Mobile phone contracts (three) - why is the end date not the true end date?

max00d

Hello - I'm a little perplexed and perturbed by a recent experience I had with three (mobile phone provider). My 24 month contract was due to expire on 12/12/15 and on black Friday 27/11/15 I got a cracking deal from another provider. I then called three to ask for a PAC code to transfer my number. I was then told that despite the end of my original contract being 12th December I would have to give them 30 days notice. Therefore, I would have to pay for an additional 15 days fee instead of simply the remaining portion of my contract (which I has already paid anyway at this point).

On top of this I have just received a bill for £28 for an early termination fee. I mean how the hell do they get away with doing stuff like this. It really makes my blood boil. I've done some searching around and I cant see much information about this sort of thing. If anyone knows anything related to this area or has had a similar experience I would be eager to hear to get some ideas about how to approach this.

Many thanks for you time.

GwylimT

If they weren't terms you were happy with you shouldn't have agreed to them by taking out the contract.

grumbler

max00d wrote: »

Hello - I'm a little perplexed and perturbed by a recent experience I had with three (mobile phone provider). My 24 month contract was due to expire on 12/12/15

Minimum term, not contract. Contract goes on and at any point requires 30 days notice to 'expire'.

and on black Friday 27/11/15 I got a cracking deal from another provider. I then called three to ask for a PAC code

The 10 worst acronyms if you're a pedant (grrr) - Martin Lewis' Blog...

to transfer my number. I was then told that despite the end of my original contract being 12th December I would have to give them 30 days notice. Therefore, I would have to pay for an additional 15 days fee instead of simply the remaining portion of my contract (which I has already paid anyway at this point).

Yes, that's exactly what the contract says if you read it at last.

On top of this I have just received a bill for £28 for an early termination fee. I mean how the hell do they get away with doing stuff like this. It really makes my blood boil. I've done some searching around and I cant see much information about this sort of thing. If anyone knows anything related to this area or has had a similar experience I would be eager to hear to get some ideas about how to approach this.

Sometimes this can be just confusing. Usually a part of the 30 day is partly paid in advance, and only the remaining days have to be paid for extra. So check thoroughly the bills and do the maths.
All your payments and the fee have to cover the minimum term and extra 15 (in your case) days pro-rata. If it's not the case, ask Three for an explanation.

macman

So you thought that your mobile would just cease to operate on 12/12/15 if you did nothing? Is this your first mobile contract perhaps? No utility contracts operate on this basis.

grumbler

macman wrote: »

No utility contracts operate on this basis.

However, not all require 30 days' notice to cancel. IIRC, after the min term Vodafone charge only for the actual number of days until the PAC is used and the number is ported out.

Rozapk

If they weren't terms you were happy with you shouldn't have agreed to them by taking out the contract.