Right way to switch mobile contract?

Quartermass

I'm on an 18 month contract with Vodafone for a SGS2. It ends in June, and at that point I'd like to take out a new deal, sell the SGS2 and use the money from that to pay for the new phone.

Previously I was mis-sold a contract by Vodafone which I got them to agree to exit early, and as part of that I got them to put me on this contract and match the cheapest deal I could find on the internet. This time around, however, that won't be an option and I'll have to take whatever deal they offer which from experience I expect to be worse than deals for new customers.

I need to obtain the PAC code from them. I need to tell them I'm ending the contract. And using searches and being careful with cashback and cookies I need to take out a new deal.

My contract with Vodafone ends on the 26th of June. I don't want to make any mistakes here, or pay line rental that overlaps.

I'm aware Vodafone will try to retain me, and if they can match the offer I can find elsewhere then it makes it a very easy switch... Assuming they don't match it - how do I switch and get it right?

grumbler

Call them on the 26th of May and get PAC that lasts for 30 days.
If they don't call you with a good offer, use the PAC about 5 days before it expires to port the number to another network.
If the new contract is with Vodafone again, you'll either have to port the number in two steps via another network PAYG sim or swthch your old contract to PAYG and then transfer the number from PAY to the new contract: Keep your Vodafone Pay as you go number when you move to Pay monthly. You possibly can transfer directly from the old contract to the new contract, but I am not sure: http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/forms/sim-activation/index.htm

Quartermass

Ok - so the PAC lasts 30 days, and at that point I give them the one month notice that I assume they'll ask for.

And I won't be able to take a new contract with Vodafone if I have an existing account with them, so for ease I should look at other providers all other things being equal. I've been with them for 15 years, but the past few times when I've shopped around it's not been a benefit, perhaps because I don't spend much.

grumbler

Quartermass wrote: »

Ok - so the PAC lasts 30 days, and at that point I give them the one month notice that I assume they'll ask for.

At the same day, but generally requesting a PAC cancels any earlier notice, i.e. if you get PAC and don't use it the contract goes on.

And I won't be able to take a new contract with Vodafone if I have an existing account with them,

You are mistaken, especially (but not necessarily) if you buy a contract via a third party like CPW, P4U etc.

Quartermass

Oh I see - I had misread your first reply then. I don't think it's something to worry me much though as the deals I've looked at so far are not with Vodafone.

To be clear on the PAC then - if I have the PAC and I use it, then I don't need to give them advance notice of ending my contract, so I then will not be liable to pay the remainder of a month's subscription or lose any entitlement to a refund of unused fees? I'm a little careful here because Vodafone at some point in the past switched to me paying in advance for the phone - apparently they did it with everybody - and I don't want to lose that.

nomoneytoday

I did something similar to the above. Contract ran out on 6th Dec, called on 6th Nov for PAC. Switched it onto new network as close to 6th as possible, and they credited me the £1 or so residual balance