What to do if a company won't process your cancellation in Spain

You asked to cancel and the company ignores it, delays it, or keeps charging you. This guide explains, step by step, how to complain effectively in Spain and which body to turn to depending on the sector.

The key to any complaint is being able to prove what you asked for and when. That is why a cancellation sent by burofax with acknowledgment of receipt puts you in a far stronger position than a phone call: you hold reliable proof of the date and content of your request.

Step 1: Complain to the company in writing

Before turning to any official body, you must have complained to the company itself and be able to prove it. Contact their customer service through a channel that leaves a record (email, a form with a receipt, or better, another burofax) and include your details, the contract number, the reference of the cancellation burofax you already sent, and what you are requesting.

Demand a complaint reference number. If you complain by phone, the company must give you a reference and, if you ask, a document proving the complaint within 10 days. The company has roughly one month to reply.

Step 2: Ask for the official complaint form

Every company providing services to consumers is legally required to have and provide official complaint forms (hojas de reclamaciones). You can request one; refusing is an infringement you can record. Filling it in and leaving a copy with the company is not enough: to have effect you must then submit it to the consumer authority, in person or online.

Step 3: Escalate to the competent authority

If after a month the company does not reply or its answer is unsatisfactory, complain to the body that matches the sector. In every case you need to have complained to the company first and keep the receipts.

Phone and internet

Telecoms Users Office (Oficina de Atención al Usuario de Telecomunicaciones, usuariosteleco.gob.es). It is free, you can complain online, and it handles cases such as refusal or delay in processing a cancellation, number portability and improper billing.

Banking and cards

Complaints Service of the Bank of Spain (Banco de España), after first contacting the bank's own customer service.

Insurance

Complaints Service of the Directorate-General for Insurance and Pension Funds (DGSFP), also after complaining to the insurer.

Gyms, energy, streaming, subscriptions and the rest

Your town's Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) or the consumer authority of your autonomous community. If the company is signed up to the Consumer Arbitration System, you can also request arbitration, which is free and binding.

Common situations

They keep charging me after cancelling

Your acknowledgment of receipt proves the cancellation date. Claim a refund of everything charged from the effective date, and include it in your complaint to the relevant body.

They threaten to report me to a credit blacklist

They cannot list you over a debt you do not recognise and are actively disputing. Your reliable cancellation is proof the service was cancelled; keep it and object in writing to any listing.

I have a minimum-term contract and they claim a penalty

A penalty for breaking a minimum term must be proportional to the time left, not the full amount. Always ask for a detailed breakdown.

FAQ

More guides

Cancellation guides by company