Freezing my contract for 6 months

Emski

Hi all

I am hoping for some advice. I am on a 2 year contract with vodafone and plan to go and work in France for 6 months this winter (earning a very low wage). I want to minimise my costs while I am gone and I contacted vodafone to find out what my options are.

Ideally, I would like to freeze my contract and resume it in 6 months time when I return to the UK, however in order to do this, I would still need to pay the full line rental of almost £40 per month (yet I would not benefit from any of the benefits of free calls/textx while abroad)

The other option they presented me with was to pay approx £250 to terminate the contract (essentially pay all line rental until the end).

I asked about keeping this contract and making calls abroad, which would only increase my monthly costs to much more than £40.

The advisor that I spoke to was not at all accommodating and did not offer me any help or advice that would enable me to reduce my costs for this period and continue the contract thereafter.

I have made enquiries with T-Mobile, who suggest that they offer a service whereby their customers can freeze their contracts (no monthly charges for 6 months) and resume on return to the UK.

I would be most grateful for advice on how best to tackly this issue - if it would be at all possible to try escalating my enquiry at Vodafone (perhaps I just caught the advisor on an off day?)...or if there is a way of at least reducing myu costs for this period of time.

Very much look forward to hearing from anyone who is able to share constructive/positive advice.

Thanks

Guys_Dad

The Vodafone rep has been on this forum today. Search down the threads and get her details, then pm (send her a private message) to see if she can help.

Also look through Voda t&c on line to see if anything is mentioned, and also try the Vodafone Forum.

By all means keep trying with Voda CS as well.

Regrettably, your thread is yet anothe rreason why expensive 24 month contracts are not a good idea.

grumbler

Guys_Dad wrote: »

The Vodafone rep has been on this forum today. Search down the threads and get her details, then pm (send her a private message) to see if she can help.

I think it is not a PM that they suggest to contact them through.

Guys_Dad

grumbler wrote: »

I think it is not a PM that they suggest to contact them through.

Quite right - not a pm as such in the context of the forum.

Heidi always seems to invite members to contact her for help by putting a link in her post.

Example

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

If you would like to discuss this in more detail, you can contact me personally via the link here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject.

If you could include a contact number and a link to your post, I will get in touch.

Many thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Emski

Thank you both for your help. I will make contact with Heidi

Vodafone

Hi guys,

Thanks for recommending Emski get in touch with me.

Emski, if you have sent me an email I will get in touch to help you further.

Kind regards,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Annie._2

Hello Emski

The only way you would be able to freeze a contract for six months is when you are in the armed forces being posted abroad and this would require a confirmation letter from the commanding officer.

Your options now would be to terminate the contract, paying the cancellation charges with a 2% discount and dont pay the VAT. You could also consider selling your phone to part pay the charges.

The other alternative would be to try and arrange a change of ownership for the contract to a trusting relative or friend and you would then have no further responsibility for the payments.

Kernel_Sanders

Ann_S wrote: »

The other alternative would be to try and arrange a change of ownership for the contract to a trusting relative or friend and you would then have no further responsibility for the payments.

If this person ran up a huge bill they couldn't pay, would Voda chase them or the OP?

Annie._2

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

If this person ran up a huge bill they couldn't pay, would Voda chase them or the OP?

If the change of ownership has been completed, then the responsibility would be with the new contract owner.

That would be a good reason to make sure the new owner is known and completely trustworthy. Its easy enough for the change of ownership to be authorised by the account holder, but it has to be fully accepted and completed by the new owner and, of course, its all subject to the usual credit check on the new owner.