Suspending contract whilst abroad working

singingsister

Hi everyone,

My sister has got a 7 month performing contract in Spain starting the end of March. She's currently in a contract with 3 and has asked them if they can suspend her contract for 6 months as she obviously doesn't want to use a UK mobile at extortionate costs whilst she's abroad. She's planning on using Skype on her laptop and looking at getting a spanish PAYG for whilst she's there.

She went into a 3 store today and they said there is nothing they can do in store and for her to ring customer services. He told her that there is government legislation with regards to suspension of mobile phone contracts.

So she rang 3 tonight who told her (after speaking to a supervisor of course!) that the MOST they can suspend her contract for is 1 month! Most.....surely you can't do it for less than that anyhow!!

They said all she can do is either downgrade her package (she's currently on a £20 a month deal) and they can downgrade to £15 a month or she can cancel her contract. But to cancel her contract she has to pay the line rental for the remaining months of her contract. Seeing as she's only had the contract since May 2010 and it's a 24 month contract that's not an option.

She's also not happy with their "offer" of downgrading her package to £15 a month as she doesn't have that money to throw away, especially as she's not even here to use the phone!

Does anyone have any advise or suggestions on what she can do? Someone else taking over the contract or transferring ownership isn't an option.


Thanks.

Browntoa

only legal requirement for suspending is if you are a serving military person as far as i know

spike7451

Mobile phone companies will only suspend a mobile contract if the user is a serviceman or woman going on operations abroad,however it took a lot,including a Watchdog campaign to get it done.Some companies insist on a letter from the Officer Commanding tho.
She could try the 'well you do it for servicemen so why not me' route tho I'd doubt it would work.

singingsister

Ah poo.

Not sure I want to go down the "you do it for the servicemen" route as our servicemen work hard enough and I'd feel very bad doing it.

Does she have any options?

spike7451

singingsister wrote: »

Ah poo.

Not sure I want to go down the "you do it for the servicemen" route as our servicemen work hard enough and I'd feel very bad doing it.

Does she have any options?

Thanks,

Spike (Ex RAF)