3 termination/PAC charge

seaviewing

My 3 contract was up on 5 Feb 2012 so a few days later I requested a PAC.
This PAC was used on 14th Feb and the account closed.

The final bill has now arrived with an "early termination charge"

When I called billing to clarify what this is they said as the PAC was used before its 30 day expiry they levy a charge to cover the remaining period.

This it seems is in their T+Cs, they said.

Now that I think about it, surely as i'm billed in advance I have in fact already paid for a period beyond the port out date and in fact I should be getting that money back too??

I've never been "charged" for early use of a PAC before by any other network!

I have escalated the complaint and am yet to get a call back.
I'm glad to be shot of 3 as the operators rarely listen and occasionaly shout! The latest query about this charge took 14mins before they even understood the question.


Anyone else had this charge from 3?

grumbler

After requesting a PAC you have to pay for the next 30 days regardless of porting the number earlier. Only if you request the PAC on the first day of your billing month all these 30 days are covered by the advance payment.

seaviewing

Yep, so if i pay monthly in advance - i have to pay *again* for early use of pac?

The bit about credit back was tongue in cheek - but i have in fact paid for 14th Feb and beyond twice!

Its a new one on me and I have ported many many times - still have same number for over 15 years!

grumbler

seaviewing wrote: »

Yep, so if i pay monthly in advance - i have to pay *again* for early use of pac?

You are required to give 30 days notice and you pay for the next 30 days, not for the "early use of PAC". It is very unlikely that all next 30 days from requesting the PAC are covered by your advance payment for the next billing month, so you pay for the part of the notice period that is not covered.

sdduk

grumbler is right
after your contract as finished you have to give 30 days notice not just ask for a Pac code that's were its gone wrong and now they are charging you a termination fee Plus an extra month for not giving 30 days notice

All networks have to have a 30 day notice after contract ends.

Gordon_Hose

How are you charged in advance too?

How do they know how many premium rate calls you'll make, or how many minutes of international data you'll get through on holiday? etc etc

You don't go to the shop, sign your contract, get your free phone and then pay a month up front. You pay a month later, which isn't in advance. So you're contract is up on the 5th Feb, you pay your bill for the month past then give 30 days notice, which is also chargeable. If you didn't want to port out then have to pay for the remaining 30 days you should have waited 29 days then used your PAC. So you haven't paid twice, or an early termination fee, you've just paid for what you owe.

grumbler

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

How do they know how many premium rate calls you'll make, or how many minutes of international data you'll get through on holiday? etc etc

They don't know. You pay only your standard charge in advance. Extra charges are added to the next bill.

You don't go to the shop, sign your contract, get your free phone and then pay a month up front.

Your first bill is usually bigger because it covers a part of the current billing month and the advance payment for the next billing month.

You pay a month later, which isn't in advance. So you're contract is up on the 5th Feb, you pay your bill for the month past

This is incorrect, at least for the networks that I know.

Orange wrote:

Date 17 Feb 2012
Your Service Plans (VAT applicable) 22.19
Dolphin 25 (24mth) : 17 Feb - 16 Mar 0.00
Email : 17 Feb - 16 Mar 0.00
Mobile Internet 500MB : 17 Feb - 16 Mar 0.00
Unlimited Anytime Text : 17 Feb - 16 Mar 0.00

Call charges (VAT applicable)
Amount this month - see itemisation for details 0.00
Data charges 0.00

Thank you for electing to pay by Direct Debit. The amount due will be debited from your nominated bank account on or after 02 Mar 2012.

So, if I request the PAC, say, on the 2nd of Mar I'll have to pay the ETC for 17 Mar - 1 Apr.

Gordon_Hose

Sorry, had a mobile for years and never had to pay a bill in advance.

I walk into a phone shop on the 1st January 2012, my first bill is due on the 1st February 2012. Even buying online, just use any online mobile provider. I've just used Orange, ordered myself a white iPhone 4S on their £46 a month plan, which is a free phone, and it costs me nothing up front. I would expect my bill to be due on the 1 month anniversary of me taking out a contract with them, then every month after that until such a time that I decide to cancel.

That's how it has always worked for me, unless I'm special (speshul)?

grumbler

You are not special and you always paid in advance (see above) without realising it.

IMHO, people paying £46 p.m. for a mobile are not good in counting their money. They either don't need to, or just are incapable of.

macman

It's no different to landline tariffs. The line rental is paid a month in advance, the calls in arrears (at the end of the billing month).

Gordon_Hose

I have never walked out of a shop/bought one online having paid one month's charge up-front.

I've either missed something here, or I'm getting confused with what "paying in advance" actually means.

I've paid my son's nursery fee's in advance. I've paid my gym membership in advance.

I've never paid my phone contract in advance, nor have I ever paid my landline bill in advance.

I sign up to a service, I use it, they then bill me for what I've used. I've just upgraded my phone, my new tariff is more expensive than my previous tariff, yet they haven't asked me for the difference in advance.