Article updated on October 15, 2021 with our guide which explains how to cancel your mobile plan and your internet subscription.

The eruption of Free, the troublemaker of telecoms, on the mobile telephony market has upset the subscription model on which the three major operators relied. According to the latest figures from Arcep (Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications, Posts and Press Distribution) which date from August 2021, non-binding packages are constantly increasing and represent 77.5% of subscriptions. . Ten years ago, they totaled only 9.5%. The insolent success of formulas without commitment has strongly encouraged incumbent operators to align themselves. To market these offers, they have created specific subsidiaries: RED for SFR, Sosh for Orange and B&You for Bouygues Telecom. Logically, MVNOs (virtual mobile network operators) have quickly positioned themselves in this market. If the packages with commitment show a real disaffection, they nevertheless retain some advantages. Let's see in detail what differentiates these two types of formulas.

Freedom has no price

Being able to terminate your contract at any time and free of charge is the main advantage of non-binding packages. If you have misjudged your need in gigabytes (GB), if you are unhappy with the operator's coverage: there are many reasons to look elsewhere. Especially since with portability, you keep your number and it's the new operator who takes care of all the steps. Difficult under these conditions to resist the flexibility of these offers.

The second strong point of these formulas remains the price significantly lower than the monthly packages always accompanied by a commitment of 12 months or 24 months. You only pay for your package and any options subscribed. Between the low-cost subsidiaries of incumbent operators and MVNOs, there is a plethora of mobile offers for all budgets and all needs. To help you choose from the dozens of formulas, especially when they are limited in time, the very complete dedicated comparison on CNET France remains essential. Today there are offers whose prices vary between 10 euros and 15 euros which include, in addition to calls and unlimited SMS/MMS, from 60 GB to 100 GB of mobile Internet. For the same volume of data at Orange, Bouygues Telecom or SFR, the bill rises from 20 euros to 30 euros monthly or even more.

Minor drawbacks

A medal, as shiny as it is, has a dark side and non-binding packages are no exception to the rule. In this type of subscription, no mobile phone is included. Indeed, the latter is no longer subsidized. The customer must therefore be equipped with a mobile or acquire one, at a high price when new, or cheaper on the second-hand or refurbished market. You should know that operators offer financing to pay for a smartphone in installments at no cost.

The other weakness of non-binding offers lies in customer service. There is no shop for users of these packages. Support can be reached by chat, email and sometimes phone. This is true for the subsidiaries of incumbent operators as well as for MVNOs. Note that at Sosh (Orange) and RED (SFR) there is no call number. In the event of a problem, troubleshooting is done via chat and especially via the support forum. To offer attractive rates, you have to save on certain items…

Ultimately, these logical disadvantages constitute easily surmountable obstacles. They remain very little compared to the financial gain and the total freedom offered to the customer. The no-commitment package changes the balance of power between the user and the operator. It becomes almost possible to change offers every two months to test new formulas.

Loyalty rewarded

So why, in 2021, opt for a package with commitment? The answer is in a few words: being able to afford a new, cheaper mobile phone. This is the main advantage. The customer pays only part of the amount, the rest is subsidized by the operator. Prices can sometimes drop to 1 euro in return for a 24-month subscription with a fairly expensive package. Some MVNOs such as NRJ Mobile, Auchan Telecom or Cdiscount Telecom offer entry-level mobiles worth between 150 euros and 200 euros for the subscription of a package at an attractive price over 24 months.

The second advantage of packages with commitment lies in the services offered to the customer, starting with reception, advice and in-store troubleshooting. At Bouygues Telecom, holders of a Sensation package have access to a hotline available until 10 p.m. We can also mention the loan of a replacement device in the event of breakdown or breakage, the renewal of the smartphone at a preferential price after 12 months or 24 months or even the recovery of the old equipment at a guaranteed price. Some operators offer exclusive options to subscribers who sign up. At Bouygues, you are entitled to several months of subscription to the music streaming service Spotify, to the press with Le Kiosk, to unlimited Internet on weekends or a second mobile number with the same SIM card. At SFR, subscribers benefit from significant discounts (half price) on in-house services such as Cafeyn, SFR Ciné Séries or RMC Sport.

Costly Constraints

The most important defect relates to termination. To pay nothing, you have to wait until the end of the contract. Otherwise, you expose yourself to the payment of the monthly payments due. The Chatel law has fixed the scales. When you are committed for 12 months and you terminate before term, you must pay all the remaining monthly payments. If one is engaged over 24 months and that the rupture intervenes less than 12 months after the subscription, it is then necessary to pay all the monthly payments of the first year and 25% of the monthly payments of the second year. Finally, if you are subscribed for 24 months and the termination takes place during the second year, you will have to pay 25% of the remaining monthly payments.

The second flaw concerns the price. Indeed, in the long term, packages with commitment are more expensive. Similarly, the payment facilities to acquire a new mobile of the type 8 euros per month additional on the invoice are in fact only disguised credits. It is advisable to make its accounts to be sure not to pay the mobile phone more expensive than at the time of a purchase “naked”. To lower the price of your package, it is possible to opt for a quadruple play offer. It consists of subscribing to the same operator for the Internet box. In the majority of cases, a discount is granted on all services provided (mobile, landline, Internet and TV).

Commit or not

Ultimately, the constraints of packages with commitment weigh heavily in relation to the benefits. They are interesting when you want to equip yourself with a new mobile at a lower cost, when the presence of shops and a reassuring hotline or when a bonus offered is essential. If this is not the case, it remains difficult to resist the attractive prices of non-binding packages that are often well-stocked in terms of data envelope. Figures from Arcep (see above) show that the formula is popular with French mobile users.

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