Are you considering cancelling your cell phone contract or signing a new one? Here are the main points to make sure your rights are respected every step of the way.
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Your service provider makes changes to your contract
If your service provider wants to make changes to your cell phone contract, these three conditions must be respected:
- Your contract must have a clause allowing your service provider to make changes to your contract, subject to certain conditions.
- Your service provider must send you written notice of the changes at least 30 days before they come into effect.
- The changes cannot affect the main aspects of the contract (for example, the price of the phone plan) unless you clearly consent to this.
You can refuse any changes that are unfavourable to you. To do this, you must cancel your contract. Your service provider can’t charge you a cancellation fee in this case. Make sure to send a cancellation notice to your service provider within 30 days of the date the changes were to take effect.
Did you know? You can cancel your contract at any time.There are many situations where you can cancel your contract without being charged a cancellation fee. In other situations, however, you must pay a cancellation fee. The fee amount depends on the terms of your contract, for example, whether the contract mentions an end date and a discount. You can visit the website of the Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC or consumer protection office) to learn more about changes to your cell phone contract and how to cancel it. |
You don’t want to renew your contract
Does your contract have an end date? You can avoid an unwanted renewal by following the instructions in your contract’s renewal clause.
The renewal clause indicates whether your contract will be renewed automatically.
This clause also tells you how far in advance you must send a notice of non-renewal to your service provider to avoid automatic renewal.
Did you know?If your contract lasts more than 60 days, your service provider must send you a renewal notice at least two months before it ends. The notice tells you that your contract will end soon and reminds you to send a non-renewal notice before the deadline. |
You can visit the website of the consumer protection office to learn more about changing and renewing your cell phone contract.
Your rights when signing a contract
Are you looking for a new cell phone? Before signing anything, make sure the service provider gives you all the necessary information in a written contract.
They must provide a contract written in clear and simple language.
You have the right to receive a copy of your contract within 15 days of signing it if you agree to the contract remotely (online or by phone).
The service provider must include all the following information in your contract:
- service provider’s name and address,
- description of the services (your plan),
- rebate amount,
- cost of each service,
- description of every additional fee that can be charged,
- total price,
- whether the contract has an end date, and
- conditions for changing, renewing, or cancelling the contract
You can ask your service provider for more information or to clarify the information provided before you sign the contract.
You can also visit the website of the consumer protection office for consumer tips before signing your cell phone contract.
Ensure your rights are respected
There are certain actions you can take if your service provider doesn’t respect your rights when you sign the contract.
You can cancel your contract without a cancellation fee if your service provider doesn’t respect certain obligations.
You have 7 to 30 days after signing the contract to notify your service provider of cancellation. The time limit varies according to the situation.
To learn more about cancelling your cell phone contract, visit the OPC website.
You can file a complaint against your service provider with the OPC.