How do I cancel my phone contract without penalty charges?
Discussion
So the back story is I had an 18month contract with 3. Was ok but my signal suddenly became rubbish. Dropping calls, phone not ringing when ppl call, texts being delayed by hours or never reaching me at all etc.
I wasn't really paying attention to where in the 18 months I was and had no communication from them but phoned up to find out when it was due to finish to find it already had finished and I was on a rolling month to month contract. I complained about the signal and they said oh yes the signal in my area was not the best but it was fine and would be getting better. If I got a new phone it would probably improve. I told them to swap me to a cheaper month to month tarrif in the mean time while I thought about it.
Trying to save money I put up with dodgy signal for a few months but eventually decided since my flatmate got a new phone with the same network and has no problem with signal that I would get a new contract as it must just be my old phone which by this point was turning itself off randomly and was generally buggered.
So get a brand new Samsung Galaxy S from them on a good deal but the signal is no better and may actually be worse. In my room in my flat I have usually no bars and sometimes no service. If I go home I have no service for 99% of the time and I still get delayed texts the occassional vanishing ones and phone not ringing or cutting off etc.
So how do I cancel it. It has been 10 days since I phoned and got the new contract so isn't there a 14 day colling off period? Although there seems to be some confusion over whether this counts as I didn't sign a new contract I only technically extended an existing contract? I don't think I should have any cancellation fees as they are not providing the service I am paying for. I have not physically signed any contract and have not had one in the post or in email form from them, all I have had a is a telephone conversation which surely can not be binding? They claim you can return any phones within 14 days but in the small print if you so much as put your sim in it is classed as being "personalised" which is total balls as how would you know if it even worked unless you had used it.
So any advice? I want to do this as pain free as possible and the idea of having to explain this to some bloke in a far eastern call centre is worrying as there is no end of horror stories on the web of ppl cancelling over the phone and bills and debt collectors still turning up and them refusing that it was ever cancelled.
I wasn't really paying attention to where in the 18 months I was and had no communication from them but phoned up to find out when it was due to finish to find it already had finished and I was on a rolling month to month contract. I complained about the signal and they said oh yes the signal in my area was not the best but it was fine and would be getting better. If I got a new phone it would probably improve. I told them to swap me to a cheaper month to month tarrif in the mean time while I thought about it.
Trying to save money I put up with dodgy signal for a few months but eventually decided since my flatmate got a new phone with the same network and has no problem with signal that I would get a new contract as it must just be my old phone which by this point was turning itself off randomly and was generally buggered.
So get a brand new Samsung Galaxy S from them on a good deal but the signal is no better and may actually be worse. In my room in my flat I have usually no bars and sometimes no service. If I go home I have no service for 99% of the time and I still get delayed texts the occassional vanishing ones and phone not ringing or cutting off etc.
So how do I cancel it. It has been 10 days since I phoned and got the new contract so isn't there a 14 day colling off period? Although there seems to be some confusion over whether this counts as I didn't sign a new contract I only technically extended an existing contract? I don't think I should have any cancellation fees as they are not providing the service I am paying for. I have not physically signed any contract and have not had one in the post or in email form from them, all I have had a is a telephone conversation which surely can not be binding? They claim you can return any phones within 14 days but in the small print if you so much as put your sim in it is classed as being "personalised" which is total balls as how would you know if it even worked unless you had used it.
So any advice? I want to do this as pain free as possible and the idea of having to explain this to some bloke in a far eastern call centre is worrying as there is no end of horror stories on the web of ppl cancelling over the phone and bills and debt collectors still turning up and them refusing that it was ever cancelled.
Edited by xr287 on Wednesday 17th November 00:21
Well that went surprisingly well. They didn't try to do anything to stop me and have issued me with a PAC code already. They are sending me a package to return my phone in and it seems like I will only end up paying for 1 month of the contract.
With the PAC code it also seems like they can't keep billing me and turn round and say I didn't cancel it as they are only valid for 30 days and by using it I prove they communicated with me and issued it. So quite happy so far
With the PAC code it also seems like they can't keep billing me and turn round and say I didn't cancel it as they are only valid for 30 days and by using it I prove they communicated with me and issued it. So quite happy so far
xr287 said:
AyBee said:
Decent result - with the hassle I've had with my provider (a sponsor of Mclaren F1 
) I'm seriously considering 3...or possibly Tesco 
I'm just about to move to a provider who wponsors Mclaren F1! What were the problems?) I'm seriously considering 3...or possibly Tesco No issues, basically its O2 with another brand name on it.
Her bills with O2 = £165
Her bills with Tesco = £35
Simples.
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