In short: when a mobile, internet or TV subscriber has canceled the agreement, as a rule no payment may be charged because of the cancellation. The exception is the balance of equipment installments and debts (sections 51A and 51D of the Communications (Telecommunications and Broadcasting) Law, 5742-1982). A charge for the period after the cancellation date is an unlawful charge (section 13D(c) of the Consumer Protection Law, 5741-1981). In an individual claim the court may also award exemplary damages (section 31A).

Yaron Meiri, Adv. & CPA: even before he opened the office, he conducted consumer claims himself, among them claims under section 30A of the Communications (Telecommunications and Broadcasting) Law, 5742-1982, against senders of advertising messages (spam) sent without consent. His work in consumer rights and class actions grew out of this experience. About

What may a telecom company not charge when you cancel?

The Communications (Telecommunications and Broadcasting) Law, 5742-1982: the rules for mobile, internet, telephone and TV

What may and may not be charged when you cancel (Communications Law), and when the charges stop (Consumer Protection Law)
TopicThe ruleSection
Mobile (a subscription of up to 100 lines)When the subscriber has canceled the agreement, the operator may not charge them a payment because of the cancellation, or deny them a benefit they would have received had they not canceled51A(b)
Internet, landline and TVThe same rule, for a subscriber whose average monthly bills are below NIS 5,00051D(b)
What may be chargedThe balance of the installments on a device or equipment that was bought, which can continue to be paid in installments as planned, and debts the subscriber accumulated51A(b), 51B(a), 51D(b), 51E
Number portingThe provider must allow porting for every subscriber who asks, within one working day or a shorter time set by the Minister, without charging them a payment5A(f)
Device lockingAs a rule, it is forbidden to restrict or block the use of a device on another network it is designed to work on51C(b)(3); exceptions: 51C(c)
End of the contract and the chargesUp to 3 business days from when the cancellation notice was given, or 6 business days from the day it was handed in for sending by registered mail13D(c) of the Consumer Protection Law

Collecting an amount that was not included in the contract, and that you did not agree to, may be a breach of contract. You can demand that it be returned.

The service was not provided as promised: what can you do?

The browsing speed, repair times and level of service set in the contract are contractual commitments. A substantial and ongoing gap between what was agreed and what was provided may be a breach of contract. Advertising a speed that is not provided may be misleading (section 2(a) of the Consumer Protection Law).

When the provider breached the agreement, the Contracts (Remedies for Breach of Contract) Law, 5731-1970, allows you to cancel the contract under the conditions in section 7. It also allows you to claim compensation for the damage (section 10). And in any cancellation, even without a breach by the provider, the rules of the Communications Law on exit fees apply.

What decides a case like this is the documentation: speed tests with the date and time, a log of outages, and the request numbers from customer service.

Where do you turn: the company, the regulator or the court?

A decision tree: what to do at each stage, and what the official source is. The order is a practical suggestion, and you can use several channels at the same time.

  1. Write to the company

    An email or a letter to customer service or to the company's public complaints commissioner: when you canceled, what was charged since then, and what you are demanding. This records the demand and the company's position. A claim for exemplary damages requires a written request before it is filed. For a charge after cancellation, a cancellation notice that was not given orally is enough (section 31A(b) of the Consumer Protection Law).

    Source: Consumer Protection Law, section 31A(b). The cancellation date and a demand text: the “Did the cancellation hold?” tool.

    The company did not answer, or refused?

  2. Turn to the regulator, according to the type of problem

    A complaint about a telecom provider: the Ministry of Communications

    The Ministry's public complaints department passes the complaint to the company's public complaints commissioner. According to the Ministry's report for 2024, the company must answer the complainant in writing, with a copy to the Ministry, within 14 working days. For up to 5% of the complaints it received in a month, the deadline is 30 working days. After receiving the company's answer, the Ministry sends the complainant a written response. If a licensed provider breached license provisions on service to subscribers and handling complaints, the Director General of the Ministry may impose a monetary sanction on it (section 37A2 of the Communications Law, and item 8 of Part A and item 6 of Part B of the Fourth Schedule).

    Source: Ministry of Communications, public complaints report in the telecom sector 2024, p. 7 (in Hebrew) · Public complaints, Ministry of Communications (gov.il) · Communications Law

    A charge after a cancellation notice, or a refusal to accept a cancellation notice: also the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority

    The Authority supervises the implementation of the Consumer Protection Law and handles complaints about breaches of it (section 20(a)). The Commissioner may impose a monetary sanction on a dealer who did not allow a cancellation notice to be given in the ways set out in section 14I(a) and (b). The same applies to a dealer who continued to charge for services provided after the cancellation date (section 22C(a)(31a) and (b)(10)). When another authority has supervisory powers on the same matter under an enactment, the Commissioner consults it before handling the complaint. The Commissioner may also pass the complaint to it (section 20(b)).

    Source: Consumer Protection Law, sections 20, 22C · Filing a complaint with the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority (gov.il)

    Want a judgment for restitution or compensation?

  3. Small claim

    An individual may file a claim in the Small Claims Court up to the ceiling in section 60(a)(1) of the Courts Law [Consolidated Version], 5744-1984. Representation by a lawyer at the hearing is allowed only with the court's permission and for special reasons (section 63(a)). But you can get a lawyer's help with preparation and drafting. In an individual claim the court may also award exemplary damages (section 31A(a)(2b) of the Consumer Protection Law). The life of a case in small claims proceedings in the Magistrates' Courts, according to the 2023 report: 4.8 months. A general figure, not an estimate for any specific case.

    Source: Courts Law [Consolidated Version], sections 60 and 63 · The 2023 annual report of the Judicial Authority (the Israeli Judiciary), chart 19 (p. 39) · Filing a small claim (gov.il)

    Did the same charge harm many customers?

  4. Class action

    A claim against a dealer in connection with a matter between it and a customer is one of the matters in which a class action can be filed (section 3(a) and item 1 of the Second Schedule to the Class Actions Law). Filing requires the court's approval (section 3(b)). In a class action, the court does not award exemplary damages (section 20(e)).

    Source: Class Actions Law, 5766-2006 · How to file a class action in Israel: conditions, steps and a self-check

What should you keep before getting in touch?

There is no need to send documents before we speak. Just find these and keep them:

  • The cancellation confirmation: an email, SMS, screenshot or request number, and, if you have one, a recording of the call.
  • The credit card or bank account statement, with all the charges after the cancellation.
  • The invoices from the company, and the agreement or the package terms that were agreed.
  • For a service problem: speed tests with the date and time, a log of outages and the request numbers.

Don't have everything? You can start with what you have.

Yaron Meiri, Adv. & CPA
Yaron Meiri, Adv. & CPA
Lawyer and CPA · member of the Israel Bar Association and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Israel. LL.B · B.A. in Business Administration (Accounting) · Executive MBA. An independent law office in Kiryat Ono. Languages: Hebrew, English.
Handles class actions and consumer claims, and the recovery of money collected unlawfully. In cases that rest on charges, wages or financial statements, the accounting review is done as part of the legal work.
You can check: CPA license 500112906, active since 10 January 2013 (CPA register, data.gov.il)
About page · Decisions and publications

When is it worth contacting a lawyer?

  • The company keeps charging even after a written demand to stop the charge and return the money.
  • The telecom company is demanding an “exit fine” or another payment because of the cancellation. This goes beyond the balance of the equipment installments and accumulated debts (sections 51A and 51D of the Communications Law).
  • The service was not provided as agreed, for example the browsing speed or the repair times, and the company rejects your demand.
  • The debt was passed to collection, or a case was opened against you at the Execution Office (enforcement proceedings).

You can also do it without a lawyer: in a small claim you file and conduct the case yourself. Representation by a lawyer is allowed there only with the court's permission and for special reasons (section 63(a) of the Courts Law).

A first call to look at your case

Leave your details: a first call to look at your case

Tell us, in short, what happened and with which company. I will get back to you within one business day.

Areas served: all of Israel; the office is in Kiryat Ono.

What enforcement of this breach looks like in practice: monetary sanctions imposed by the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority, with the names of the corporations and the case numbers, in the enforcement section of the guide “Charged after a subscription cancellation? 5 steps to get a refund”. These are decisions of the Authority and rulings of the courts, public legal information, and not results of this office.

A few lines are enough: what happened, when, and with whom. Please do not include account numbers, ID numbers or documents.

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The legal guide: the law in detail

Here are the legal details: the law, the sections, the deadlines and the case law. Click a topic to open it.

The Consumer Protection Law, 5741-1981: two sections that also apply to a telecom subscription

Section 13D(c): when the charges must stop

A telecom subscription is a “continuing transaction”. A cancellation notice can be given in several ways (section 14I(a)). Among them are phone, registered mail, email, fax (if the dealer has one), and online, in a transaction that can be made online. The contract ends within 3 business days from when the cancellation notice was given, or 6 business days if it was sent by registered mail. From then on the service may not be charged for (section 13D(c)). A charge for the period after that date must be returned.

Section 31A: exemplary damages

When a dealer continued to charge after a cancellation notice, contrary to section 13D(c), the court may award exemplary damages in an individual claim. The amount is up to NIS 10,000 per breach, without proof of damage (section 31A(a)(2b)). For a repeated or continuing breach, or in aggravating circumstances, the ceiling is NIS 50,000 (section 31A(c)). Before such a claim, a written request must be sent to the dealer. For this breach, a cancellation notice that was not given orally is enough (section 31A(b)). In a class action, exemplary damages are not awarded (section 20(e) of the Class Actions Law, 5766-2006).

When exactly should the charges have stopped? The “Did the cancellation hold?” tool: calculating the cancellation date and a demand text to copy

When the same charge was collected from many customers in the same way, the suitable route may be a motion to certify a class action (section 3(a) of the Class Actions Law and the Second Schedule, item 1). First of all, it is worth checking the Judicial Authority's Class Actions Register. See whether a similar motion has already been filed against the same company. If so, you may already be within the class.

To check the register: Courts Administration: class actions (link to the register). And what it means to be in the class: How to join a class action, and how to opt out of it.

Frequently asked questions

As a rule, no. If a mobile subscriber with up to 100 lines has canceled the agreement, the operator may not charge them a payment because of the cancellation. It also may not deny them a benefit they would have received had they not canceled (section 51A of the Communications Law). The balance of the installments on a device that was bought may be charged, and so may accumulated debts. The device can continue to be paid in installments as planned (section 51B).

Under section 13D(c) of the Consumer Protection Law, the contract ends within 3 business days of the cancellation notice (6 business days by registered mail). From then on the service may not be charged for. Keep the cancellation confirmation and the list of charges, and demand the refund in writing. In an individual claim the court may also award exemplary damages of up to NIS 10,000 per breach, without proof of damage (section 31A(a)(2b)).

Yes. A provider must allow number porting for every subscriber who asks, without charging them a payment. Porting must take place within one working day, or a shorter time set by the Minister (section 5A(f) of the Communications Law). If porting is blocked, document it and contact the Ministry of Communications.

Possibly. The speed set in the contract is a contractual commitment. A substantial and ongoing gap may be a breach of contract. Advertising a speed that is not provided may be misleading (section 2(a) of the Consumer Protection Law). The basis for any claim is documentation: repeated speed tests with the date and time, and the request numbers from customer service.

Not always. For small amounts you can file a small claim yourself, and sometimes a clear letter of demand is enough. When the same charge harms many customers, the route may be a class action, and there legal representation is required.

Sources: Communications (Telecommunications and Broadcasting) Law, 5742-1982: full text (Wikisource) · Consumer Protection Law, 5741-1981: full text (Wikisource) · Contracts (Remedies for Breach of Contract) Law, 5731-1970: full text (Wikisource) · Class Actions Law, 5766-2006: full text (Wikisource) · Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority · Consumer Protection Law, section 13D: cancellation of a continuing transaction (Wikisource) · Courts Law [Consolidated Version], 5744-1984 · Ministry of Communications: public complaints report in the telecom sector 2024 (in Hebrew) · Judicial Authority: Annual Report 2023 (in Hebrew) · Consumer Protection Law: the sections discussed on this site. The binding text is the one published in Sefer HaHukim (the official gazette of statutes). The information is general and is not a substitute for legal advice on the circumstances of your case.

Related guides

Subscription cancellation, charges that continued and the ways to sue, quoting the sections of the law