read in the mirror online https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/how-break-up-your-mobile-23490940
Has the communication gone in your relationship? Have you considered ditching your current one and starting over? I thoroughly recommend it!
No, not that relationship! Millions of us are stuck in relationships with our mobile phone providers that are going nowhere – and by staying put we’re losing out on a fortune.
When you’re out of contract, you can often find yourself stuck on a pricy tariff, so you could save hundreds of pounds by switching.
How to ditch your mobile phone provider
Previously, if you wanted to leave your mobile phone service, you’d have to call up your phone company and ask for a mysterious ‘PAC’ (porting authorisation code)’ code then jump through tons of complicated hoops to switch providers. Now, you just need to send a text.
If you want to switch to another company and keep your phone number text PAC to 65075 .
Your current service provider must respond asap (a minute usually).
The new rules ban some fees associated with switching, but the hefty charges for getting out of your contract early still abound.
Of course, if you feel you’ve been misled by the firm or they’ve failed to switch you in time, you can make a complaint.
How to leave earlier than planned
When you enter into a contract with a mobile phone or broadband provider, but want to leave the contract early, you usually have to pay a fee for doing so.
These ‘early termination’ or ‘exit’ fees are standard across all contracts –-sometimes even pay as you go.
Early termination fees are calculated by working out how long you have left on your contact then billing a fee for the remaining months.
With most providers, you’ll need to pay a monthly charge too, though this will depend on the tariff you’re on and will vary quite a bit.
Here’s a list of the main reasons to leave – and how to take advantage.
1. Things have changed – you’re not the same
That contract that you signed – it binds the firm as much as it binds you. So if the business has changed the way it operates, withdrawn services or introduced significant changes, you can ask to walk away and have the exit fees dropped.
You’ll need to prove that the relationship isn’t working though. So explain why you feel that the firm has changed for the worse. Remember you can go to the free ombudsman service if you’re unhappy.
2. Irreconcilable differences
Sometimes the love slips away and the relationship breaks down between you and your phone company. As with any relationship, it pays to be honest with yourself about where the blame lies.
If a business has treated you badly and refuses to listen, spell out why you feel the relationship isn’t working and why you want to walk away.
Make sure you list the things they’ve done wrong – and mention the ombudsman.
A business should not take any action against you because you’ve made a complaint, but bear in mind if you owe them money for a handset, you’ll need to pay that off. A complaint doesn’t wipe out your obligations.
3. The distance is too much
If you’ve moved to another part of the country, you might not have the signal you need from your phone provider.
The fact of the matter is, if your service isn’t available in your new home you shouldn’t have to pay an exit fee. Yet some firms are still digging their heels over this. Don’t take no for an answer.
Where service is patchy, it’s a bit more complicated. If your mobile phone signal is now poor, tell the firm, take regular broadband and signal speed tests using one of the many free apps there are out there or screenshot the bars of signal on your phone for evidence.
If you can demonstrate that there’s a problem, the firm should let you go without charging you.