Moving abroad - issues with contract?

Jamopy

Hi,

I've used PAYG phones my entire life but have been ripped off several times now and am also sick of running out of credit at the worst times. I was looking at getting a contract but may be moving to another country in about 6 months time. So when the time comes, if i do make the move will i be able to swap the contract to a different provider or terminate the contract, or will the phone continue to work abroad, or will i have to leave it behind but still finish paying off the rest of the contract?

grumbler

The phone will continue to work abroad, but you will not want to use it because roaming costs a fortune and is not included.
I don't think that it is possible to swap the contract. You will have to pay for all the remaining months in advance to terminate the contract.

Stay on PAYG or take a 1-month rolling contract.

fiendishlyclever

You could use a PAYG network with auto top-up so it functions in a similar way to a contract. Giffgaff have some bundles starting at £5 that rival contract deals, but are sim only and payg. Worth a look (if you get an O2 signal and can put up with their website glitches).

Jon_01

You can't move a contract from from, say Voda UK to Voda Spain for example. Each company is run separately.

Your best bet, is to stay on payg. If you need to end a contact in 6 month you'd have to pay off the remaining term.

ashrix

I'm kind of in the same boat as this, thinking of moving to the US anytime in the next 6 to 12 months (but not confirmed or sure when!) and finished my vodafone contract a few months back. I'm wanting to get a new cheaper deal with a smartphone but am worried i'll get stuck in the middle of another long term contract. Someone told me they had managed to put their contract on hold whilst they travelled for 8 months, is this really an option (although i guess it's only useful if you plan to come back at some point!)

I was also considering these deals with online retailers like buymobilephones.net with cash-back and free months line rentals etc. Some of them offer so much cashback that it works out at less than £10 with all the data usage and bells and whistles, but do people have much experience of them actually paying out the cashback. I'm a bit dubious as it seems too good to be true and don't want to end up missing it all and paying £35 a month anyway!

Decisions, decisions!

grumbler

ashrix wrote: »

I'm kind of in the same boat as this, thinking of moving to the US anytime in the next 6 to 12 months (but not confirmed or sure when!) and finished my vodafone contract a few months back. I'm wanting to get a new cheaper deal with a smartphone but am worried i'll get stuck in the middle of another long term contract. Someone told me they had managed to put their contract on hold whilst they travelled for 8 months, is this really an option (although i guess it's only useful if you plan to come back at some point!)

Can an O2 contract be suspended when student goes abroad?

Orange Iphone and moving to Australia help!!

I was also considering these deals with online retailers like buymobilephones.net with cash-back and free months line rentals etc. Some of them offer so much cashback that it works out at less than £10 with all the data usage and bells and whistles, but do people have much experience of them actually paying out the cashback. I'm a bit dubious as it seems too good to be true and don't want to end up missing it all and paying £35 a month anyway!

Cashback Guide for Dummies

ashrix

Wow, the cashback scenario looks like a mine-field, think i'll stay clear of that! Thanks for the help!

Jamopy

Thanks for the replies everyone, it's kind of what i feared.

grumbler wrote: »

The phone will continue to work abroad, but you will not want to use it because roaming costs a fortune and is not included.
I don't think that it is possible to swap the contract. You will have to pay for all the remaining months in advance to terminate the contract.

Stay on PAYG or take a 1-month rolling contract.

As i say, i'm a contract newbie and thought the shortest contract possible was a 12 month one. Where would i find out more about the rolling 1 month contracts?

grumbler

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/sim-only/tariffs/
http://www.o2.co.uk/tariffs/paymonthly
http://www.o2.co.uk/tariffs/simplicity
http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phones/plans/simPlanList.jsp?cmsPageId=02510
http://www.three.co.uk/Pay_Monthly/SIM_Only/Choose_your_SIM
....
....

Also check http://giffgaff.com/goodybags

zebrastripesrule

If you are on vodafone they offer a passport option. If you are moving to a country where they have a vodafone network you can pay a 75p connection fee for making/receiving calls and then your normal UK rate (if on contract then this uses you inclusive minutes.). It should work on monthly rolling contracts too. More info:

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/personal/price-plans/managing-my-costs/travelling-abroad/ways-to-save/index.htm

I used this on payg in Italy - and got my family to call me - worked out well.

Vodafone

Hi ashrix

Thanks for your question on what happens to your Vodafone agreement if you move abroad.

Unless you are in the armed forces, we are unable to suspend mobile phone agreements for a period of time where the line rental can be refunded. Therefore, you would need to continue paying the line rental until the end of the agreement, or you can pay an early termination, which is the full cost of line rental to the end of your contract excluding VAT less a 2% reduction.

In relation to your cashback query, it would be advisable to check out the terms and conditions of how to claim cashback, as many require mobile phone bills to be posted in stages to the cashback company throughout your agreement, and may result in missed claims should you wish to leave the UK before the end of your agreement.

Many Thanks

Simon
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK