Cancel your subscriptions in three clicks since September 1: instructions for use

Have you ever tried to cancel a subscription online, only to end up frustrated and exhausted by the complexity of the process? You are not alone. But, since September 1, a major change promises to revolutionize the way we manage our subscriptions and other contracts.

Canceling a mobile plan, whether you’re with Orange, Free, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, or via the App Store and Play Store, was no picnic.

Terminating contracts, especially online subscriptions, can always be a headache. Access to the unsubscribe option was often buried in the twists and turns of sites, making the process complicated and tedious. Sometimes it was even necessary to send a letter with acknowledgment of receipt. But that is about to change.

During the summer of 2022, there was legislative momentum to simplify this process. The bill on emergency measures for the protection of purchasing power was discussed and adopted with remarkable speed: presented on July 7, 2022, it passed the stage of the National Assembly on July 22 then that of the Senate a week later. The decree was published at the end of May 2023. Although its application was initially planned for June 1, 2023, additional time was granted for implementation on September 1.

What this means for the consumer is simple: from now on, every company offering remote subscriptions, whether via their website or application, is required to integrate an “Unsubscribe” button clearly visible on each page.

Operation and sanctions in the event of non-compliance

But then, how exactly does it work? When the customer wishes to end a subscription, all they have to do is click on “cancel your contract”. A form is then displayed, allowing you to enter the information necessary to identify the contract in question. The process is designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible, without any additional hassle.

It is important to note that these new provisions apply to all sectors and concern all types of contracts. Whether the original subscription was made online or on paper is irrelevant.

But be careful, any company that does not comply with these provisions is exposed to heavy financial penalties. The amounts go up to 15,000 euros for a natural person and can reach 75,000 euros for a legal entity.

Fibre
Bbox fit Fibre

Débit jusqu’à 400 Mb/s

Sans Player TV

Téléphonie vers 110 destinations

Fibre, Câble
RED box Fibre

Débit jusqu’à 500 Mb/s

Sans Player TV

Téléphonie vers 100 destinations

Fibre, Câble
SFR Fibre Starter

Débit jusqu’à 500 Mb/s

160 chaînes de TV incluses

Téléphonie vers 1 destinations

Toutes les box internet

Il est évident que, malgré les avancées, l’écart entre le processus d’inscription et celui de la résiliation demeure. L’inscription est souvent conçue pour être fluide, rapide et intuitive, incitant l’utilisateur à s’engager sans hésitation.

En revanche, la résiliation, même avec le nouveau bouton, peut impliquer quelques étapes supplémentaires, voire des demandes d’informations spécifiques. Ces étapes, bien qu’elles soient destinées à sécuriser la démarche et à s’assurer de l’identité du demandeur, peuvent parfois décourager ou frustrer l’utilisateur. Le chemin vers une parité parfaite entre ces deux processus est encore long, mais les récentes mesures législatives représentent un pas significatif dans la bonne direction.