer should contain are:

  • Comprehensive information on the electronic communication service
  • Name, address and direct contact details of the supplier and, if different, direct contact details for any complaint
  • Services and facilities
  • Description of the main characteristics of the electronic communications service(s). Example: fixed voice telephony, mobile voice telephony, mobile internet access, fixed internet access, transmission service used for television broadcasting or non-dialing based interpersonal communications services.
    For bundles, the type of terminal equipment as well as services, such as TV packages, video on demand or other media services, if applicable, shall also be described.
    For transmission services used for television broadcasting and bundles including services of this nature, the types of television bundles offered may be described in case it is not possible to list all the channels included in the bundle.
    For bundles, where applicable, the volume or quantity of calls, messages and data and the provider’s roaming fair use policy shall be described.
  • Where the service includes internet access, the minimum, normally available and maximum download and upload rate and, for the mobile internet access service, the estimated maximum download and upload rate.
  • Remedies available to consumers
  • Price
    For electronic communications services provided against direct payment of a sum of money, prices for activation of the service, and recurring or consumption-related charges.
    For subscription contracts, the recurring price, including taxes, per billing period, and per month, if the billing period is other than monthly, shall be indicated.
    Any additional fixed prices, for example applicable to the activation of the service, and, where applicable, the price of the equipment, shall be indicated, together with any time-limited discount.
    Where applicable, the consumption-related charges that will apply after the volumes included in the recurring price have been exceeded shall be indicated.
    Where applicable, it is indicated that information on charges for additional services not included in the recurring charges shall be made available separately.
    If the service is provided without direct payment of a sum of money, but subject to certain obligations incumbent on users as a condition of a service, this shall be indicated.
  • Duration, renewal and termination of the contract
    Information on the duration of the contract in months and the main conditions for its renewal, termination due to the expiry of its duration and possible early termination must be provided.
    The same applies to charges in the event of early termination, and in particular to information on the unblocking of terminal equipment. This information does not preclude other grounds for termination provided by law (e.g. in case of non-compliance with the contract).
  • Features for users with disabilities
    This is information on key products and services for users with disabilities. This information may include at least real-time text, total conversation and relay services, accessible emergency communications, specialized equipment, special tariffs and accessible information. Where appropriate, it may be indicated that detailed information is available on the website of the operator or through specific brochures made available at points of sale.

FYI  

The operator or supplier must inform you that you do not have the right of withdrawal (i.e. the right to reconsider your decision once the contract has been concluded).

Purchase following door-to-door, workplace or street canvassing

A pre-contractual information document must be provided to you before concluding a telephone, internet or television contract.

This document should contain the following information:

  • Seller's identity (mailing address, email and phone)
  • Identity of the company whose products it distributes (address of registered office, number of SIRET, registered capital, corporate form)
  • Characteristics of the good or service sold
  • Unit price of products and overall price payable including all taxes
  • Price and payment terms (and interest rate in the case of credit sales)
  • The date or time by which the seller commits to deliver the good or service
  • Cost of shipping or commissioning
  • Conditions for withdrawal (return procedures, time limit, any costs and standard form)
  • Legal or commercial guarantees
  • Availability of spare parts
  • Consumer Ombudsman competent in the event of a dispute.

The information must be provided in a legible and comprehensible manner, on a durable support.

Remote Purchasing

For contracts concluded at a distance, before validating your order, the operator or the supplier must inform you about the following points:

  • Essential characteristics of the good or service
  • Price
  • Duration of contract
  • 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.

FYI  

The operator or supplier must inform you about the possibility of retracting (reversing your decision) within 14 days calendar days.

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.

To subscribe to a television, internet or telephony contract, you will need to present the following documents:

  • Identity card
  • Proof of domicile
  • Bank details

Yes, when the contract is concluded, a security deposit may be required. This must be provided for in the general terms and conditions of sale (GTC) 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.

Once you have given your consent, your commitment begins.

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.

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.

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.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • For more information

    0809 540 550 DGCCRF - ResponseConso

    Having trouble following a purchase? Do you have a question about a point of law before buying or ordering?

    You can get an answer from a DGCCRF: titleContent by calling the 0809 540 550.

    Opening hours of the service:

    No surtax number

    • Monday and Tuesday: from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:15 pm to 5:15 pm
    • Wednesday: 13:15 to 17:15
    • Thursday: from 8:30 to 12:30
    • Friday: from 8:30 am to 4 pm

  • For more information

    Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts (Arcep)