2023-05-04 19:20:51
Parliament
Having to cancel your subscription by phone: elected officials want it to stop
The National Council has accepted a motion that wants to prevent companies from providing clauses to make terminations more complicated.
Posted
Sunrise is the latest major operator to deny subscription cancellations in writing.
20min/Matthias Spicher
On Tuesday, Sunrise announced a increase in its prices. Customers have nothing to say. All they can do is switch carriers. Except that for that, they will have to call or speak in an online chat with an employee of the operator, who will not hesitate to try to retain his client. A written letter? Sunrise will not take it into account and will refuse the termination.
A misused freedom
Parliament wants to put an end to the practice. He voted this Thursday in favor of the motion of National Councilor Prisca Birrer-Heimo (PS / LU), which wanted to “prevent terminations from being subject to abusive formal restrictions”. “Companies misuse their freedom,” she said. Forcing customers to call or use a chat is extremely problematic.”
“Many consumers will be grateful to you for accepting this motion,” she pleaded. The Federal Council was not completely deaf to his remarks. He said he was “aware of the problems that certain clauses can cause, which are problematic when they aim to make terminations more complicated“, as Federal Councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider admitted.
Go to court
But for her, this kind of ambush is already illegal. “Consumers or associations can file a complaint,” she said. The Federal Council ruled that it was “not appropriate” to create a new standard as long as the question of the legality of the practices had not already been decided by a court.
The National Council was not convinced by the arguments of the Federal Councillor. The elected officials accepted the motion by 104 votes in favor and 80 votes against. Only the UDC and the PLR rejected the text.
Voting results
Parliament
1683241889
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