Help - Moving to new cashback offer contract when current one expires

• Look in your contract to see how to cancel/terminate a contract. Usually it is by giving a minimum of 30 days written notice. In your letter state something along the lines that you wish to cancel/finish your current contract on the 15th August 2006. I think you can request a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) by calling 3 CS, otherwise put in a request for a PAC in your letter.
  
• Start looking now at websites for cashback deals and keep an eye on them for when your current contract ends so you know where to go to get your next deal. I’m not sure that if you sign up before your current contract ends may invalidate your last claim/cheque. Switch to a PAYG sim (see below)
• I don’t think 3 will give you free line rental or cash back which equates to free line rental for say 12 months. When ringing up 3 to say cancellations or upgrades, they will offer x this and x that.

[FONT=&quot]I believe you (and other existing customers) can't move across to the new contract on the same network (I think this applies to ALL networks). To get the offer you want whilst keeping your same number you will have to port out onto another network (using a PAC-only lasts 30 days) then when signing up use the new PAC from the network you have moved to sign up for the deal you want so that you can keep the same number For example, you will need a PAC (to be able to keep your existing number) from 3 to use on another network, e.g. Orange. Maybe get a PAYG sim (either from the freebies board or from a friend) and use that temporarily (even for a few days). Once you have registered with Orange, request a PAC from Orange CS, then when signing up for a 3 contract give them this PAC so that you can use the number that you have wanted to keep. This should be a relatively quick process some, others maybe longer. I have no experience of doing this.

Hope this helps.
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I phone up 3 on 15th July to say I want to cancel (or do I write?).

I’m not sure what the process for cancelling/terminating a 3 contract is, so that is why I said to look in your contract T&Cs. Otherwise ring up 3 CS and ask them what the process to cancel is. I would suggest you ring them up now to ask them about the termination process so that come 15th July you will know what to do (write or ring to cancel). If you have to write to cancel, I would suggest you start writing your letter now and then send it to them so that they receive it before the 15th July otherwise you will have given them less than 30 days notice. Send by recorded delivery so then they can’t say they haven’t received it (assuming it got delivered).

PACs (a charge/fee may be required) only last 30 days. If after 30 days you still haven’t used it then you should be able to ask for another one from your current provider. To use a PAC your current mobile number account must be active, i.e. your mobile account has not been terminated. Therefore if you want to port out your current number onto a PAYG sim, you must do the porting BEFORE the 15th July (just in case they have computer problems during the time of request and you may have lost your number). If successful, you will now be liable for the PAYG tariff charges that you have selected to use, e.g. o2, instead of your 3 contract tariff charges.

I then, wait say a few days, get a PAC from O2 and use that to port back to 3, say on 20 August, taking out a new cashback contract.

Correct.

Would that be the way to go for 3?

I think it is the best way for any contract, not just 3

But doesn't the porting process from 3, to O2 and back to 3 take approx 21 days each time?

I’m not sure, I think it may sometimes depend on if they have problems or a backlog of requests they have to deal with. Yes it may take time but, isn’t it worth the wait, knowing that you have managed to port your number across networks successfully?

Obviously if I decide to go for another network I can just port to them on 15 august when the new contract starts.

Quite risky! The temporary provider, i.e. o2 may have problems and can’t deal with your request at that point in time and so you could lose your number as you will only be able to transfer/port your number on active mobile accounts.

I don't want to exceed that and have to pay another month's effectively uncovered line rental.

If you exceed the month, sometimes some networks will only bill you for the few days you are with them until you port out.

Assuming you port out before the 15th, with some (maybe all??) networks, posts that I have read on here have said that they have been credited back some money because they have ported out before the full month (as line rental is paid in advance). After starting your new contract, make sure you call them up to see if you have any credit and ask them to pay you back.

Or could I take out the new contract say, a week in advance, then on 15 August when my 3 contract ends port the number across on that date?

This might be ok but, you may not be able to transfer your (current) number say a week after you started your new cashback contract. I’m not sure about this process because a) I have never done it before, even if I did it may have changed since and b) I’m not sure how the porting process is handled by the dealer/network (some might say you can’t do this and can only stick with the number that you have been allocated or whatever).

hth

No problem, glad to be of help :cool: Ask your friends or family if they have a spare unlocked phone (even if it is locked then it might be able to be unlocked for free remotely or for a low cost at the market-depending on the make and model of the phone).