how do i get out of my mobile phone contract when emigrating

karatedragon

robt wrote: »

Yes, because I would love to pay higher line rental and/or upfront for a phone for a shorter contract term.



If someone doesn't like how a contract works then they can get a PAYG phone surely.

What is your calculation for the 'residual value' of the handset?

(v÷d)r

v = Value of handset
d = Contract length in calendar days
r = Calendar days remaining at cancellation point

karatedragon

To do some maths....

HTC Desire on a £40 a month 18 minimum term contract or 547 day contract.

Total including airtime = £720 for whole terms. If you were to cancel this after 6 months the fee would be £480

A Desire is worth on the open market brand new circa £400 which is £22 per month of the £40.

Using my calculation (v÷d)r the cancellation fee after six months is:

(400 ÷ 547) x 367 = £268.37 - a fairer value and a significantly lower cost than the £480 including *UNUSED* airtime. Over £200 in fact. Now it doesn't cost £200 to produce a SIM, send it out in the mail and connect your line up. Bearing in mind the 30 day SIM only deals include free postage and no connection charge.

Danstar_2

robt wrote: »

You can't "get out" of it.

Jeez.

Go look up the word 'contact'.

googled contact got this

close interaction; "they kept in daily contact"; "they claimed that they had been in contact with extraterrestrial beings"
the act of touching physically; "her fingers came in contact with the light switch"
the state or condition of touching or of being in immediate proximity; "litmus paper turns red on contact with an acid"
the physical coming together of two or more things; "contact with the pier scraped paint from the hull"
a person who is in a position to give you special assistance; "he used his business contacts to get an introduction to the governor"
liaison: a channel for communication between groups; "he provided a liaison with the guerrillas"
(electronics) a junction where things (as two electrical conductors) touch or are in physical contact; "they forget to solder the contacts"
reach: be in or establish communication with; "Our advertisements reach millions"; "He never contacted his children after he emigrated to Australia"
a communicative interaction; "the pilot made contact with the base"; "he got in touch with his colleagues"
touch: be in direct physical contact with; make contact; "The two buildings touch"; "Their hands touched"; "The wire must not contact the metal cover"; "The surfaces contact at this point"

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=define%3Acontact

lucylucky

karatedragon wrote: »

To do some maths....

HTC Desire on a £40 a month 18 minimum term contract or 547 day contract.

Total including airtime = £720 for whole terms. If you were to cancel this after 6 months the fee would be £480

A Desire is worth on the open market brand new circa £400 which is £22 per month of the £40.

Using my calculation (v÷d)r the cancellation fee after six months is:

(400 ÷ 547) x 367 = £268.37 - a fairer value

"fairer" doesn't really come into it though.

You entered into a contract and now you wish to break that, for which there is a penalty.

Makes sense.

karatedragon

lucylucky wrote: »

"fairer" doesn't really come into it though.

You entered into a contract and now you wish to break that, for which there is a penalty.

Makes sense.

Contracts actually do have to be fair.

Remember the scandal on bank charges and "unfair contracts"???? People still deem them to be unfair but you enter into a contract with the bank thats says they can charge £35 per bounced item. Why is a mobile contract's cancellation fees seen as fair but bank charges are not?

Jon_01

No one forces anyone else to agree to a contract.

If you don't like the terms don't go into one, it's not that hard. The same goes for not understanding what a contract it. The number of 'how do I get out of a contract' threads on here prove that some people don't have a clue what a contract is and what it involves.

As Robt says above, there's always payg. No contract, minimum term and you can 'get out' when ever you like.

lucylucky

karatedragon wrote: »

Contracts actually do have to be fair.

Remember the scandal on bank charges and "unfair contracts"???? People still deem them to be unfair but you enter into a contract with the bank thats says they can charge £35 per bounced item. Why is a mobile contract's cancellation fees seen as fair but bank charges are not?

Different thing.

You have agreed to pay a minimum set amount each month.
You may well have received a subsidised handset for this payment, plus a number of minutes, texts and data.

If the phone company fails to keep it's part of the bargain you can walk away with no penalty.

If they continue to provide the service but you no longer wish to avail yourself of it, then you have to pay them.

As you agreed when you "signed" the contract

karatedragon

lucylucky wrote: »

Different thing.

You have agreed to pay a minimum set amount each month.
You may well have received a subsidised handset for this payment, plus a number of minutes, texts and data.

If the phone company fails to keep it's part of the bargain you can walk away with no penalty.

If they continue to provide the service but you no longer wish to avail yourself of it, then you have to pay them.

As you agreed when you "signed" the contract

I don't think it is different. You have agreed to pay the penalty charges imposed by a bank should you go over an authorised limit or allow items to be rubberized by signing your contract to open an account. The benefit of the Bank's contracts is that if you don't misbehave you don't get charged.

You will already have paid for any used talk time and SMS in previous Month's Mobile bills. What I say is unfair in a Mobile Contract is that you in effect pay for future *UNUSED* minutes and talk time that you will have no benefit of when you are fleeced for their cancellation fees.

I just feel that it warrants investigation but clearly you appreciate people being ripped off and paying for services you will have no benefit from by defending the poor profit hungry mobile companies.

Clearly you will have no problem should you accidentally go overdrawn in the bank and be stung for their perfectly fair charges. I hope to not see any posts on here from you to that effect as you are perfectly happy with the level and fairness of those charges also as you are with Mobile Phone cancellation fees.

robt_2

karatedragon wrote: »

Contracts actually do have to be fair.

Remember the scandal on bank charges and "unfair contracts"???? People still deem them to be unfair but you enter into a contract with the bank thats says they can charge £35 per bounced item. Why is a mobile contract's cancellation fees seen as fair but bank charges are not?

Are you seriously saying you can't understand the difference between bank charges and a phone contract?

Jon_01

lucylucky wrote: »

Different thing.

As you agreed when you "signed" the contract

I'd avoid the term 'signed', a lot of mobile contracts aren't signed these day.
I always put 'agreed to' or you'll have people saying that as they didn't sign anything there's no contract. . .