Since the summer of 2021, everything has been going up: rents, food prices, fuel and electricity prices… Phone plans are no exception. They are no longer spared by inflation. According to the online comparator Ariase, consumers are experiencing a 21.9% increase over one year. Last February, 8 out of 10 operators planned to increase the cost of their packages. This increase would concern nearly 55 million French people.

Telephone operators have therefore announced increases of a few euros per month for their customers. But that is not the bulk of their profits. All kinds of juicy additional costs weigh on the telephone bill of households, some at the limit of legality.

In 2018, Orange was singled out by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF). The latter demanded a fine of 315,000 euros from him for not having included the rental of Orange boxes in the price of his subscription. However, the price of the boxes being indicated in very small, the customers did not understand where the monthly increase in their bill from 3 to 5 euros came from. After five years of contestation, the Council of State officially condemned Orange on April 7, 2023 according to Capital. The operator will have to pay the fine of 315,000 euros to the DGCCRF.

The case of Orange boxes is not isolated. When you subscribe to a package, it is possible to be trapped and end up with additional costs on your telephone bill. With a little vigilance, it is possible to reduce your mobile expenses. Discover in our slideshow below the 5 expenditure items to monitor.