Possibly daft Qs about ending virgin mobile rolling contract after porting out

ronnie69

Apologies in advance for ignorance/lack of knowledge of the following but I don't change mobile much and my head's cabbaged. I could phone and ask virgin this but their appalling telephone response and even worse customer service is why I am leaving virgin for telly, broadband, landline and mobile and if I can possible avoid calling them I will.

Anyhoo ... I've had a month to month rolling contract with virgin mobile for many years. On 2 March I requested a PAC code to transfer to a new Lebara sim only contract. The PAC code expired 31 March and confirmed there was no penalty for porting out. I ported over my pre-existing mobile number from virgin to Lebara on 30 March. My 17 March bill from virgin (like all virgin bills) is not very clear but appears to confirm that it covers 18 March to 17 April. Nowhere on the bill or the virgin mobile website does it say when my contract ends despite me now having no phone number with virgin. The virgin tariff is only £8/month but I'd still rather give nothing to virgin that I don't need to. The limited info available about the porting process on the virgin website suggests that porting out after obtaining a PAC code terminates the virgin contract but I'm not sure about that. I'm also not clear whether my 30 days' notice to virgin started on 2 March when I requested the PAC code or 30 March when I ported out.

I could just cancel my DD to virgin due tomorrow but might owe them a small amount so would rather clear that without argy bargy even though getting a credit from them later may be a headache. More than anything though, I'd just like to know when my notice period ends.

I know many peeps transfer sims many times throughout the year so some peeps on here may be able to give me a steer. Otherwise it's a phone call to virgin mobile [shudder] 

Thanks in advance

ProDave

You ported on 30th March so a bill prepared on 17th March would not have known when or if you were going to leave so how could it say.

In theory you should be due a small refund as you had paid to the 17th April but ended the service on 30th March.  You can either phone to discuss it or just wait and see.

the most important thing is check your bank each day from at least 3 days before the normal DD day to make sure they are not still trying to take payment, and if they are block it at the bank.

Neil_Jones

If your contract is month to month it does what it says on the tin.

If you move via PAC as documented here:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/switching/switching-mobile-phone-provider - "Ofcom has banned mobile providers from charging for notice periods that run after the switch date."

Also of interest: service is switched in one working day.  There is no notice period.  So you pick somebody, get a PAC code, give them it and your number moves.  You don't need to speak to Virgin.

PHK

You'll get one final bill that credits you for any extra you paid on your last bill past the date you ported out. 

(I think by chance you ported at about the worst possible time, mid way between a billing cycle and too far after the bill preparation date that the direct debit has already been presented to the bank)

ronnie69

ProDave said:

You ported on 30th March so a bill prepared on 17th March would not have known when or if you were going to leave so how could it say.

Thanks for that. I could have been clearer earlier - I wasn't expecting the bill which preceded the port out to address the credit I should get after porting out. As you suggest, the bill couldn't see the future. What I meant was the bills say nothing about ending your contract in general and the website says next to nothing too. 

Thanks for all the responses - very helpful.

savergrant

A lot depends on your virgin t&Cs. Requesting a pac is not strictly speaking the same as giving notice to terminate, although along with the pac virgin should have sent you important information regarding your balance and exit charges. It is possible that they are allowed to charge you for a month after the pac was presented by your new network. It is also possible that they might refund half your upfront charges for march to April. Depending on what kind of numbers this involves you may wish to read through your old contract. and be prepared for them to take a payment in April before cancelling the dd with the bank.

PHK

savergrant said:

A lot depends on your virgin t&Cs. Requesting a pac is not strictly speaking the same as giving notice to terminate, although along with the pac virgin should have sent you important information regarding your balance and exit charges. It is possible that they are allowed to charge you for a month after the pac was presented by your new network. It is also possible that they might refund half your upfront charges for march to April. Depending on what kind of numbers this involves you may wish to read through your old contract. and be prepared for them to take a payment in April before cancelling the dd with the bank.

Provided someone is outside their minimum period Ofcom doesn’t allow a provider to charge beyond the date service ended. 

Depended on what time you port out in the month. You’ll either get a final bill for any outstanding charges less any excess you’ve paid for already. 

Or if you port out too close to a bill date, you might get a further months bill followed by a final bill crediting the excess you’ve paid. 

savergrant

I understood most mobile deals now are 30 day contracts set to recur automatically, so unless you opt out beforehand you have "signed up" to a fresh 30 day contract once the previous one ends.

littlemoney

savergrant said:

I understood most mobile deals now are 30 day contracts set to recur automatically, so unless you opt out beforehand you have "signed up" to a fresh 30 day contract once the previous one ends.

From reading this thread, on a 30 day contact, what is the best date to port out to a new provider.