Mobile Phone Contracts

rubyinthesky

I have had a mobile phone contract with T-Mobile for years now. I have a second line for my son.

When I was starting to struggle with repaying my debt payments, I phoned them to see if they could reduce the plan and therefore the cost, but they said no, nothing they could do. I asked how much to buy out of the contract and one was £250 and the other was over £500. One of them ends in on Xmas Eve this year and the other has until September 2015. The one that I need to keep is for my business number, which is on all of my business cards and stationery, which is the earlier one. I would gladly end the other one today and get a PAYG for my son. I'm paying £60 each month, and really want to get this down.

Is there anything that can be done at all? Bearing in mind that I need to keep that number?

19lottie82

rubyinthesky wrote: »

I have had a mobile phone contract with T-Mobile for years now. I have a second line for my son.

When I was starting to struggle with repaying my debt payments, I phoned them to see if they could reduce the plan and therefore the cost, but they said no, nothing they could do. I asked how much to buy out of the contract and one was £250 and the other was over £500. One of them ends in on Xmas Eve this year and the other has until September 2015. The one that I need to keep is for my business number, which is on all of my business cards and stationery, which is the earlier one. I would gladly end the other one today and get a PAYG for my son. I'm paying £60 each month, and really want to get this down.

Is there anything that can be done at all? Bearing in mind that I need to keep that number?

If you've already asked them and they said no, then no. Unless you default on them but then I don't think you will be able to keep the numbers, your credit rating will be trashed, and they will prob pass the case on to debt collectors. But for these reasons, this wouldn't be advisable.

Did you ask, if there was a point when you could reduce the tariffs before the end of the minimum term?

One possibility would be to get someone (friend / family member) to "take over" the contract, but you'd obviously need to find someone who was willing to do this, and they'd need to pass a credit check.

Could you sell the handsets to put towards the line rental costs?

Could you cut back in other areas, to improve your finances in general?
If you post a statement of affairs on here then people can advise.

rubyinthesky

Thanks - I'm in a DMP with StepChange, so done everything else, just needed to try and reduce this if possible. My credit history already trashed as of 1st April - previously never had a late payment or default on anything.

I'll just have to keep going with it I think - I can't lose the number and also can't sell the handset - IPhone, which I use for the business. Also, thinking about it, I can put mine against the business, but that doesn't really help month on month.

It's all budgeted for, but just thought I could reduce it and pay more off my debts.

19lottie82

rubyinthesky wrote: »

can't sell the handset - IPhone, which I use for the business.

It's all budgeted for, but just thought I could reduce it and pay more off my debts.

Why not, surely a much cheaper replacement, like a mid range android phone would do the job just fine?

rubyinthesky wrote: »

It's all budgeted for, but just thought I could reduce it and pay more off my debts.

Sadly not, you agreed to pay £x a month for 24 (?) months, when you signed the contract. These high monthly costs are what subsidises the "free" handsets provided.

marliepanda

The phones aren't free, the price is bundled with the contract (O2 now makes that much clearer)

So no you can't stop paying but keep the phone and the number. Otherwise everyone would be signing up for free phones every month and cancelling shortly after.

rubyinthesky

Yep, good points - makes complete sense!