Verified: 20 March 2026 05:30 am CET
Industry: Telecommunications (Mobile, Broadband, TV)
Jurisdiction: Germany
Primary Regulator: Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA)
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake customer service numbers on search engines. Only use official channels. Scammers frequently buy ads to promote fraudulent phone numbers. 1&1 staff will never ask for your 1&1 Control-Center password, or ask you to install remote-desktop software to “fix your router.” (Note: 1&1 support will ask for your dedicated Service-PIN to authenticate you over the phone, but never your actual login password).
Level 1: Customer Support (Kundenservice)
- How to complain: Submit your issue via the secure 1&1 Control-Center app, use their official online contact form, email them at info@1und1.de, or call their central customer service hotline at 0721 / 96 00 (Standard landline rates apply; free from the 1&1 network).
- Source Verification: Hilfe & Kontakt - 1&1
- Availability: The central customer service hotline and technical fault reporting are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Source Verification: 1&1 Service
- Timeline: 1&1 aims to resolve standard billing or contract inquiries within a few business days. Technical outages are prioritized based on network impact.
Level 2: Formal Written Complaint & Mahnung
- Who to contact: Formally escalate your dispute (e.g., unjustified billing, failure to provide booked internet speeds, or ignored cancellations) by sending a registered letter with return receipt (Einschreiben mit Rückschein) to the legal headquarters of their domestic consumer entity. Address it to the Management Board, 1&1 Telecom GmbH, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany. Clearly state your claim and set a legally binding 14-day deadline (Mahnung) for them to issue a refund or technical resolution.
- Source Verification: Impressum - 1&1
- Timeline: The legally binding deadline of 14 days (set via your Mahnung) provides the provider a strict timeframe to resolve the issue before they legally default (in Verzug geraten).
Level 3: Regulatory Authority / ADR
- Authority: The Bundesnetzagentur operates a dedicated consumer arbitration board specifically for telecom disputes under § 68 of the Telecommunications Act (TKG). You can submit your case for free to the Schlichtungsstelle Telekommunikation der Bundesnetzagentur in Bonn. (1&1 explicitly states they do not participate in any other general consumer arbitration boards).
- Source Verification: Impressum - Streitbeilegung - 1&1
- Timeline: You can file a complaint with the Schlichtungsstelle immediately after receiving a final rejection letter from 1&1, or if they fail to respond to your formal 14-day Mahnung. (Note: Due to high volumes, the BNetzA currently warns of longer-than-usual processing times).
Level 4: Legal Action
- Pre-Litigation: Before initiating formal court proceedings, you can seek case-specific legal assistance from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or an IT/telecom lawyer to evaluate your contract claim.
- Source Verification: Verbraucherzentrale - Beschwerde
- Court/Arbitration: If the Schlichtungsstelle cannot resolve the issue, you can initiate the judicial dunning process (gerichtliches Mahnverfahren) online to obtain an enforceable payment title against 1&1, or file a civil lawsuit at your local district court (Amtsgericht).
- Source Verification: Gemeinsames Mahnportal der Länder
Community Action: Is 1&1 still refusing to refund you for a totally dead DSL connection, or ignoring a complaint about a delayed hardware delivery? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full customer numbers, or Service-PINs), and our community will point you to the right legal templates!