Among the steps that must be taken following the death of a loved one is the termination of the deceased's subscriptions. These can be subscriptions to an energy supplier, the Internet, a pay-TV channel, etc. These steps are not necessarily the most urgent, but as long as these subscriptions are not terminated, the contracts continue and are always invoiced. This is why it is advisable to terminate them within the first month following the death of a loved one, or in any case within six months at most.
Following a death, and despite the painful moments experienced by loved ones, many steps must be taken. Of course, those that must be carried out quickly, within the week following the death at most, primarily concern the attestation of death, its declaration at the town hall, and the organization of the funeral.
Then come, in the month following the death, the purely administrative procedures such as, for example, paying current invoices with the bank account of the deceased, notifying the social organizations where the deceased was registered, his insurance, contacting his lessor if he was tenant, settle the estate, contact the tax services, modify the papers of his vehicle and more precisely his registration certificate, etc.
Other steps must also be taken, preferably in the month following the death and at most within six months, to first find out about and then terminate the various services with which the deceased had a subscription.
These may be his subscriptions to an electricity or gas supplier, to a press magazine, for his fixed or mobile telephone or his access to the Internet, to a pay-TV channel, to a space leisure or sport, public transport such as the SNCF for example, etc.
More and more today, with the development of new communication technologies, it is also necessary to determine the various subscriptions held by a deceased with social networks, or even websites, in order to be able to delete their accounts.
It is quite simple to know following a death if the deceased held paid subscriptions in one or other of the areas mentioned above. Indeed, if the deceased paid a monthly, quarterly or annual sum for his subscriptions, consulting his bank statements can quickly help to detect those he had subscribed to.
There are also other types of subscriptions, in particular taken out online, which are free. Let us quote, for example, the subscription to the newsletter of a website of information, sales, etc., forms of subscription that it is preferable to terminate or have stopped following a death. The latter are much more complicated to know. Most often linked to the Internet, it is necessary, in this case, to have access to the computer of the deceased, and more precisely to his or her electronic mail accounts to know these types of subscriptions.
The list of steps to be taken to terminate the subscriptions of any kind of a deceased would be too long to detail. We have therefore chosen to present here a selection of some of them, among the most common.
In general, the termination of a subscription following a death must take place no later than 10 days following your request.
If your deceased loved one had a subscription with EDF or Engie, for example, you can cancel it simply by logging into your loved one's personal space on the site of this energy supplier. If you do not have access to it, termination can be done just as easily by telephone, or by post by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, specifying the desired termination date, your identity as well as that of your deceased relative, the figures read on his meters, and if possible the Delivery Point number (PDL) or the number of his contract, and attaching a death certificate.
Let's take the example of a request to terminate an Internet subscription and/or a mobile phone subscription of your deceased loved one held with Orange. This process does not require payment of fees and is possible on the operator's website by completing the "Request for termination of offer following the death of the holder" form.
All you have to do is give your identity, your address, the surname, first name and telephone number of the deceased, the date of his death, and attach a copy of your identity document and the death certificate. If your loved one had equipment such as a box for example, you must then return it to the operator.
At SFR, the procedures are quite similar, with the additional requirement of providing a copy of the family record book as supporting documentation.
Many television channels are now accessible by taking out a subscription. This is the case, for example, of the Canal+ channel.
If your deceased loved one held this type of subscription, you must send the cancellation request by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt accompanied by the death certificate, contact details and subscriber number of the deceased.
Who today does not have a subscription to a social network (a subscription that takes the form of an account)? Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many others, how do you terminate and close the accounts of your deceased loved one?
Terminating the account of a deceased on Facebook, for example, can be done by filling out a form available on a page of this social network without you needing to know the login information for the account of your deceased loved one. You must give your identity, your e-mail address, the name of the Facebook profile of the deceased, the link (URL) of his page, and if possible the e-mail address of the deceased which is attached to this account.
To terminate the Twitter account of a deceased loved one, the process is as simple as using the form available in the support center of this social network, by providing certain information including in particular the death certificate of the person concerned.
If your deceased loved one held a paying subscription with the SNCF, you must also cancel it. These are most often monthly subscriptions.
You must send a letter of cancellation by registered mail to the company's customer service before the start date of the validity of the subscription, accompanied by the death certificate. In normal times, monthly subscriptions are not refunded, but in the event of the holder's death, it may be refunded on a pro rata basis for the days during which it was used, provided that the unused period is at least seven days.
