Help - have no idea how to switch provider!

Parsimonia

I apologise in advance for being such a hopeless numpty and not having a clue how to go about switching!

I currently pay £42.50 DD per month for mobiles for me and my hubby (£30 per month for my Samsung Galaxy S3 and £12.50 for hubbys Galaxy S3 mini). Both with 500 free minutes, 5000 free texts and 1.25GB of data.

Unfortunately it's a 24 month deal, so we're locked in until the end of November 2014.

(When I started typing this I thought we were on 18 month contracts - doh!!!)

Anyway, pressing on, when it comes to the end of our contracts, we'd like to cut our monthly bills and (ideally) switch to Vodafone as it has the best coverage in the backwoods of Norfolk where we live.

We hardly touch our data limits (we each average about 30MB of data a month) and we probably each send about 50 texts a month and use our phones to make maybe half an hour of calls per month.

Can we switch over to Vodafone and still keep on using our phones (which we like) and retain our current numbers?

Is that even possible? Or do we need to get new phones and numbers?

grumbler

If the phones were supplied by your provider, most likely they are locked to the network. You have plenty of time to get them unlocked. Do your research for the cheapest option.

Mobile Unlocking


If you want to keep your numbers call your network 30 days before the minimum term ends and get PAC(s). Otherwise give a month's cancellation notice.

About 4-5 days before the minimum term ends give the PAC to the new provider to have your number ported from the old network. If it's PAYG, you can get a new sim well in advance.

Ovivo PAYG use Vodafone signal and currently give 200m+300t+500Mb every month for free. The sim costs £20 that includes £15 top up.

Parsimonia

Thank you so much for your help!

Given our usage, do you think PAYG is the better option than being on a contract? I've never heard of Ovivo, I'll check it out - thank you!

grumbler

Parsimonia wrote: »

Given our usage, do you think PAYG is the better option than being on a contract?

Well, as you can get for free the airtime you need, you effectively are in the process of repaying your loan on your S3 that cost about £450 a year ago. The APR you are paying for this loan is 63%:eek: that results in extra 24x£30-£450=£270 that you pay on the top of the actual price.

forgotmyname

Vodafone contract phones are already unlocked.

£30 for an S3 is ouch.... I pay less for an S4.

The Voda bills say you used ££ this month. Sometimes thats well over £100. How that compares to a pay&go sim i dont know. But i know its a fixed monthly price and i get unlimited minutes and texts. I never get any extra charges.

Over 2 years its £648. with the new S4. I could have saved £100 a year by getting the S3 i guess.

When i had a look it appeared like i am paying an extra £10 a month having the S4 over a plain sim only deal.

I think they are about right?

macman

Given that you are in minimum term with Voda for another 11m, I'd start researching your options again around early October. The mobile market changes very fast, and deals that look good now may not be so good in 11 months. About all you can effectively do in the meantime is get the hansdsets unlocked (if they are locked), assuming that you want to retain the handsets and go SIM only contract or PAYG.

gardner1

Why sign up for a 500 min a month contract when you only use 30 min

Parsimonia

gardner1 wrote: »

Why sign up for a 500 min a month contract when you only use 30 min

Good question! I don't know what came over me....

I think on reflection I did it because it was the only tariff where I got the phone for free....

We are currently with Tesco and will probably switch to vodafone from November to improve our signal.

We text each other using Whatsapp or message via Skype...can phone each other via skype too, come to that. As for calling other people, it's a rarity, and we send maybe 20 text to friends each per month.

Both of us average 30mb of data usage each month...

macman

Parsimonia wrote: »

Good question! I don't know what came over me....

I think on reflection I did it because it was the only tariff where I got the phone for free....

We are currently with Tesco and will probably switch to vodafone from November to improve our signal.

We text each other using Whatsapp or message via Skype...can phone each other via skype too, come to that. As for calling other people, it's a rarity, and we send maybe 20 text to friends each per month.

Both of us average 30mb of data usage each month...

But as was pointed out in post 4, it wasn't free-far from it. You will eventually pay £1,020 over the minimum term; that'a a huge premium over the value of the handsets and the miniscule airtime you are actually able to use.

Parsimonia

macman wrote: »

But as was pointed out in post 4, it wasn't free-far from it. You will eventually pay £1,020 over the minimum term; that'a a huge premium over the value of the handsets and the miniscule airtime you are actually able to use.

Yes, I think it's a case of live and learn.....

NO point crying over something I can't change, but I CAN improve the situation after November. I think I'll unlock the phones and switch us both over to Vodafone PAYG...

grumbler

Before spending time and money on unlocking check whether the phones are really locked. If you don't have another network sim to check, just order a free PAYG sim.