If your Internet bandwidth is permanently slower than the contract promises, you can request money back. A new tool from the consumer advice center determines the amount of your claims.
The page does not want to load, the stream is jerky and your nerves are slow too: if the Internet speed is slower than specified in the contract, consumers can reduce the payments for it. An online calculator from the NRW consumer advice center reveals how high the price reduction can be.
In order to assert reduction claims with the provider, consumers must first measure the actual speed of the data transmission – using the official tool of the Federal Network Agency. The NRW consumer advice center points this out.
A total of 30 measurements are carried out on three different calendar days. After completing the series of measurements, the Federal Network Agency’s tool provides detailed data – and uses its own tariff to assess whether the service is in accordance with the contract.
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If this is not the case, the results from the measurement log can be entered into the online calculator of the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center – together with the contractually agreed minimum, maximum and normal upload and download speeds and the costs for the Internet.
From this, the program calculates a reduction amount that consumer advocates consider appropriate. This can be communicated to the Internet provider in a letter – and either a reduction in the monthly amount is requested or a deadline can be set by which the Internet must be as fast as provided for in the contract.
By the way: The Internet is not always due to the line being too slow. Poor WiFi reception, too many cookies in the browser or incorrect router settings can also slow down the speed. In this case, the payments to the provider cannot be reduced.
Comment – Right to fast Internet: Why Germany is missing a great opportunity
