Help on switching mobile companies please

ladymagpie

I am currently with orange, my minimum term ends on February 2nd and I'm going to ring them to give my 30 days notice today, so it'll actually end on the 3rd, and to request my PAC code.

I've seen a deal I like at a price I like with O2 for a phone and sim, its around £30 a month and is 4G, and less money then what I'm paying at the moment.

To complicate matters I requested a early upgrade with EE (via orange) which I cancelled within the 14 day cooling off period. The handset is currently still at my house, waiting for a Jiffy bag to be sent so I can send it back.

Am I under an obligation to wait for the early upgrade to be returned before I can end my current contract with orange? Note: whenever I've phones orange about this early upgrade, they've told me they don't have anything to do with it and I have to speak to their EE call centre, so while I upgraded as a orange customer to EE without needing a PAC code, it seems like they are still relatively separate enough for it to be possible for me to upgrade without waiting.

When I move to O2, I know I can keep my number by requesting a PAC code. How does this work? After I've cancelled with orange and I'm waiting for my new phone and sim to arrive, will I be without a phone for a while once the contract ends with orange if my number is being transferred? Will I still be able to use my old phone with orange in the mean time and be charged at a standard rate?

Edit: I want to get the ball rolling now before waiting for my failed upgrade to go back so that I can move away from orange as soon as possible. I've had a horrible experience regarding the failed upgrade - being lied to, disconnected after being on hold for an hour, told by a manager I'm too miserable after the above, so really don't want to give them any more money then I have to.

If I can I want to buy out of my contract and move even sooner. Could I do that?

keith1950

You don't give notice and request a PAC..it's one or the other.

If you request a PAC and then decide not to use it you would have to then ring to give notice.

Using the PAC cancels the contract, if you don't use the PAC the contract just continues on a rolling monthly contract until you give notice.

ladymagpie

Thank you for the correction, I think its obvious I've never done this before!

So let's say I ring orange now and request a PAC. Do I pay any outstanding amount on my contract at the same time?

They give me the code and then i can ring O2 and give them the code? Then I'm just waiting on O2 to send me the phone and sim?

How does that sit with my failed early upgrade?

keith1950

I don't know how thay 'sits with your failed upgrade' ...it really depends on what the computer system at Orange is saying about your account status.

If your in the last month of your contract you usually receive a final bill after the PAC has been used ...although on a couple of occasions tmobile wanted payment before they would give the PAC ....but this payment was reflected in the final bill.

Buzby

If you have an upgrade phone your minimum term will have already been updated to reflect the change, so a PAC or termination will not happen. Until they agree the return and restore the minimum term, anything else s academic.

Get that sorted first, THEN arrange to depart!

macman

ladymagpie wrote: »

Thank you for the correction, I think its obvious I've never done this before!

So let's say I ring orange now and request a PAC. Do I pay any outstanding amount on my contract at the same time?

They give me the code and then i can ring O2 and give them the code? Then I'm just waiting on O2 to send me the phone and sim?

How does that sit with my failed early upgrade?

No, because your final bill can only be generated once you have used the PAC and ported your number. A PAC is purely a time-limited 'option to quit'.
Since you pay your monthly charges a month ahead, the balance owing/due will depend on at what point in the billing cycle your PAC is used.

ladymagpie

Buzby wrote: »

If you have an upgrade phone your minimum term will have already been updated to reflect the change, so a PAC or termination will not happen. Until they agree the return and restore the minimum term, anything else s academic.

Get that sorted first, THEN arrange to depart!

I agree it would be sensible to wait until the upgrade phone has been received back by EE, however my current contract is with orange, not ee. And I've been online and it still declares my contract ends on February 2nd, and encourages me to select an early upgrade option.