The substantial modification of the conditions of the contract with our operator entitles the subscriber to unsubscribe without penalty, even when they have an active membership. But how are these modifications made and how attentive should we be to be able to use this resource to avoid paying a penalty?
The telephone operators They can modify the conditions of our contract, as long as it provides for this circumstance, as is usual. In addition, you must communicate these changes at least one month in advance of their entry into force.
In the event that it is a series of substantial changes with respect to what was initially signed, as is a noticeable change in price, As subscribers we have the right to unsubscribe without paying any type of penalty for doing so, as long as we process the unsubscription within 30 days of communication. Although, as the OCU warns, if we have enjoyed any economic advantages, it is possible that we will have to return them before the withdrawal becomes effective.
In recent years, organizations such as the one mentioned previously have insisted on raising awareness among users about their rights to know how to act in these types of situations. As we have already mentioned, we have 30 days to process the cancellation. Once this period has passed, we will not have this facility to break our contract. A situation that forces us to have to be attentive to any communication. But how do companies typically report substantial changes?
Look at your bill
Most of us expect to receive an SMS or email informing us of a price increase. And we tend to overlook forms of communication that are more traditional, but just as effective, as is the case with our invoice.
If you have contracted a flat rate service, in which the price remains the same month by month, chances are that you are not used to opening the invoices that your operator sends you. If you check that the amount is correct, it is quite common for us to consider that everything is fine and that it is not necessary to check the number of gigabytes or the services that we have consumed during the previous 30 days.
However, this is a serious mistake and It can be quite expensive. And the vast majority of companies use the invoice to communicate any of the most important changes, such as a price increase.
Movistar, for example, states this in its Web page. Confirming that “From Movistar all communications regarding the change in rate conditions are reported in writing. in invoice annex, at least one month in advance”. Vodafone also confirms the same in a communication in the OCU, in which it informs a client “must keep in mind that the invoice is an informative medium, Because month by month it is issued and sent to the client so that they can validate the details of what was charged as well as massive changes.”. Orange, for its part, also reported via invoice of a price increase that occurred during 2023.
Therefore, and even though the amount of the invoice is fine, we recommend that you maintain the habit of open your invoices and check that there is no important communication in them, such as the one already mentioned. Otherwise, we may lose the opportunity to express our disagreement with changes to our contract and act accordingly.
Other channels used
In addition to the invoice, it is also recommended that we always have the email in the customer portal from our operator. Since email is another of the most used ways to make these communications. It is even possible that in the official application there will also be a notice informing of these changes, being another of the spaces that it is advisable to visit from time to time.
Despite everything we have previously mentioned, it is important to be alert to any communication from our company and always verify the information in case of doubt. Many cybercriminal groups impersonate operators to send communications to their clients that are not true and that seek to steal our personal data. If in doubt, yes we receive a communication of our company and we distrust it, it is always advisable to contact it through some of its official channels to confirm the veracity of said message and act accordingly.
