Colombia. The Communications Regulation Commission highlighted the five reasons why a telecommunications service contract can be cancelled (fixed internet, mobile internet, mobile telephony, fixed telephony and/or subscription television). They are:
1. Unavailability of the service:
You have the right to have your telecommunications services provided continuously, efficiently and in compliance with the minimum quality conditions. When the provider exceeds the limits of unavailability of the service that are allowed, such unavailability is what results in the user being able to automatically receive compensation or terminate the contract, even without paying the values associated with the minimum permanence clause.
2. Unauthorized increase in the contract:
The operator cannot modify the contract without your authorization. This implies that it cannot charge you for services that you have not accepted, because if it does you can terminate the contract, in this case they are not obliged to pay the values associated with the minimum permanence clause.
3. Changes to Services Without Notice:
In no case can the provider change the plan you chose or place you in a plan that you have not accepted.
It is important that you carefully read all the communications that the provider sends you and/or that you listen carefully to the offers that the provider can make to you through the toll-free hotline.
4. Unauthorized permanence clauses:
The only one who can choose between contracting the provision of telecommunications services with or without a minimum permanence clause is the user.
In the case of mobile telecommunications services, we remind you that if you want to buy a cell phone from an operator you can do so, but this purchase cannot force you to stay with that company for a certain time. Minimum permanence clauses are prohibited for mobile services.
In the case of internet and fixed telephony, minimum permanence clauses can still be agreed, but only when plans are offered that finance or subsidize the charge for connection, equipment or discounts in the plan.
If you want to terminate the internet or fixed telephony contract before the agreed date, you have to pay the outstanding value at the time of termination, this is equivalent to the subsidy received divided by the number of months remaining. Contact your operator, as this value can be very small.
5. User decision
You are the one who chooses which service you want to hire, with whom you want to do it and what is the plan or package you want to buy. This choice is important so that your needs match your consumption decisions, about the operator that provides the service, the service itself and the value to be paid.
All users have the right to terminate the contract at any time, but the user retains the obligation to pay the sums owed to the supplier and the other obligations that have been agreed in the contract.
