Changing phone contracts at end of my contract with PAC

Nuggy96

Hi All,
My phone contract runs out with BT on 29th April and I am looking to swap to 3 via fonehouse who are offering 8GB data, unl. mins, unl. texts for £8 then after their cashback redemption works out at £4 a month.

My question is with my phone contract running out on 29th April, when is the best time to order the sim card, would it be a couple of days before and use my PAC code so when it arrives and activates it will be 29th so no delay and don't have to pay any exit fees. Or would I have to wait until exactly 29th April to order the sim card with my PAC code?

Thanks,

J_B

Remember, your phone contract doesn't 'run out' it merely moves onto a rolling 30 day contract so you will need to give 30 days notice.

Nuggy96

J_B said:

Remember, your phone contract doesn't 'run out' it merely moves onto a rolling 30 day contract so you will need to give 30 days notice.

I’m sure that this changed a while back. Now you request your PAC and you can move immediately without a notice period

MrChriZ

This is a very good question - I'm in the same boat - looking to leave BT Mobile for another provider and it would be very useful to have a step by guide somewhere to ensure the new provider contract starts as close as possible to the old contract without incurring additional fees from the old provider or losing connectivity.

sdduk

MrChriZ said:

This is a very good question - I'm in the same boat - looking to leave BT Mobile for another provider and it would be very useful to have a step by guide somewhere to ensure the new provider contract starts as close as possible to the old contract without incurring additional fees from the old provider or losing connectivity.

 Have a read at the link 
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2019/end-it-with-a-text-mobile-switching

MrChriZ

Thanks I read there but it doesn't provide much help.
As a test I've tried messaging for my PAC code from BT.
Annoyingly the message tells me:
"Because your mobile contract doesn't end until 03-Jun-2020, as of 07-May-2020, you'll need to pay around 6.39 GBP to get out of it before then. Thanks."
I don't think this should be true.  The contract is a 12 month contract and I've paid 12 months x  £9 a month as per the contract already.  My contract started on the 4th of June last year - 1st bill on the 17th of June and then one monthly bill on the 4th of every month.  Seems to me there's a bug in the system.

Nuggy96

so I worked out how it works:
You text PAC to 65075 to get your PAC.
you then join another network and give your PAC code to them and they have to move your number over in 1 working day. This then cancels your old phone contract immediately, so you don't at any point double pay.

Nuggy96

MrChriZ said:

Thanks I read there but it doesn't provide much help.
As a test I've tried messaging for my PAC code from BT.
Annoyingly the message tells me:
"Because your mobile contract doesn't end until 03-Jun-2020, as of 07-May-2020, you'll need to pay around 6.39 GBP to get out of it before then. Thanks."
I don't think this should be true.  The contract is a 12 month contract and I've paid 12 months x  £9 a month as per the contract already.  My contract started on the 4th of June last year - 1st bill on the 17th of June and then one monthly bill on the 4th of every month.  Seems to me there's a bug in the system.

You will have had the first monthly bill as a pro-rata bill so your first bill won't be the full £9 

MrChriZ

Nuggy96 said:

MrChriZ said:

Thanks I read there but it doesn't provide much help.
As a test I've tried messaging for my PAC code from BT.
Annoyingly the message tells me:
"Because your mobile contract doesn't end until 03-Jun-2020, as of 07-May-2020, you'll need to pay around 6.39 GBP to get out of it before then. Thanks."
I don't think this should be true.  The contract is a 12 month contract and I've paid 12 months x  £9 a month as per the contract already.  My contract started on the 4th of June last year - 1st bill on the 17th of June and then one monthly bill on the 4th of every month.  Seems to me there's a bug in the system.

You will have had the first monthly bill as a pro-rata bill so your first bill won't be the full £9 

Thanks - but did I check that. The first bill was for the full amount - same as the other bills.

sdduk

MrChriZ said:

Nuggy96 said:

MrChriZ said:

Thanks I read there but it doesn't provide much help.
As a test I've tried messaging for my PAC code from BT.
Annoyingly the message tells me:
"Because your mobile contract doesn't end until 03-Jun-2020, as of 07-May-2020, you'll need to pay around 6.39 GBP to get out of it before then. Thanks."
I don't think this should be true.  The contract is a 12 month contract and I've paid 12 months x  £9 a month as per the contract already.  My contract started on the 4th of June last year - 1st bill on the 17th of June and then one monthly bill on the 4th of every month.  Seems to me there's a bug in the system.

You will have had the first monthly bill as a pro-rata bill so your first bill won't be the full £9 

Thanks - but did I check that. The first bill was for the full amount - same as the other bills.

Thats a early termination charge because you are still in May not June and you have to give 30 days notice to leave even if your contract was ended....The contract doesn't just end you have to give them 30 days notice or wait till the 4th of june and then text for the pac code then give to the new provider and once the number goes over the contract will automatically end.
No mobile contract just finishes at the end of 12/24mths it goes into a rolling 30 days contract. 

MrChriZ

sdduk said:

MrChriZ said:

Nuggy96 said:

MrChriZ said:

Thanks I read there but it doesn't provide much help.
As a test I've tried messaging for my PAC code from BT.
Annoyingly the message tells me:
"Because your mobile contract doesn't end until 03-Jun-2020, as of 07-May-2020, you'll need to pay around 6.39 GBP to get out of it before then. Thanks."
I don't think this should be true.  The contract is a 12 month contract and I've paid 12 months x  £9 a month as per the contract already.  My contract started on the 4th of June last year - 1st bill on the 17th of June and then one monthly bill on the 4th of every month.  Seems to me there's a bug in the system.

You will have had the first monthly bill as a pro-rata bill so your first bill won't be the full £9 

Thanks - but did I check that. The first bill was for the full amount - same as the other bills.

Thats a early termination charge because you are still in May not June and you have to give 30 days notice to leave even if your contract was ended....The contract doesn't just end you have to give them 30 days notice or wait till the 4th of june and then text for the pac code then give to the new provider and once the number goes over the contract will automatically end.
No mobile contract just finishes at the end of 12/24mths it goes into a rolling 30 days contract. 

I don't believe that's true.  If I'd waited until the 4th it would have turned my 12 month contract into a 13 month contract which is plainly nonsense.
Also you don't have to give them 30 days notice... That's the whole point of this new system. I'm pretty sure there is a bug in the BT system.  
I waited until the charge got down to under £2 and then swapped.  If I get charged the £2 I'll take it up with BT/Ofcom
I've never had problems like this before and I change contracts on just about everything at least yearly.