Selling/ transferring your mobile phone contract

huntsman123

My partner has just been offered a PHD in Dublin. The only problem we have is that a few months ago she took out a new 2 year phone contract with 3. The Galaxy S4 that came with it recycles/ ebays for £200 and the remaining contract is in the region of £600, so we are at least £400 down for not being psychic.

Unless you're in the forces, the only way out of a contract is to transfer it on to someone else, like filling a room in a student houseshare. Is there a forum for people to do this (apart from standing outside carphone warehouse waiting for people to come in who might want an 19 month contract and second hand phone..)?

Would we be liable in any way if we transferred to someone we didn't know well?

tazdevil01985

Hi Huntsman

3 may allow you to transfer you account to another person/family member. I know the previous company I used to work for still credit checked that other person.

I doubt there is a forum or any place which can help your situation just have to see what 3 can do. They may let you buy out your contract at a reduced price or just 19 x XX (minus the VAT as they cant charge you VAT on a service they dont provide).

IMO I would advise against doing anything else for the following reasons.
1) You would still be liable for the bill and will trash your credit history if the new person didnt pay
2) Most Mobile Providers will have something like must not resell etc as part of their T's & C's

pepdavies

Are you selling it to save money or because you are moving to Ireland? I believe you can use a 3 phone in Ireland for UK rates.

Tony5101

Ireland is one of Three's "Feel at home" destinations - so she would be able to use her data and call allowances to call UK mobiles and landlines as though she were in the UK. This would also allow people from the UK to call her from within their own allowances and it wouldn't cost her to receive the calls either.
I know it's not the best solution overall - but this could lessen the blow I guess.
She could then maybe use a cheap phone on PAYG for local domestic Irish calls.
Just a suggestion of course

huntsman123

Cheers taz. Just an idea, I thought the problem would be that they didn't completely take you off the contract.

Pep: She can't use the contract anymore as ROI is definitely roaming. We've been to Belfast, which is covered by Three but has no signal, so we kept picking up Roaming Charges for connecting to the Republic of Ireland networks. I've double checked with 3 as well.

I'm at a point where I'm learning all my families mobile phone contract periods as I get told annually that the only way round contracts is to transfer it! Two year contract- what a nightmare. But it's still better than PAYG.

huntsman123

Tony5101 wrote: »

Ireland is one of Three's "Feel at home" destinations - so she would be able to use her data and call allowances to call UK mobiles and landlines as though she were in the UK. This would allow people from the UK to call her from within their own allowances and it wouldn't cost her to recieve the calls either.
I know it's not the best solution overall - but this could lessen the blow I guess.
She could then maybe use a cheap phone on PAYG for local domestic Irish calls.
Just a suggestion of course

Ah, I was told it was only Northern Ireland yesterday, although I had to explain that Dublin definitely was not in Northern Ireland to the sales girl so it may be worth another look. That would be a perfect solution. There's always skype phone too, might be worth a look at getting her a Skype number with 3's great data plan.

I will report back once I've spoken to 3 and looked at the costs properly!

Tony5101

I think you may have got someone that is a bit confused about UK geography LOL.
Northern Ireland is just domestic UK anyway, but their "Feel at Home" service would definitely cover calls to the UK made whilst in the south.

http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBISAPI.DLL?Command=New,Kb=Mobile,Ts=Mobile,T=Article,varset_cat=roaming,varset_subcat=4157,Case=EXT(EM11925)

macman

huntsman123 wrote: »

My partner has just been offered a PHD in Dublin. The only problem we have is that a few months ago she took out a new 2 year phone contract with 3. The Galaxy S4 that came with it recycles/ ebays for £200 and the remaining contract is in the region of £600, so we are at least £400 down for not being psychic.

Unless you're in the forces, the only way out of a contract is to transfer it on to someone else, like filling a room in a student houseshare. Is there a forum for people to do this (apart from standing outside carphone warehouse waiting for people to come in who might want an 19 month contract and second hand phone..)?

Would we be liable in any way if we transferred to someone we didn't know well?

Yes, of course you are. You can sell the handset and change the DD details to those of the purchaser's bank, but the contract and the liabiliity remain fully yours. If the buyer defaults on the payment, it's you that the network comes after.
Even if you had a private contractual arrangement to transfer the liability, the network would not recognise that, so any default would still be yours to pay.
It's very risky even with someone you know. With someone you don't, it's financial suicide-the equivalent of giving your credit card and PIN no. to a total stranger.