Do Dutch providers have to compensate internet outages?

Yes, for outages longer than 12 hours, on request. For 12 to 24 hours you get one day's subscription fee, plus a day's fee for each further day. Prepaid: €0.50 per day, minimum €1.

How do I complain about my Dutch internet provider?

Complain to the provider in writing first. If that doesn't work, you can take the dispute to the Geschillencommissie Telecommunicatiediensten within 12 months of your complaint, for a €50 fee.

What does the Geschillencommissie Telecom cost?

€50 per complaint. You get it back from the provider if you win the case; if you partly win, the commission decides how much is refunded. It handles disputes up to €5,000.

Can I leave my contract if the internet is too slow?

First measure with a cable and give your provider a written deadline to fix it. If it stays below what the contract promises, escalate via the provider's complaint procedure and the Geschillencommissie; after the initial term you can always leave with at most one month's notice.

Your consumer rights with Dutch telecom providers: outages, slow internet and complaints

After an outage of more than 12 hours, Dutch providers must compensate you on request: one day's subscription fee for 12 to 24 hours, and more for longer outages. Internet must reach the minimum speed in your contract. If a complaint gets nowhere, the Geschillencommissie Telecom decides disputes up to €5,000 for a €50 fee, refunded if you win. ACM ConsuWijzer explains your rights and collects reports.

Short answer

As of 29 September 2026: if your internet, TV or phone is down for more than 12 hours, you are entitled to compensation. For 12 to 24 hours it equals one day's subscription fee (your monthly fee divided by 30), and for longer outages you get a day's fee for each further day; prepaid customers get €0.50 per day with a minimum of €1. You have to ask for it (ACM ConsuWijzer). Your internet must reach the minimum speed in your contract, and the "normally available" speed in at least 8 of 10 measurements (ACM ConsuWijzer). If your provider does not resolve a complaint, you can take it to the Geschillencommissie Telecommunicatiediensten for €50, which you get back if you win; it handles disputes up to €5,000 (De Geschillencommissie).

Storingsvergoeding

Wat krijg je terug na een storing?

Duurde je storing langer dan 12 uur? Dan heb je wettelijk recht op een deel van je abonnementsgeld terug.

Vul de duur en je maandbedrag in voor een indicatie.

Maak een klachtbrief over je storing Kosteloos opzeggen als je aanbieder niet levert

Indicatie van de wettelijke ondergrens (Telecommunicatiewet, ACM ConsuWijzer). Je aanbieder mag meer geven. Geldt niet bij een storing door je eigen apparatuur of wifi.

What rights do you have with a Dutch telecom provider?

The main ones at a glance:

Situation	Your right	Source
Outage longer than 12 hours	Compensation on request, from one day's fee	ACM ConsuWijzer
Internet slower than agreed	Repair; if it stays too slow, further steps	ACM ConsuWijzer
After the initial term	Cancel any time with at most 1 month's notice	ACM ConsuWijzer
Switching internet provider	At most 1 working day without service	ACM ConsuWijzer
Ordered online or by phone	14-day cooling-off period	Contract terms explained
Unresolved complaint	Geschillencommissie, €50, up to €5,000	De Geschillencommissie

Notice periods and cancellation are covered in how to cancel a Dutch contract.

How much compensation do you get for an outage?

It depends on how long the outage lasts and what you pay (ACM ConsuWijzer):

Outage duration	Subscription	Prepaid
Up to 12 hours	Nothing	Nothing
12 to 24 hours	One day's subscription fee (monthly fee ÷ 30)	€0.50
Longer than 24 hours	One day's fee for each further day of outage	€0.50 extra per day
Minimum	–	€1

Example: with a €45 monthly fee, an outage of 20 hours gives €45 ÷ 30 = €1.50. For a bundle of internet, TV and calling, the whole bundle price counts even if only one service failed, but instalments for a phone are left out (ACM ConsuWijzer). The outage must not be caused by your own equipment. Report the outage, note the start and end times, and ask for compensation in writing; ACM ConsuWijzer has a template letter (ACM ConsuWijzer).

First check whether it's a wider outage: checking outages per provider (in Dutch) and fixing problems yourself (in Dutch). Working from home and can't afford downtime? See backup internet for working from home (in Dutch).

What can you do if your internet is too slow?

Measure, then complain in writing with a deadline. ACM ConsuWijzer's steps (ACM ConsuWijzer):

Find the three speeds in your contract: minimum, normally available and maximum.
Measure with a cable close to the modem, several times over different days. Wi-Fi measurements are much less reliable. Our speed test helps.
Contact your provider and try to solve it together; many problems are a modem or wiring issue.
Send a formal written complaint stating when you expect it to be fixed and what you will do if it isn't.
Escalate to the Geschillencommissie or report to ACM if the provider doesn't resolve it.

What speeds you actually need is in how fast internet do you need.

How do you escalate a complaint?

Complain to the provider first, then go to the Geschillencommissie. Its telecom regulations set the conditions (Reglement Geschillencommissie Telecommunicatiediensten):

Complain to the provider first and keep the correspondence. The commission can refuse your case if you didn't.
Submit within 12 months of the date you complained to the provider.
Claims up to €5,000, unless both parties agree otherwise.
Fee: €50, paid within 14 days of the invoice; you get it back from the provider if you win, and partly if you partly win (De Geschillencommissie).
The provider must be affiliated; check this on the commission's website before you file.

ACM ConsuWijzer, the consumer desk of the Authority for Consumers and Markets, explains your rights and lets you report a problem; ACM does not decide individual disputes, but uses reports to decide where to act. The site is in Dutch. More: filing a complaint with ACM ConsuWijzer (in Dutch) and the Geschillencommissie explained (in Dutch).

Write in English if you need to

Put your complaint in writing (email or the provider's complaint form), even if you also call. A clear English email with dates, customer number and what you want is fine for most providers, and it is your evidence if you escalate.