How to Make a Complaint About Your Internet or Phone Provider in France

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French telecommunications providers are in general quite reliable. However, in the event that you encounter a serious problem with your Internet or mobile phone plan in France, here's what to do.

Step 1: Contact your provider's customer service

The first thing you should do in the event of a problem for which you would like to make a complaint is to contact your provider's customer service. Each provider has a dedicated address for responding to complaints, which you will find below. Make sure to include the following elements in your complaint:

  • Your account number
  • Your contact information (email, address, phone number) so that customer service can reach you
  • The service in question (mobile, Internet, fixed telephone line, television)
  • A detailed description of the problem
Customer Service for French Telecommunications Operators
Provider Customer Service Phone Number Online Contact Form Customer Service Address
Orange (Sosh)
orange logososh logo
3900 (French) or 09 69 36 39 00 (English) Orange Online Complaint Form
Sosh Online Complaint Form
Orange Service Clients Mobile, 33732 Bordeaux, Cedex 9
Orange Service Clients Internet Orange, TSA 10018, 59878 LILLE Cedex 9
Orange Service Clients La Fibre, TSA 90017, 59878 LILLE Cedex 9
SFR
sfr logoredbysfr logo
1023 (French) or +336 1000 1023 (English) Contact SFR Online Service Client SFR Mobile - TSA 73917- 62978 Arras Cedex 9
Service Client SFR box et Ligne Fixe - TSA 30144 - 94098 Créteil Cedex
Bouygues Telecom
bouygues logo
1064 (French) Online Complaint Form Service Clients Bouygues Telecom - 60436 NOAILLES CEDEX
Free
free logo
3244 (French) Download Complaint Form Free - Service Abonnés, 75371 Paris Cedex 08

Step 2: Contact your supplier's mediator

If a month has passed and you still haven't received a response to your complaint, or if the response to your complaint was unsatisfactory, you should contact the National Consumer Service for your provider. Letters should be sent by registered post (lettre recommandée avec avis de réception), and include a signature from the account holder. You will be sent an accusée de réception (confirmation of reception) when your provider has received the letter.

Your provider will then prepare a response. If it is still unsatisfactory, you may take your complaint to the Médiateur des communications électroniques (National Mediator for Electronic Communications).

Customer Service for French Telecommunications Operators
Provider Mediator Service
Orange (Sosh)
orange logososh logo
Service National Consommateurs Orange (+ service in question)
33734 BORDEAUX Cedex 9
SFR
sfr logoredbysfr logo
Service Consommateurs SFR
TSA 20102 69947 LYON Cedex 20
Bouygues Telecom
bouygues logo
Service Consommateurs Bouygues Telecom
60643 Chantilly Cedex
Free
free logo
Service National Consommateur Free
75371 Paris Cedex 08

Step 3: Contact the National Mediator for Electronic Communications

The Mediator for Electronic Communications (Médiateur des communications électroniques) is your last option for finding an amicable solution (before launching into litigation). The mediator's role is to act as an independent third party to facilitate finding a satisfactory solution to a problem between a telecommunications provider and a customer. Out of 7922 cases sent to the mediator in 2014, 3565 were admitted. 3265 out of the admitted cases received opinions from the mediator.

You must have already passed by the previous steps before making a case to the mediator. If you have done so, you can make a dossier to send to the mediator. You will have to send a dossier to the Mediator to have your case considered. You can create your dossier online directly on the Mediator's website - you just have to take a short quiz beforehand to determine you are definitely eligible.  Don't forget to send any accompanying documents (pièces justificatives) necessary to support your case. The address to send your dossier is:

Le Médiateur des Communications Electroniques
C.S 30342 – 94257 GENTILLY CEDEX

It can take up to three months upon having received your case for the mediator to respond.