Updated Feb 2002 

MOBILE PHONES — 5 STICKY QUESTIONS

Lack of clarity in line rental contracts and in bills, problems cancelling contracts, rates that are too complicated — all are main bones of contention. 

No. This type of contract no longer exists. These days, contracts have an initial fixed minimum period, usually 12 months, during which you cannot cancel. At the end of this period the contract can be cancelled at any time as long as you give notice, usually of no more than 3 months.

It all depends on the contract. In most cases one has a 7-day "cooling off" period which allows you to cancel if your home area is not covered by the network. Some service providers will make the same allowance if your place of work is not covered, and even if it's not a business line.

This is not considered a legitimate reason to cancel. Even if you are required to immediately let the service provider know of the theft so that they can disconnect your line, you would still have to pay your line rental until the end of the term of your contract. Your line can be reconnected once you have a new phone. However, some insurance policies cover the cost of replacing a mobile phone and occasionally cover the costs of fraudulent calls.

In addition and as an added precaution, if you want to know what the serial number of your mobile is, tap in *#06#. This will bring up on the screen: "IMEI" followed by a 15 or 17 digit number (depending on the model of your phone, you may need to hit a cursor to scroll to the right in order to see all the digits). This number is a code unique to your phone. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If ever your mobile is stolen, contact your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to totally block your phone even if the thief replaces the SIM card. You'll probably never get your phone back, but at least you can rest assured that the thief will never be able to use it.

Contracts can differ in this respect - which is why it's so important to scrutinise the small print. For instance, some agree to cancellation in the event of moving abroad, of illness preventing one from using the mobile phone, or even in the event of unemployment.

Yes. In future, contracts will include various agreed methods of payment, with a few rare exceptions such as in respect of some pre-paid cards. But the service provider could charge a relative additional fee towards handling cheques depending on the amount of your bill (10-20 F per month). But, by whichever means you pay, you will be asked to provide a RIB and a crossed cheque when you first sign up in order to prove you are credit-worthy.

Notify your Direction départementale de la concurrence, de la consommation and de la répression des fraudes (addresses on Minitel: 3614 Consom, or from your préfecture), or contact a consumer's association. As a last resort, your only option would be to take the matter to court.

© Riviera Reporter 

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