Is there anyway to get out of a phone contract ?

WUW1

Hi, sorry if I've posted this in the wrong section.

Basically, to keep the story short, last August I took out a 2 year phone contract for a "friend", who promptly done me over leaving me with £37 a month to pay on my own, I got the phone blocked but I still have to pay for the contract, which I'm struggling to.

I'm at the point where I'm just thinking of canceling the dd and bumping it. It would be over £800 to pay it off, which I'm not willing to do.

If I tell Vodafone I'm struggling to pay, to the point where it would be better for me to just stop paying, and take the hit on my credit profile than keep paying £37 each month, on top of my own £47 O2 contract, would they at least decrease the monthly payments ?

Thanks

d123

WUW1 wrote: »

Hi, sorry if I've posted this in the wrong section.

Basically, to keep the story short, last August I took out a 2 year phone contract for a "friend", who promptly done me over leaving me with £37 a month to pay on my own, I got the phone blocked but I still have to pay for the contract, which I'm struggling to.

I'm at the point where I'm just thinking of canceling the dd and bumping it. It would be over £800 to pay it off, which I'm not willing to do.

If I tell Vodafone I'm struggling to pay, to the point where it would be better for me to just stop paying, and take the hit on my credit profile than keep paying £37 each month, on top of my own £47 O2 contract, would they at least decrease the monthly payments ?

Thanks

No, unfortunately you signed a contract, that's all the network will care about (the fact you signed for someone else is irrelevant).

If you cancel the DD Voda will set the debt collectors on you and trash your credit file for the next 6 years. A serious mistake.

Sell the handset you received to offset some of the cost.

Speak to Vodafone, perhaps write in and lay out the whole story, ask if they would put you on some sort of payment plan until you can afford the full monthly charge again, it's highly unlikely, but if you don't ask you won't know, unfortunately you owe the money and they won't stop trying to collect it.

19lottie82

If you're only 7 months into a 24 month contract, then I doubt it, but there is no harm in asking.

Don't cancel the DD and stop paying, it will trash your credit record for the next 6 years, and will not be worth it. Really.
Plus VF won't just write it off they will come after you with debt collectors.

Again, if you try to ignore this it will come back to haunt you, and you will regret it. It is not, I repeat, not, a good idea.

Oh and please don't take out any form of contract or debt for anyone again.

thecassman86

I definitely echo the other suggestions - it's a debt, regardless of who benefits from it, so it will be collected. Cancelling it will just give you problems that could turn legal as well as the fact that it destroys your rating for 6 years...

It's a lesson: don't take out credit or debt for anybody other than yourself. But, you probably know that now!

Vodafone may allow you to change your payment schedule but it's unlikely as the contract was signed to say you'd pay it. Best to speak to them though. Presumably your "friend" kept the phone in which case you can't sell it. Sounds like a classic case of you taking out a contract and then they sell the phone. The fact that you blocked it is irrelevant as that's easy to get around if you know what you're doing.

On a related note - what do you get for £47/month ?!?!

lhead123

The only time I've heard of people getting out of contracts is when the move abroad, but thats very rare and they've only had a few month of it left. I agree with what everyone else has said, vodafone won't care that your friend screwed you over, the contract is in your name so they will make you pay for it.

Can you phone vodafone and ask them to send you a new sim card for that contract and find a trusted member of your family who would be willing to use it and pay you? Even if they only pay you half the value, it will help you.

When does your other contract finish? Could you swap to using the vodafone contract when yours finishes?

L

thecassman86

lhead123 wrote: »

Can you phone vodafone and ask them to send you a new sim card for that contract and find a trusted member of your family who would be willing to use it and pay you? Even if they only pay you half the value, it will help you.

When does your other contract finish? Could you swap to using the vodafone contract when yours finishes?

Both of these are great suggestions OP.

Monkeyballs

Hi,

I agree with the comments above - especially the idea of trying to find someone to take it over, preferably in their name.

Beyond that, it's damage limitation I'm afraid...

Try asking them to do a step down (I think Vodafone do this), this is where an account which is 6 months + old can be reduced to the next tariff for the remainder of the contract (possibly might be able to repeat it every 6 months, I can't remember) so it would go from £37 to £31.

Beyond that, if it was just ignored then it would eventually be passed to a DCA who might be receptive to either an F&F offer (probably 75% off the total) but will probably have added another £100 but this point anyway! Plus, it will trash your credit report so I don't advise this option unless you have no alternative...

MB

Vodafone

Hi WUW1,

Thanks for making me aware of your concerns.

If you'd like to discuss things further with me, could you email me with your details via the link in our profile here?

All you need to do is copy and paste the link into your web browser and it'll take you to the Contact us form on our website. To make sure it reaches me could you also quote the code WRT135 - MSE in the subject line?

Once sent you'll receive an automated reply with a reference number. So I can make sure I've got it could you update the thread with this and I'll get back to you as soon as possible?

Kind regards,

Lee

Web Relations

Vodafone UK