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Guide by kind of contract

How to cancel a broadband or internet contract

General guidance for broadband and internet contracts: what happens if you do nothing, how to cancel, what to check and what to keep. It isn’t about any one company, so check your own contract for the details.

What happens if you do nothing

  • The contract may renew or roll into a higher-priced plan.
  • Promotional pricing may expire.

How to cancel, step by step

  1. Check minimum term and early-exit fees first
  2. Give the required notice before the contract renews
  3. Call the provider or use their cancellation form
  4. Arrange a switch date if moving to another provider
  5. Return any equipment to avoid charges

Checklist

  • Check when the promo price ends.
  • Confirm the contract end date and any exit fees.
  • Ask for the best retention offer.

Watch out for

  • Equipment returns can have strict deadlines and fees.
  • Some providers reset your contract when you change plan.

When to start

Start about 30 days before the renewal date⁠—earlier if there is a notice period, so you still have time to decide, compare and send your notice.

Documents to keep

  • Contract summary
  • Offer confirmation
  • Equipment return instructions

An email you can copy

Replace the parts in brackets. Send it to the address in your contract or on the provider’s contact page, and keep the reply.

Subject: Contract end date & renewal options – [provider name] – Account [account number]

Hello,

I’m reviewing my broadband renewal for [provider name] (Account: [account number]).

Please confirm:
- Contract end date
- Any early termination fees
- Current price after promotions
- Best offer available today

Thanks,
[your name]

If you call

What to say, and what to ask for in writing:

  • I’m reviewing renewal and want to understand my end date and price after promos.
  • What’s the best retention offer you can apply immediately?
  • Please email me the offer details and reference number.

Official factsBased on official sources, as of the date shown⁠—not features or prices of the app.

Mobile and internet contracts in Germany

If you live in Germany: the initial term of a mobile, landline or internet contract may be 24 months at most, and before you sign, the provider must also offer you a contract with a term of no more than 12 months.

Once the minimum term is over and the contract has renewed automatically, you can cancel at any time with one month’s notice, at no extra cost. This has applied since December 1, 2021, also to older contracts whose minimum term has ended.

How you give notice: your notice only takes effect once it reaches the provider in time; registered mail (Einwurfeinschreiben) lets you prove that it arrived. For contracts signed on or after October 1, 2016, the provider’s standard terms may not require a stricter form than text form, so an email is enough. If you could sign up on the provider’s website, it must offer a cancellation button there; if one is missing, you may cancel at any time without notice. When you switch, your new provider can also cancel the old contract for you.

Your number: you can take your mobile number to a new provider even before your contract ends, free of charge. That doesn’t end the old contract early, though⁠—you keep paying for it until its term is over.

Moving: if your provider can’t deliver the service at your new address, you may cancel with one month’s notice. If it can, the contract continues.

This is general information, not legal advice. For your specific case, Germany’s consumer advice centers (Verbraucherzentralen) can help.

Sources: Section 56, Telecommunications Act (in German)⁠ (opens in a new tab), Federal Network Agency: telecom contracts (in German)⁠ (opens in a new tab), Federal Network Agency: switching provider and moving (in German)⁠ (opens in a new tab), Section 309, German Civil Code (in German)⁠ (opens in a new tab), Art. 229 Section 37, Introductory Act to the Civil Code (in German)⁠ (opens in a new tab), Section 312k, German Civil Code (in German)⁠ (opens in a new tab) checked

Guides by kind of contract

All cancel guides
From Aplo Apps

Renewal Radar: Know when to cancel⁠—before your contracts renew.

A subscription and contract tracker for iPhone and iPad that alerts you before renewals and cancel-by dates, so you can keep, cancel or renegotiate on time.

In the app, a playbook for each kind of contract lists the steps, a checklist and an email and call script to copy. The free version shows a preview; Premium unlocks the full playbooks.

Download on the App Store: Renewal Radar: Cancel On Time(opens in a new tab)About Renewal Radar