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How to Cancel your contract with Telefonica

- Updated: 11/05/2015
How to Cancel your contract with Telefonica

Cancelling any contract in Spain can be a difficult and time-consuming process - even for those who speak the language to an advanced level. There always seems to a complicated system to adhere to, or that one essential piece of information that you just can't quite locate.

Telefonica / Movistar - whether landline or mobile - is one such corporation where consumers can all tell different stories and different levels of success as to how they finally managed to cancel their contracts without penalty or significant delay.

For obvious reasons, Telefonica themselves do not provide an easy step-by-step guide on how to cancel a contract with them (in Spanish - let alone in English !) - and as such the following process may be of assistance :

* Please Note : Such processes do have a tendency to change at very short notice. As such, Tumbit would be grateful if readers could contribute their experience and/or comment with any corrections.

1.) It is a requirement to give 15 days notice of your intention to cancel (dar la linea de baja) - Telefonica only advise 1004 (Free from a Telefonica landline) as any point of contact. Use your landline, as any client of Telefonica will be aware that long periods on hold are generally to be expected.

2.) Contracts differ on a case-by-case basis - don't assume that your Broadband contract will automatically be cancelled along with your landline - even if you have contracted to both as part of a 'bundle'.

3. ) Remember to cancel your security deposit as well as your direct debt with the Bank.

4.) Your internet router is not 'yours' - it is on loan - and as such you need to return it to them or be prepared to be charged. In 99% of cases they never actually ask for the router back, but you should make a point of asking where and how it should be returned (Typically they may give a reference and ask for you to drop it into a local Movistar store, or even send a pre-stamped and addressed envelope - more often they will just advise you to keep it).

5.)Make a note of the cancellation reference you are quoted, together with the name and direct telephone number of the customer services assistant - It is not uncommon for clients wishing to cancel to call back at a later time to find that their contract has not been terminated as requested, and for the cancellation reference not to exist.

6.) It is by no means unusual for the customer services assistant to request that you make your cancelation in writing submitted by Fax (Yes, fax - remember those from the 1990's ?). If this is the case make a note of the fax number in question and hand write your individual cancelation request based on the template, below :

Estimados señores,

Por la presente yo, NAME , con numero de pasaporte, nie, nif YOUR DOCUMENT REF solicito la baja definitiva de los servicios que tengo contratados con el número de teléfono YOUR NUMBER .El motivo de cancelacion es mudanza a otro pais.

Adjunto fotocopia del DNI.

En TOWN, DATE

YOUR NAME

YOUR SIGNITURE

The Fax gives 'moving abroad' as the reason for cancelation, which is likely to see the least amount of resistance, and you should also enclose a photocopy of your NIE.

Lastly, the golden rule here is to take detailed written notes and save copies of the entire process. It is by no means unusual to hear cases of how it has taken 6 months plus for consumers to successfully cancel their service with Telefonica / Movistar.

Further Reading :

* Consumers threaten legal action against Movistar Spain

Comment on this Article

 
Irene : a DNI is the Equivalent of the National Insurance Card for a native Spaniard / If you are non-Spanish you would just send a copy of your NIE.
Robster - Tue 5th Feb 2019
I found this helpful except for the "adjunto fotocopia del DNI - what is a DNI?
Irene Colquhoun - Sat 2th Feb 2019
We have a country property and had a Telefonica radio Domo phone which we returned to our nearest Movistar shop as requested together with our cancellation reference number. We asked the assistant if this was everything and whether it would now be safe to cancel our Direct Debit and he said to leave it a few weeks to ensure our final account was through. This was April and yes, you guessed it! About six weeks later in June, a further 300 Euros was deducted from our bank account. When queried, we were told that this was for the outside aerial, cable and further equipment but we would need a technician to remove this. We asked if we could remove this ourselves and were told no. If they knew this was required, why didn't they do it when we requested cancellation? We had to buy a Spanish mobile to arrange for an engineer to call as they refused to use our UK mobile. 6 months later we have been reimbursed our 300 Euros less 60 Euros for the engineer to remove equipment!.
Bac - Sat 16th Sep 2017
Thanks for the comments they were very useful. I just rang 1004 and when they spoke just answered 'soy ingles', eventually a very nice lady came on who porocessed cancellation there and then. Provided a reference and a date etc, so fingers crossed !
Nicholas - Wed 24th May 2017
I have just called from the UK to cancel my landline with Moviestar/Telefonica on 00 34 69999 1004 spoke to a lady who could speak and understand English and succeeded in cancelling the landline in 15 days time. She gave me a Cancellation number. All she needed was my name, the Spanish no I wanted to cancel, my NIE No and Spanish address. Fingers crossed it has worked.
Linda - Thu 2th Feb 2017
Hi again We faxed yesterday and have received confirmation of our cancelation request and also a reference no. so as to return the Movistar equipment. Many Thanks for your help Terry
Terry - Tue 22th Nov 2016
@Terry - It sounds like the usual "customer service" from them! Conflicting information over and over again! The FAX process is still valid, but I will confirm with them directly and update the article if necessary. Alternatively, you can walk into any Movistar shop and request to cancel any services you have. They will be able to do it for you there and then. If you have any of their hardware, router, etc, take it with you as well as ID and proof of address. You can also cancel online. Visit movistar.es and login into "mi movistar". If you've not registered, click "Mi Movistar" and select "Regístrate". When you've logged in, you should see a link "baja linea", service or words to that effect. I have found a fax number in the movistar forums - 902 104 132, same number as we've detailed below in other comments. Good luck!
Tumbit - Admin - Sat 19th Nov 2016
Tried to cancel on 1004 on 17th Nov 2016. Operator said we need to put in writing to. Apartado Correos 151124 Madrid 28080. She then said we could send a fax if we preferred. Phoned today for fax number a different operator told us they no longer fax as from October 1st. They only accept letters. Would appreciate your comments please. Terry
Terry Nevols - Fri 18th Nov 2016

Hi Gary, thanks for your Comment :

- The Cancellation notice needs to be done by FAX (Yes, I know... when was the last time you even so much as saw a Fax machine) - Usually Internet Cafe's are good starting place to help out.

Fax No is : 902 104 132 (Make sure to keep the send receipt as proof of you having made this notification !!)

Tumbit - Admin - Fri 4th Nov 2016
I have read your article with interest, my problem is I cannot find an address to write to cancel my mobile phone contract, can you help please?
Gary De Buse - Fri 4th Nov 2016
As many of you know, to cancel Telefonica/Movistar while you are in Spain, dial 1004. To cancel while you are in UK, dial 0034 69999 1004. If necessary, ask to speak to someone in English. Be sure to have in front of you ALL details; your Spanish telephone number, (that you are cancelling) and Spanish address; your UK tel nr and address; your Spanish NIE number. I did this and found them very helpful.
L. J. Simister - Mon 25th Jan 2016
Sonja, the cancellation Fax no. is 902 104 132
Robster - Sun 24th Jan 2016
Could you tell me what the fax number is to cancel the Movistar contract?
Sonja Stokes - Wed 13th Jan 2016
Having sold my apartment I am no longer in Spain and hence cannot telephone 1004 using a Telefonica land-line. I have no recollection of having a contract 12 years ago. I recall getting the service installed by a passing Telefonica service engineer. What now? I suppose I could simply cancel my Direct Debit.
L. J. Simister (mr) - Thu 24th Sep 2015