I paid for fiber or DSL but it was never installed (or never worked) — can I get a refund?
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Yes — if you paid for a service the provider failed to deliver, you are entitled either to the service or to your money back. A telecom or internet provider that collects an installation, activation, or advance fee and then fails to actually connect you, or delivers a line that never works, has not delivered what you paid for. That is a consumer-protection failure under the Consumer Act of the Philippines (RA 7394) — which covers non-delivery and deficient service — and telecom service quality itself is regulated by the NTC under Executive Order No. 546. Put your demand in writing: give the provider a firm installation date or a full refund of the fees you paid for service not rendered, and keep the official receipt, your application, and every follow-up reference number. Committed installation timeframes vary by provider and plan, so hold them to what they promised you in writing. If they ignore the demand, escalate the service-quality side to the NTC and the refund/unfair-practice side to the DTI under RA 7394.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
I paid an installation fee but nobody came — can I get it back?
Yes. If you paid for installation or activation and the provider never delivered the service, you are entitled to the service or a refund of fees paid for service not rendered. Non-delivery and deficient service are covered by the Consumer Act (RA 7394); demand the install date or a refund in writing.
Which regulator handles installation delays and no-service?
Telecom and internet service quality is regulated by the NTC under Executive Order No. 546, so escalate the service-quality failure there. The refund and any unfair-sales-practice angle can also be raised with the DTI under RA 7394. Keep your OR, application, and follow-up references.
Is there a fixed number of days they must install by?
Committed installation timeframes vary by provider and plan rather than a single fixed national deadline, so hold the provider to the timeframe it promised you in writing. If it blows past its own commitment and won't refund, that is the point to escalate to the NTC and DTI.
Take action
Got a similar problem?
File a complaint and we'll pre-fill BSP, SEC, DTI, and small-claims letters for you.
Your rights on mobile, internet, electricity, and water — slow or undelivered broadband and rebates (NTC), billing disputes and overcharges, the notice required before disconnection and the days you cannot be cut off, prepaid load validity, SIM deactivation under the SIM Registration Act, electricity bill-deposit refunds and meter errors (the ERC Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers), and how to escalate past your provider to the NTC, ERC, or MWSS.