Cancelling a telecom subscription has become easier for consumers, according to the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM). Telecom providers lowered cancellation barriers after an investigation by the ACM.
The authority launched the investigation last April following multiple complaints. By law, consumers must be able to cancel a subscription in the same way they entered into it. The ACM found barriers at nine out of ten providers it examined. In many cases, consumers had to cancel by phone even though they had signed up online. Information on online cancellation was often hard to find or missing from provider websites.
According to the ACM, telecom providers have now put an end to these practices. All ten providers investigated now allow contracts to be cancelled online. Cancellation information is easier to find, and providers no longer contact consumers after a contract has been cancelled.
The ACM did not disclose which providers were investigated or which ones changed their cancellation procedures.
Price remains the main reason for consumers to switch providers, accounting for 57 per cent of decisions, according to the ACM’s Telecommunication Monitor 2025. An attractive offer from another provider (31 per cent) and dissatisfaction with the current provider (27 per cent) are also key reasons. Most consumers take out a new subscription or package via a website or app (47 per cent). Almost one third (32 per cent) do so through customer service.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
