A survey conducted by Anyone Can Use and Smartphone Research Center revealed a worrying pattern among Brazilian consumers: people in their 50s face significant obstacles when trying to cancel cell phone contracts, resulting in progressive charges on their bills. The study identified that complicated online procedures act as the main barrier to terminating services.
Digital Barreiras prevents effective cancellation
Of 604 valid responses collected between February 25 and March 4, 2026, 376 people reported difficulties when trying to cancel their plans. Consumers reported that, despite their desire to interrupt the service, the online procedures discouraged them from continuing. Isso resulted in the involuntary maintenance of active contracts and the continuous increase in monthly bills.
The main obstacles identified in the research were:
- Falta knowledge about access credentials (ID or password)
- Complex Navegação with multiple page transitions
- Impossibilidade to find the cancel option
- Interfaces unintuitive for users less familiar with technology
The cycle of increasing charges
Consumidores who attempted to cancel their contracts often gave up mid-way through the process after encountering the complexity of the procedures. Essa situation kept them tied to plans, allowing operators to continue charging monthly fees. Muitos reported that bills were increasing progressively, without clearly understanding the reasons for the increase in values.
The research showed that early suspensions or quick cancellations would avoid these additional charges. Contudo, the design of providers’ online systems creates a scenario where the path to exiting the contract is deliberately complex. Alguns users resorted to telephone support, but encountered similar difficulties or were informed of termination fees of which they were unaware.
Desamparo from less digital users
Pessoas aged 50 and over make up a significant portion of mobile phone consumers on Brasil. Muitos of them are not yet fully accustomed to exclusively digital procedures. The research identified that this age group faces greater vulnerability when faced with inaccessible interfaces. Alguns customers described their attempts as frustrating, with vague instructions and non-existent shortcuts for direct cancellation.
The lack of offline contact alternatives worsened the situation for several participants. Enquanto Some operators maintain in-person service channels, many make access difficult or direct exclusively to digital platforms. Consumidores elderly people often do not have confidence in carrying out financial transactions or contract terminations electronically.
Padrão recurring on other services
The phenomenon of “easy to sign, difficult to cancel” is not just restricted to telephone contracts. Pesquisadores observed that video streaming services, multiple subscriptions and digital platforms replicate the same model. The question raised by the research is whether this difficulty results from technical incompetence or a deliberate commercial strategy to retain reluctant customers.
Alguns of the participants tried to cancel multiple times before giving up completely. Outros continued paying for services they hadn’t used for months, simply because the effort to get rid of them outweighed the hassle of continuing to be charged. Esse pattern suggests a significant power imbalance between consumers and operators.
Impacto financial for families
Rising charges on uncancelled contracts represent real property damage for families on a limited budget. Consumidores described unpleasant surprises when opening bank accounts and realizing larger debts than expected. Alguns stated that they only understood the scale of the problem after months of inadvertent payments.
Anyone Can Use and Smartphone Research Center collected direct reports from consumers who spent hundreds of reais more than they planned simply because they were unable to complete a cancellation. Essa actually questions the effectiveness of consumer protection policies in the context of digital services.
