Skip to content
Emergency

Phone or internet fault: when the provider must respond

With telecommunications services, you have a right to prompt repair. If the fault is not fixed in time, compensation and price-reduction rights apply. An outage during a provider switch is especially annoying, and here too the law protects you from long interruptions.

Reach your next steps and the matching ready-made texts in just a few minutes, free of charge:

Create a letter to the provider →

Your chances of getting your money back

Providers must remedy faults without delay. If a complete outage is not fixed within the statutory deadline, you have a claim to compensation and can reduce the price (§ 58 TKG).
During a provider switch, service may only be interrupted briefly. If the switch fails and you remain without a line for longer, compensation claims also arise; the old provider must continue to supply you until the switch works.

What you should do now

  1. 1

    1. Report the fault

    Report the fault immediately and have receipt and a repair appointment confirmed in writing.

  2. 2

    2. Watch the deadline

    If the outage is not fixed in time, compensation and price-reduction claims arise.

  3. 3

    3. Use switch protection

    During a provider switch: the previous provider must keep supplying you until the switch works; long gaps do not have to be accepted.

  4. 4

    4. Assert claims

    Demand compensation and price reduction in writing and document the downtimes.

How to spot the scam

  • The repair drags on without a binding appointment.
  • During the provider switch you remain without a line for days.
  • The full price continues to be charged despite the fault.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly must a fault be fixed?

Providers must remedy faults without delay. If a complete outage is not fixed within the statutory deadline, you have a claim to daily compensation and can reduce the price for the downtime (§ 58 TKG).

What applies during a provider switch?

During the switch, service may only be interrupted briefly. The previous provider must continue supplying you until the switch succeeds. If you remain without a line for longer, compensation claims also arise.

What can I do?

Report the fault immediately, have receipt and appointment confirmed, and document the downtime. If it is not fixed in time, demand compensation and price reduction in writing. That is how you assert your statutory rights.

Take action now

We put together the ready-made texts and the right places to contact for you.

Create a letter to the providerCheck a suspicious message
More help: Emergency by phone · Act together · Right to a lawyer · All guides

General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.