Always cancel by registered letter

WHEN you cancel a contract in France it is either required by law or at least strongly recommended that you do so by LRAR - lettre recommandée avec avis de réception.

The result of using these is that the recipient is obliged to sign to show that they received it, and you will get a slip from La Poste acknowledging that the letter was received.

In the case of any legal dispute, you have proof the letter was sent and of the date you sent it - the avis de réception part (receipt slip), signed by the recipient, is proof that they accepted it. If they are not in they have to collect it within two weeks from the post office, and if they do not the letter is returned to you. Legally however, they are considered to have had notice of your letter, whether they pick it up or not.

LRARs come in several prices varying according to the insurance that is offered in the case of the letter being lost. The cheapest is R1 (€16 insurance), the most expensive is R3 (€458).

A legal expert from consumer body Familles de France, Amel Bougedah, said it is important to check the terms of your contract for your rights when you want to cancel a service or change to an alternative firm - for example when changing operators for your landline or mobile phone, or internet service.

Often contracts are for a fixed period. For example, if it is a 12-month contract and you cancel before then you will have to pay the full 12 months. Some contracts allow for early cancellation, but with a penalty fee which varies according to the firm. You are within your rights to cancel earlier without penalty under certain circumstances, notably if the service you are meant to be getting does not work (eg. you have no internet connection), or where the conditions of the service change (eg. the tariff is put up). In the latter case you should be warned a month before the change and have four months from the change in which to cancel.

Other motifs légitimes (legitimate reasons) may be specified in your contract, such as illness, excessive debt or moving home.

If there is a dispute, a court has to agree whether the reason was suitable.

In some cases contracts are deemed to be tacitement reconductible (tacitly renewable) - which means if you do not cancel them within a certain period of the contract ending it will be renewed for the same period.

However Ms Bougedah said this was not the case with most internet and phone contracts (it is routine for insurance ones), which you are usually free to cancel after the end of the stated period, with effect from the following month. Where a contract is reconductible, however, the firm is obliged to give you a reminder between three and one months before the renewal date.

Once you have sent a letter by LRAR there is a service de suivi (tracking service) which allows you to check 48 hours after sending to see if it has been delivered yet and if not, why not, on the internet, by text or by phone.
There is also a downloadable piece of software from La Poste that can let you track your letters easily at www.laposte.fr/moduledesuivi

How to send a LRAR:

- At your post office - the cost is that of a normal letter, plus a charge varying according to the insurance level, plus a charge for the avis de réception. Eg. for a letter up to 20g at the basic insurance rate, €0.56 + €2.80 + €1 = €4.36.

- On the internet at www.laposte.fr/lre