Phones, internet and television: your rights and responsibilities

Phones, the internet and television have become basic daily needs. Since these markets have been liberalised, a wide range of choices have cropped up for consumers. To get good value for money, you need to invest some time and shop around for the best deals.

Before signing up for any service contract, it is your responsibility as a consumer to carefully read all the terms and conditions, especially those in small print. These spell out your rights and obligations, including the cost of the services and sometimes even the cost of terminating the service.

Checking over the terms and conditions can also help you to be fully aware of the service you should expect to receive from the company once the contract has been signed. Such policies generally reflect the company's customer care and after-sales service.

If there are clauses that are not clear or ambiguous, do not hesitate to ask for an explanation before signing.

When shopping around for a mobile phone operator, keep in mind that price is not the only factor in getting good value. It is also important to check about the operator's reliability, its network coverage and what roaming agreements it has.

It is also useful to ask people who have used the services of this operator what they think of the service.

In the terms and conditions you should also check whether there is a penalty for ending the contract early.

Keep in mind that there are fairly easy and quick procedures, both for mobile telephony and fixed line, to switch from one phone company to another. However, before doing so, it is advisable to check out the contractual obligations. You should also remember that when switching, you are allowed to keep your old number.

When shopping around for an internet service provider, the first thing to do is check and compare tariff structures and prices. Other factors to be considered are speed and performance, whether if there are any set-up charges, usage limits and extra charges if these limits are exceeded; whether the contract is for a set period or if it is ongoing and involves a cancellation fee; and also whether it is possible to switch between different tariff options.

Before signing any contract, it is in your interest to check that what was agreed on is actually in the contract. There could be conditions in the contract you did not agree to, but once the contract is signed these must be observed.

Nevertheless, should you sign for a condition that is unfair and limits your consumer rights, the Consumer Affairs Act protects you by nullifying the legal consequences of these conditions.

Ms Vella is senior information officer, Consumer and Competition Division.