What happens if I refuse to pay final bill?

Hello all,

I got a Swisscom contract for WiFi in September, with a router. But then my circumstances changed and I moved into housing that already has WiFi in March.

I cancelled the contract well in advance.

But now they want me to pay more than 300 CHF as cancellation fee.

What if I refuse to pay it?

I morally object to paying this outrageous fee, I cancelled two months in advance like they say, I will not pay a fee to get nothing in return!

I am a broke student, with that money I can get decent food for a while instead of nothing.

I never expect to live here again, so I don’t really care if I can never get a contract with them again (and there are always other operators).

I deleted my card number from their system so hopefully they can’t charge me.

What do you think will happen?

Can they charge me in any way?

I moved away so they don’t have my address either.

I will leave Switzerland forever in summer.

P.S. Don’t tell me to contact customer service because I won’t, it’s a waste of my time. Just curious if they can forcefully steal the money (in which case I will just keep very little on that card, so they will be unable to take it 😈)

This post is in English

    You enter the dunning process and in the end a debt collection agency will take care of it.

    You probably haven’t read your contract. You’ve probably committed yourself for 12 or 24 months and got a cheaper router, for example.

    My recommendation: call the hotline and politely point out your situation and ask for goodwill. That’s the best way.

    Show original language (German)

      5018 well I guess no agency could find me since I already moved and will soon leave the country.

      Yes I got a router. There was no way to sign up for less than 12 months, but they told me I can cancel if I need to…

      My flat had no phone service so I had to get WiFi. I was desperate. That’s why I did it.

      Obviously I won’t pay for WiFi twice, as I already moved into accommodation that has WiFi!

      I worry if I call them, I will be on their radar as a “bad customer” and then they will actually come after me.

      This post is in English
      • Werner has responded to this post.

          WalterB sorry I only speak English

          This post is in English

            Doremi that would be quite strange, since I would be on the other side of the world 😂

            And they don’t know neither my new address or my address when I move away permanently, so they cannot deliver a letter to me either…

            This post is in English

              Kocoxegh54 yes, to clarify, it was a 12 month contract, there were no other options at all, they forced me into it if I wanted any WiFi.

              I intended to move to another flat in 6 months, I wanted to take the router with me.

              But I couldn’t find a flat, I moved into housing that already has WiFi. That’s the context of this situation.

              This post is in English

                Kocoxegh54 There was no option to sign up for less than 12 months

                Sure there would have been, even completely without any term commitment, just with other providers (like Digital Republik)

                So it was quite simply a self-inflicted mistake, and I would regard the final settlement as a question of morality, whether you want to own up to your own mistakes or not.

                Show original language (German)

                Hobby-Nerd ohne wirtschaftliche Abhängigkeiten zur Swisscom

                    Kocoxegh54 I cancelled the contract on time.

                    But now I’m supposed to pay more than CHF 300 as a cancellation fee.

                    No, the contract was not cancelled on time, but obviously prematurely, or rather without adhering to the minimum contract period. Why else would a fee of CHF 300 be due? Incidentally, it’s written in all our contracts what happens then. The contract can also be cancelled prematurely without a fee, especially if you move abroad.

                    But that’s the big problem right now. Why don’t you talk to the hotline? No, you refuse to pay the bill. You refuse to call Swisscom and explain the situation.

                    Typical today. The attitude of certain people! Of course, it’s never your fault. Of course it’s always everyone else’s fault.

                    Show original language (German)

                        Kocoxegh54

                        You had to present some official document when you registered.

                        In the worst case, you could be operated, but what happens if you go travelling again…..

                        Certain countries in Italy stop you at the border and you are allowed to pay the open bills from your father’s state before continuing your journey.

                        I would suggest that you reach an agreement because you have purchased a discounted device, the provider knows the system number of the device……. Can be blocked and then the mobile router is no longer of any use…..

                        Greetings Lorenz

                        Show original language (German)

                            Samsi

                            I fully agree with your conclusion.
                            However, we must also recognise that all too often contracts are full of “traps”,
                            whole pages of small print, etc.
                            True, that’s not the case with Swisscom, to my knowledge at least.

                            Show original language (French)

                                Freimmientis36 However, it must also be admitted that contracts are all too often full of “stumbling blocks”,

                                Yes, that’s true. Most people certainly don’t read the small print carefully.

                                But let’s be honest… Do you benefit from a huge new customer discount somewhere, do you get devices such as a new TV for free or extremely cheap or do you get a discounted smartphone when you sign up for a new contract, etc.? Common sense dictates that there is always a minimum contract period that I have to adhere to in order to benefit from all of this. This is the case almost everywhere, even abroad. At least at Swisscom it’s also clearly written how long the minimum contract period is. Nobody can come along and tell me that they didn’t know about all this and now refuse to pay the fee.

                                Swisscom in particular is sometimes quite accommodating in the event of early cancellation, but certainly not if you have previously received a new product for free or very cheaply, which I can absolutely understand.

                                Show original language (German)
                                 changed by Samsi

                                    Samsi
                                    You’re right, Swisscom has always been generous - discounts, free handsets etc.
                                    That’s perhaps a little less the case now.
                                    But there are still some big advantages: top-notch telephone service, live troubleshooting, interesting TV or mobile offers (the “benefits”), etc.
                                    Not to mention the installation of fibre to the home, with sockets, etc… and all free of charge (at least I think so, because that’s due to happen in a few months’ time! So we’ll see).
                                    What else, as the other guy would say!

                                    Show original language (French)

                                      @Kocoxegh54 it’s a small world, you often meet twice. No matter where you flee to, one fine day you will have to pay for it. Whether for Swisscom or in some other way (e.g. being robbed and suffering even greater damage as a result). I agree with Werner, even if you don’t think it’s fair, I would pay the debt. Crumb things are never worth it, justice wins in the end, according to my life experience.

                                      If you have balls in your trousers, talk to Swisscom, there are always solutions.

                                      Show original language (German)
                                       changed by user109

                                          Werner

                                          This was the only provider my university told me to register with, along with Salt, whose contract was two years.

                                          It was my first day in this country, I had to do it urgently.

                                          I don’t consider it a mistake, as I didn’t believe there were any other options. But yes, I will be very careful in this kind of situation again. It definitely taught me a lesson.

                                          Also, I believe that the company is immoral here, for not caring about my circumstances even when they said that I can cancel whenever I need previously.

                                          It wasn’t my fault that I had to move, I had no choice in it. Therefore, morally, I believe I shouldn’t pay, and I won’t feel bad about it.

                                          This post is in English

                                            Lori-77

                                            I actually left the router behind in the old flat as I had no use for it. The previous tenant did the same, as we don’t need them. If they block it, it won’t affect me at all.

                                            This post is in English

                                              Freimmientis36 yes, exactly, I literally had less than an hour before the shop closed, I needed to set up the WiFi that day as my parents were leaving the next day and wouldn’t be able to help me.

                                              I didn’t have time to read anything, the staff explained to me that I can cancel if I move…

                                              I feel it’s dishonest of them to do this, and make me commit to a fixed contract, they told me I can’t have their WiFi any other way.

                                              My flat has no cell service, I wouldn’t be able to manage without WiFi, I am a student, I need to do online work…

                                              This post is in English

                                                  Samsi I didn’t get any of these products…

                                                  I got only a router, which was obviously free, because how else would I use their product otherwise?

                                                  It’s like saying wheels on a car are a “free bonus” from the company when you can’t use the car without them so they must be provided.

                                                  I didn’t get like a TV or phone or anything nice.

                                                  This post is in English

                                                    user109 Swisscom is now going to rob me?! Is that a threat? 😂

                                                    It’s not like I stole money from a charity or a poor family, I’m literally refusing to pay a huge corporation (which are always immoral) a made-up penalty.

                                                    I don’t believe in paying a penalty, I did nothing bad to them, I cancelled so they are not providing me a service anymore, and I’m not paying. Why should I pay for a service not received?

                                                    It’s like going to Coop, paying 300 CHF but not getting any items?! Why would I pay for anything that I don’t receive? Why should the company receive money for nothing? Whichever way you think about it, they are morally wrong, not me…

                                                    This post is in English