Cancelling Your Mobile Phone Contract: Exit Fees & Notice Periods

Find out how to cancel your mobile phone contract, including how much notice you need to give and any exit fees that might apply.

In the UK, there are three ways to cancel your mobile phone contract. The best way to cancel depends on whether you’re moving to another network and whether you’d like to keep your current phone number when you move.

In some cases, you’ll need to pay an “early termination charge” or “early exit fee” when you cancel your contract. This will apply when you cancel during the minimum term of your contract (i.e. the first 12 months or 24 months). In addition, a notice period of around 30 days may also apply if you’re following the standard cancellation process.

In this article, we’ll show you how to cancel your mobile phone contract. For each mobile network, we’ll discuss the exit fees and notice periods that apply when you cancel your contract. We’ll also discuss the discounts available, along with alternative solutions that might allow you to bypass the extra charges.

How To Cancel Your Contract

Broadly speaking, there are three ways to cancel your mobile phone contract in the UK:

The PAC Code Cancellation process should be used when you’re moving to another mobile network and want to keep your current phone number.
The STAC Code Cancellation process should be used when you’re moving to another mobile network, but starting afresh with a new phone number.
The standard cancellation process applies if you’re not moving to another network.

Our network-by-network guides will take you through the process of how to cancel your contract on each mobile network. Please select the mobile network on which you’d like to cancel your contract:

In the rest of this article, we’ll discuss early cancellation fees in more detail. We’ll also present a couple of alternatives to cancelling your contract early, which can save you money compared to paying the early termination fee.

Overview of Early Exit Fees

The following table shows a list of UK mobile networks and the early exit fees that apply if you’re cancelling within the minimum term of your contract. We’ve also shown the notice period that applies for a standard cancellation:

Mobile Network	Early Termination Fee	Notice Period*
BT Mobile	99% of remaining monthly charges	30 days
EE	96% of remaining monthly charges	30 days
iD Mobile	Remaining monthly charges (less avoided costs)	30 days
O2	Full balance remaining on Device Plan (O2 Refresh) 96% of remaining monthly charges (non-Refresh)	30 days
Sky Mobile	Plan dependent (£2.49 to £31.40 per remaining month)	31 days
Tesco Mobile	97% of remaining monthly charges	30 days
Three	97% of remaining monthly charges	30 days
Virgin Mobile	64% of remaining monthly charges	30 days
Vodafone	98% of remaining monthly charges	30 days

* Notice periods only apply for the standard cancellation process. They do not apply if you use the PAC Code or STAC Code cancellation process.

You can find out the exact cancellation fee that applies on your plan by texting INFO to 85075. Alternatively, read on for more information about how the early exit fee is calculated on each network.

Early Termination Fees: By Network

The exact fee you’ll pay for ending your contract early will depend on the amount of time remaining on your contract. It also varies on a network-by-network basis, depending on the discounts they’re able to offer.

BT Mobile

On BT Mobile, you’ll need to pay an early termination fee if you’re ending your contract early during the minimum initial contract period. This is described in clauses 14 to 18 of the BT Mobile consumer terms and conditions.

According to BT, the early termination fee is calculated as follows:

The following steps are used to calculate the ETC:

We take the remaining amount you were due to pay up to the end of the minimum commitment period

We take off VAT

We take off the costs we save (e.g. in payments to suppliers) as a result of you leaving early

We give a 1% discount for early receipt of your payment

We add VAT to the final ETC

In their worked example, there are ‘negligible saved costs’ when you cancel a BT Mobile plan. For this reason, you should only expect to receive the 1% discount on remaining fees due.

If you purchased a mobile phone on contract from BT Mobile, it will have been loaned to you for the first six months of your plan. You’ll therefore need to return your phone if you cancel your contract within the first six months.

Source: BT Mobile Consumer Terms & Conditions (June 2022)
Tariff Information: BT Mobile Website

EE

On EE, you’ll need to pay a Remaining Contract Charge (early termination charge) when you end your contract during the minimum initial term. This is set at 96% of the remaining charges over your minimum initial term.

The following calculation is given as an example on the EE website:

You have a monthly recurring plan at £30 a month, with three months left. We multiply £30 by three, totalling £90. We then take VAT off that figure leaving £75. Then we take 4% off that figure and add VAT to get the final Remaining Contract Charge of £86.40

If you’re cancelling your EE contract outside of the minimum initial term, a 30 day notice period will apply for standard cancellations. You’ll be charged the full monthly fee for this 30 day period (EE calls this a “Notice Period Charge”).

You can cancel your EE contract by calling 150 or submitting your request online.

Source: EE Help: How do I cancel my Pay Monthly plan?
Tariff Information: EE Website

giffgaff

On giffgaff, there are no early termination fees as you’re not tied in to a contract. You can simply change your goodybag or cancel the automatic renewal at any time. Any credit that you’ve already added to your account is non-refundable so you should try to use it up before you leave for another network.

If you’ve purchased a handset from the giffgaff phone store, you can continue paying for this on a separate agreement even when you stop using your giffgaff SIM card. This is because the handset repayment plan is provided on a separate agreement through Klarna.

Source: giffgaff Website
Tariff Information: giffgaff Website

iD Mobile

If you’d like to cancel your iD Mobile plan during the minimum term of your contract, you’ll need to pay an early cancellation fee. This is stated in clause 8.1 of the iD Mobile terms and conditions:

8.1.1… [This Agreement may be terminated] by giving us at least 30 days’ notice in accordance with Clause 17 below. If you do so, you must immediately pay us the Charges including any monthly (or other periodic) line rental charges for any remaining Minimum Period (less any reduction we make for our avoided costs) then outstanding as well as any Charges that apply during the notice period

An estimate of your early cancellation fee is available in the iD Mobile account area.

Source: iD Mobile Returns & Cancellations
Tariff Information: iD Mobile Website

O2

If you’re a customer on O2 Refresh, you can leave at any time by paying off the remaining balance on your device plan. There are no early termination fees applying to the airtime element of your plan.

If you’re on a standard contract (including O2’s SIM-only plans and any handset plans that are taken through a third-party retailer), you’ll need to pay an early termination charge. This is 96% of the remaining monthly payments over your minimum initial term.

The following example calculation is given on the O2 website:

You’re on a 12-month contract costing £21 a month (incl. VAT) and decide to disconnect after six months. This means you’ll pay an early termination charge covering the last six months of your contract.

Your early termination charge is calculated as 6 x £21, which gives an early termination charge of £126.

We then take off 4% of that figure – making the final early termination charge £120.96.

Source: O2 Help & Support: Leaving O2
Tariff Information: O2 Website

Plusnet Mobile

If you’re a Plusnet Mobile customer, you’ll need to pay an early termination charge if you cancel within the minimum term of your contract. This is 96% of the remaining monthly payments on your plan, also taking any upcoming price increases into account:

The early termination charge will be calculated as follows: –

monthly charge* (factoring in any monthly discount to which the customer is entitled);

deduct VAT at the applicable rate;

deduct 4% for early receipt of payment;

multiply this figure by the remaining months of the minimum term;

add VAT at the applicable rate to the final amount.

A percentage price increase will be applied to your monthly mobile plan price. This price increase will be applied on or after 1st March every year and will be equal to a percentage comprising of i) the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate figure published by the Office for National Statistics in January of that year plus ii) 3.9%.

This means, your early termination charge will also be subject to these increases.

Source: Plusnet Mobile price guide
Tariff Information: Plusnet Mobile website

Sky Mobile

On Sky Mobile, you’ll need to pay an early termination charge if you cancel your mobile contract early before the end of the minimum term. This is calculated based on the number of months remaining in your minimum contract term. You’ll get a discount on your remaining monthly payments (typically around 25-50% off the original monthly amount).

As of October 2022, the early termination fees on Sky Mobile are as follows:

Data Plan	Normal Monthly Fee	Early Termination Fee
100MB	£5 per month	£2.49 per remaining month
500MB	£5 per month	£2.55 per remaining month
500MB	£6 per month	£3.28 per remaining month
1GB	£5 per month	£2.55 per remaining month
	£6 per month	£3.31 per remaining month
	£7 per month	£4.13 per remaining month
	£10 per month	£6.68 per remaining month
2GB	£6 per month	£3.31 per remaining month
	£7 per month	£4.13 per remaining month
	£10 per month	£6.68 per remaining month
	£12 per month	£8.23 per remaining month
3GB	£6 per month	£3.31 per remaining month
	£7 per month	£4.13 per remaining month
	£8 per month	£4.92 per remaining month
	£12 per month	£8.14 per remaining month
4GB	£12 per month	£8.27 per remaining month
5GB	£10 per month	£6.61 per remaining month
5GB	£15 per month	£10.82 per remaining month
6GB	£8 per month	£4.96 per remaining month
	£9 per month	£5.78 per remaining month
	£12 per month	£8.27 per remaining month
7GB	£9 per month	£5.80 per remaining month
8GB	£10 per month	£6.61 per remaining month
8GB	£15 per month	£10.75 per remaining month
9GB	£12 per month	£8.14 per remaining month
10GB	£10 per month	£6.61 per remaining month
	£12 per month	£8.14 per remaining month
	£15 per month	£10.75 per remaining month
	£20 per month	£14.95 per remaining month
12GB	£11 per month	£7.38 per remaining month
	£12 per month	£8.27 per remaining month
	£15 per month	£10.75 per remaining month
15GB	£15 per month	£10.75 per remaining month
	£18 per month	£13.23 per remaining month
	£20 per month	£14.88 per remaining month
20GB	£12 per month	£8.14 per remaining month
	£20 per month	£14.88 per remaining month
	£25 per month	£19.01 per remaining month
25GB	£15 per month	£10.75 per remaining month
	£25 per month	£19.01 per remaining month
	£30 per month	£23.14 per remaining month
30GB	£15 per month	£10.75 per remaining month
	£20 per month	£14.81 per remaining month
	£25 per month	£19.01 per remaining month
	£30 per month	£23.14 per remaining month
40GB	£24 per month	£18.25 per remaining month
	£30 per month	£23.14 per remaining month
	£40 per month	£31.40 per remaining month
50GB	£25 per month	£19.08 per remaining month
50GB	£40 per month	£31.40 per remaining month
60GB	£30 per month	£23.14 per remaining month
Unlimited Calls and Texts Saver		£8.26 per remaining month
International Calls and Texts Saver		£2.50 per remaining month

You can reduce your early termination charge by switching to a different plan and removing any optional extras before you cancel. For instance, you can downgrade to a cheaper plan before requesting cancellation. For more information, see Sky’s webpage on changing your Mix.

Source: Sky: Charges for ending your Sky contract early (October 2022)
Tariff Information: Sky Mobile website

Tesco Mobile

If you’re cancelling your contract early on Tesco Mobile, you’ll need to pay an Early Termination Charge.

According to the Tesco Mobile terms and conditions, this “will never be more than your monthly subscription price multiplied by the number of months remaining on your contract”. There’s a discount of “approximately 3% for any benefit [Tesco Mobile] might
receive from no longer providing you service on [their] Network“.

Source: Tesco Mobile Pay Monthly terms and conditions (16th June 2022)
Tariff Information: Tesco Mobile website

Three

On Three, you’ll pay a early termination fee equal to the remaining monthly charges for the minimum term of your contract, less a variable discount which is currently 3%. This is detailed on page 25 of Three’s Pay Monthly price guide:

Cancellation Fee
Lump sum equivalent to the total of the Monthly Charges remaining during the Minimum Term of your agreement less a variable discount, currently 3%. We reserve the right to vary the amount of the percentage discount from time to time.

The following example calculation is given by Three on their website:

Cancellation fee calculation example
Monthly Charge	£25
Total of Monthly Charges remaining during the Minimum Term	£25 x 6 months = £150
Less discount of 20%	£150 – £4.50 (3% of £150) = £145.50
Cancellation Fee	£145.50

Source: Three Pay Monthly Price Guide (August 2022)
Tariff Information: Three Website

Virgin Mobile

On Virgin Mobile, you’ll need to pay an Early Disconnection Fee if you leave your contract during the minimum initial term. This is approximately 64% of your monthly plan cost, multiplied by the number of months you have remaining on your plan.

The following worked example is given on the Virgin Mobile website:

Our current Early Disconnection Fee will be approximately 64% (includes VAT) of your monthly plan cost multiplied by the number of months you have left on your contract, after your 30 days’ notice period (if you need to provide notice applies).

This is calculated as follows:

Early Disconnection Fee = (Monthly Charge – Monthly Discount) * Remaining Months * 64%

Example

A customer has a 24 month Pay Monthly contract costing them £20 per month, with a monthly discount of £5. They are in the 18th month of their contract and have 6 months left until their minimum term ends.

This customer requests to disconnect, they will pay their normal monthly charge of £15 for their 30 day notice period, plus the following Early Disconnection Fee:

= (£20 – £5) * 5 * 64%
= £48.00

The % multiplier used to calculate the Early Disconnection Fee is reviewed by Virgin Mobile on a quarter-by-quarter basis. For this reason, it may change slightly from time-to-time.

Source: Virgin Mobile Early Disconnection Fees
Tariff Information: Virgin Mobile

Vodafone

On Vodafone, you’ll need to pay an early termination fee that is 98% of the remaining payments over the minimum term of your contract. This is based on Vodafone giving you a 2% discount.

This formula for calculating the early termination fee is detailed within the Vodafone terms and conditions:

Early termination fee

If you cancel a contract for your plan before your agreement ends, you’ll need to pay an early termination fee. The fee is based on your monthly plan charge and the remaining time left on your contact, and can be calculated as follows:
…
For disconnections completed on or after 24th February 2021:

Monthly line rental charge (inc. VAT) × remaining contract (months) × 98%

The following worked example is given on the Vodafone website:

Your plan costs £45 a month, and you receive a £10 monthly discount. This means you pay £35 a month in total.

You have 6 months left until your plan ends, and you want to leave.

To work out your outstanding charges for these remaining 6 months, we multiply what you pay each month (£35) by 6 = £210

Then we take 2% from that £210 to get your final ETF = £205.80

If you have a Vodafone EVO plan, you can simply pay off the remainder of your device plan at any time:

Customers who have settled a Device Plan in full and early, and subsequently terminate the associated airtime or connectivity plan, will not be charged any Early Termination Fees based on the associated airtime or connectivity contract.

Source: Vodafone Support: How’s my early termination fee calculated?
Tariff Information: Vodafone Website

Alternatives to Cancelling Early

In general, it’s best to avoid cancelling your mobile contract early. This is because you’re essentially paying off the remainder of your contract but you won’t be getting a service in return for your payment.

There are a number of ways to side-step early termination fees. For instance, you can change your mobile phone without changing your contract. Alternatively, if you’re struggling with poor coverage, there could be ways to improve this without cancelling your contract.

Changing Your Mobile Phone

If you’d like to change your mobile phone, it isn’t always necessary to change your contract as well.

When you upgrade your mobile phone through your network provider, you may need to pay an early termination fee for the remainder of your current contract.

To side-step this, you can buy a SIM-free handset elsewhere (e.g. from retailers like Amazon and the Carphone Warehouse). You can use your new mobile phone with your existing price plan so there’s no need to pay an early termination fee. Once the minimum term of your contract comes to an end, you can switch to a cheap SIM-only deal.

Struggling With Poor Coverage

If you’re struggling with poor mobile coverage at home or at work, it’s always worth talking to your mobile network about this. It might be a temporary issue due to maintenance on your local mast, or there might be some upcoming work scheduled in your area to improve it.

It might be possible to use Wi-Fi Calling or 4G Calling to improve the coverage you get, when you’re using a compatible mobile phone.

Most mobile networks will not allow you to cancel your contract early without paying an early termination fee, solely due to problems with coverage.

Leaving the UK

Unfortunately, very little can be done regarding early termination fees if you’re leaving the UK and moving to another country.

If you’re moving to another European country, it’s possible you’ll be able to use your existing UK plan there.

Meanwhile, if you’re moving to a country outside Europe, it can sometimes still be worth keeping your mobile contract open. This will allow you to use your mobile phone when you come back to the UK. You’ll also be able to keep your current UK-based phone number.

If you’re permanently moving abroad and not returning to the UK, consider asking a friend or family member if they’d like to take over your mobile contract.

Financial Difficulties

Mobile phone contracts are a form of consumer credit, just like a loan from your bank or from your credit card company. If you think you might have difficulties paying your phone bill, there is lots of support available from different organisations. In the first instance, contact your mobile network as quickly as you can. They should offer you some alternative payment options. You can also consult the Citizens Advice Bureau and StepChange Debt for advice.

If you were to cancel your contract without paying a required early termination fee, your details will normally be passed to a Debt Collection Agency. This will affect your credit rating, and the debt will likely be pursued by other means.

Going forward, you may find it helpful to get a free Pay As You Go SIM card as this can give you more control over your mobile phone spend. There will also be no contracts and no early termination fees to worry about.

Notice Period Charges

If you’re cancelling your mobile phone contract through the standard cancellation process, you’ll normally need to give 30 days notice. During the 30 day period, you’ll need to pay your normal monthly fee (this is also known as the Notice Period Charge). The Notice Period Charge will apply even if you’re outside the minimum term of your contract.

If you’re cancelling your mobile phone contract through the PAC Code or STAC Code cancellation process, your mobile network is not permitted to impose a Notice Period Charge. This is due to Ofcom’s mobile switching legislation which banned overlapping contract charges from the 1st July 2019.

Where possible, we’d always recommend using the PAC Code or STAC Code cancellation process. This allows you to avoid paying the Notice Period Charge.

More Information

For more information, please see our step-by-step guides on how to cancel your contract on each network. You can also read more about the PAC Code process and how to change network or handset.

Your Comments 450 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 450 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here.

Colin Brown said:

June 21, 2023 at 11:31 am

Hi,

When you state:
There’s no need to give 30 days’ notice to end your contract with a PAC Code. Providing you’re outside the minimum term of your contract, Tesco Mobile can only charge you up until the date when your PAC Code is used.

I recently left Tesco (outside of the minimum term of my contract) via the PAC code process. I left on the 2nd of the month, my billing cycle was the 23rd – 22nd of the month. Tesco state that as I used some of the last billing period there is nothing to refund me for the period of 2nd – 22nd, as once you dip into a billing period the whole charge is payable.

Is this correct? I am certain I have received refunds from prior providers, pro rata for the unused days of a billing period.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 21, 2023 at 11:55 am
  
  Hi Colin,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I’m not a lawyer, but my understanding is that a pro-rata refund should also be made.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Jules said:

April 8, 2023 at 2:02 pm

Thank you for this interesting article. my and my daughter’s SIM contract with three were in the final month of our 12 month contract.

We have both been charged and early termination as we moved to different suppliers and I really can’t understand why as the final month was paid up so as far as we were concerned we didn’t owe them anything.

It seems like a scam if they charge everyone who’s leaving, a few pounds for not actually completing the switch, on the very next day after the contract expiry.

Even though it’s not a lot of money I feel the principal is very wrong.

Reply
Carina Dickinson said:

September 14, 2022 at 9:05 am

Bought a new phone from Vodafone by paying monthly for 12 months. Phone arrived 30 June. Had problems with it turning off every so often. Arranged a repair. They now tell me they can’t repair it so I have to have a ‘like new’ or pay £227.00 to cancel! I’m not wanting to cancel my pay monthly SIM card. I just don’t see why I should pay for a like new phone when I bought a new phone. Any help appreciated. Surely this isn’t legal?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 15, 2022 at 10:53 am
  
  Hi Carina,
  Thanks for your comment. Your phone should be covered by a 12-month or 24-month manufacturer warranty so I’d recommend making a claim against that if you can. If it isn’t covered (e.g. because it isn’t due to a manufacturing issue), then it’s probable the ‘like new’ option from Vodafone would be your best bet (as they would only need to replace your device with something in a similar condition).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Louise Cuffaro said:

September 3, 2022 at 2:11 pm

Hi Ken,
I live in an area amongst trees and broadband was very slow. I always had broadband through BT.
When working from home through Covid I needed more reliable wifi and was offered 4g through a mobile contract with BT. It is very reliable but costly and when my granddaughter came to stay I had to increase the amount of data per month and it was over £70. On the phone with BT the salesperson suggested EE (which is somehow connected with BT) but cheaper. I agreed and opened a mobile contract to get a 5g router. It arrived in July. I was on holiday. I tried to connect it but this was after the 14 days when you can cancel!
First problem the sim card would not go in the router and no click, it just kept popping up. I visited my nearest EE shop and they couldn’t make it go in and gave me the 0800 079 85686 number to call.
Because it was after 14 days they wouldn’t replace they collected the router to do a ‘investigation and repair’. They returned it saying they couldn’t find the fault I described but they found another fault and fixed it which should correct any other problem.
They sent the router back with the report.
This time the Sim card did go in but wouldn’t activate or be recognised but was stuck in the sim holder of the device.
This time they agreed to send a new router. They picked up the first router (with the sim stuck in) and a few days later delivered a new box but with no new sim. I had to phone and explain dilemma and the operative agreed to send out a new sim which would need activating.
Yesterday I received the sim card.
By this time I had spent 3 seperate 1 hour plus phone conversations with very nice but not successful technical advice – clearly theyhave a script but they often go off to ask someone why things weren’t working. On the last, call even trying to set up my ee account so that I can access my ee account wouldn’t and still doesn’t work! The technical advisor assures me my account is set up but when I login from my end it says unable to action request. After I put in my email, password etc.
The sim is in I have switched on the power. The power symbol is green. The internet symbol is red. The network type is red – no or invalid sim is inserted or no cellular signal. The wifi is green.
I phoned the number given by the EE shop and the waiting time is increased from 20 minutes to 30 minutes and I can’t get help on ee website because I can’t login! See above. I want to get out of this contract. I am not a technician, I can follow instructions but I am paying £45 per month and have not yet had a service!
BT has mistakenly kept my 4g going with them which I didn’t realise at first because I was away and when I discovered it I didn’t chase them to end it because at least I had wifi while I tried to set up the EE router. They are of course still taking the £75 monthly payment for data that runs out a few days before the next bill. This is a nightmare. I want at this moment to stay with BT and get rid of EE which has been a nightmare experience. Any advice on cancellling this contract or even contact EE by post!

Reply
Mike Solomons said:

May 10, 2022 at 12:37 pm

I have an interesting problem.

I have a 3 contract and have been happy with it. I have just taken out a Tesco contract as I needed an offer that 3 cannot match. Easy start, 3 can provide a PAC code. However, when they do, they insist on cancelling the existing contract, charging a substantial penalty to reflect their loss from me not continuing it.

I want to transfer another number to 3, but they refuse to accept it. As I am ready willing and able to continue the account with a different number, I cannot see why they expect to charge me for early termination of the account when I don’t want it terminated.

Any ideas?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 12, 2022 at 11:47 am
  
  Hi Mike,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, unfortunately, one limitation of the PAC Code system is that it will automatically close the old account. You therefore won’t be able to continue using it with a different number. Sorry, I’m not aware of any workarounds but I do know lots of other people have been stung by this in the past 🙁
  Ken
  
  Reply
gabriel said:

April 5, 2022 at 2:57 pm

I have a contract with 3 that ends only in December. I’m trying to cancel as the company is unable to send me a replacement sim card in a proper time. I requested 15 days ago and nothing so far.
during this 2 weeks I contacted them several times and the answer was always in the line of, “you should expect the sim card to be received in 1 to 3 days”.
even escalating the issue with their customer service they still want to charge me the exit fee.
I think it’s bizarre that I have my hands tied by the company in this case. Is there any alternatives?

Reply
Michael carr said:

February 3, 2022 at 12:10 pm

Have chang d to 02do I still pay air time to virgin have pac codes

Reply
Pix said:

October 21, 2021 at 7:04 pm

Thanks so much for this information Ken!
I had no idea the 30 day notice period no longer applied and i think that is the case for a lot of people out there.

EE are a little sneaky for not making it clear there is no notice period for PAC & STACs, they just don’t mention it instead.

Reply
JH said:

August 11, 2021 at 12:29 pm

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your post, it’s very helpful as always. My experience tells me that Vodafone’s 30-day notice period is extremely rigid, that you cannot give longer notice period. Below is my experience.

My contract is valid till 1 Oct (say), and the 30-day notice period means I need to tell Vodafone on 1 Sept if I want to leave when the contract expires. Vodafone however does not allow me to hand in a longer notice on 28 Aug, despite my intention to stay till the end of the contract. In Vodafone’s terms, customers need to give notice EXACT 30 days prior to your contract ends. If you hand your notice earlier, your contract will end earlier and you pay penalty fees. If you hand your notice later, you will stay with Vodafone for longer (even after your contract expires).

It is certainly the customers’ responsibility if they forget and past the 30-day notice period, or if they want to terminate the contract prematurely. It is however a different story when customers are conscious about the notice period and simply want to leave when the contract expires. Why can’t customers give a longer notice period? Why must they contact Vodafone on a specific day, or they risk paying extra? There are many reasons for not able to make such call/chat on a specific day (e.g. work, travel, illness, any personal reasons).

In other scenarios (e.g. rent, employment) giving longer notice that what the contract says is common. This actually ensures smoother transition and is preferred. Ken I don’t know if you have come across this issue with network providers before, but I think this is something worth looking into. Thanks.

Reply
Cadence said:

May 2, 2021 at 7:42 pm

I’d like to transfer my number from Plusnet 30 days contract to SMARTY. For the 30 days notice period, is that I can give notice anytime, but need to use their service for further 30 days? Let’s say my contract has 10 days remaining, is the cost of the “extra” 20 days calculated on pro rata? Thank you so much!

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 5, 2021 at 9:38 pm
  
  Hi Cadence,
  Thanks for your comment. If you’re using the PAC Code cancellation process, the 30-day notice period won’t apply. You’ll just pay for your Plusnet plan until the date that you leave, with the final month’s charge being calculated on a pro-rated basis.
  Hope this helps!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Matt said:

March 23, 2021 at 10:32 am

After an hour on Vodafone’s own site trying to work out the simple question of whether I would need to give 30 days notice to leave with a PAC, your page answered this for me in simple terms within a few lines. Spot on, great work. thanks!!

Reply
Kevin said:

January 13, 2021 at 12:28 pm

I have taken cooling off period cancellation but Bt mistakenly cancelled one sim completely before I had chance to rely them I wanted pac process this means I may have lost my number possibly?
Would be good to get background on this scenario to help others
I am told the number is available for 30 days but I am holding my breath on this
,!

Reply
- Kevin replied:
  
  January 13, 2021 at 12:39 pm
  
  As an update on the above I am now told BT are trying to reactivate my sim so pac process can work if successful
  It has only been 12 hours since the mistake but I am still holding my breath until sorted
  
  Reply
Efrain said:

December 18, 2020 at 7:01 am

I would like to end my contract, it will be an early cancellation and I have a few questions:
-Can I submit the cancellation a few months in advance of when I would like to end the contract?
-What is the address I need to send the letter?
-How do I know how much early cancellation fees will I be paying?

Thanks,

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 18, 2020 at 12:07 pm
  
  Hi Efrain,
  Thanks for your comment. Which mobile network are you trying to cancel your contract with? I’d recommend putting a note on your diary or phone to cancel it, as I don’t believe you can submit the request in advance. You can find out the cancellation fees due by texting INFO to 85075 and can process a cancellation using a PAC Code, STAC Code or over the phone.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Lloyd Griffiths said:

November 27, 2020 at 2:17 pm

Thanks Ken, another great article, which hopefully many people will read via search , to realise that the stress involved with cancelling can now be avoided.

Could you just clarify the STAC process.
I have two sim’s with Vodafone, one is my number and I just use the other for extra data. I’d like to cancel this “other sim” via the STAC process, as I don’t need to keep the number.

Is the contract cancelled once i request the STAC? If I don’t want to keep the number, why would I need to send this code onwards to a new provider?
I’m going to act on your advice and cancel with a PAYG sim, so could you possibly detail the steps involved.
Would it be, generate STAC from Vodafone, insert new PAYG sim ( from three for example), send STAC code to three?

Many thanks
Lloyd

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 27, 2020 at 9:50 pm
  
  Hi Lloyd,
  Thanks for your comment. To answer your question, the contract isn’t cancelled when you request the STAC – it’s cancelled when you give the STAC to another network and after they action that request. For instance, you’ll generate a STAC Code from Vodafone which you’ll then provide to Three. Three will then action the STAC Code for you, which will have the effect of ending your Vodafone contract, and nothing further beyond that.
  On the face of it, it seems fairly strange how STAC Codes work, as you can argue that Three have no business to do with ending your Vodafone contract. The reason it works this way is because it came out of the PAC Code process. Ofcom updated this process a few years ago so that people changing mobile networks wouldn’t need to pay an overlapping contract charge (e.g. where you’re still charged a 30-day notice period on your old plan, after you move to your new one). They wanted to give this right as well to people who weren’t moving their phone number to another network, which is why STAC Codes exist. It would have been a lot easier if they just abolished notice period charges directly, but I imagine that’s a lot more complex due to contract law, etc.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Brian dyche said:

October 21, 2020 at 4:21 pm

Why has vodafone got a license to deceive and con people and get away with this. I took out a twelve month contact with my phone and broadband I have had nothing but trouble with various things such as my internet service and phone service. I have got so frustrated with all off this that I have terminated my contract for my phone which has cost me £85.00 still have my internet service which is slow and intermitant at most times. I have to have this service till next year when it end’s. Why are they allowed to get away with the poor service they provide it’s daylight robbery and dishonesty and the customer ends up having to pay for this!!

Reply
- Roddy Wilson replied:
  
  December 6, 2020 at 11:58 am
  
  100% agree it’s shocking. Been totally taken for a ride by them and there’s nothing you can do. Far too much power.
  
  Reply
Matt said:

October 1, 2020 at 6:09 am

I phoned car phone warehouse at the start of august to find out about the contract termination date. Was told the final bill was generated on the 22nd of august and the last payment was a few days after. WHY THEN are they still taking money from my bank account???

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 3, 2020 at 11:57 am
  
  Hi Matt,
  Thanks for your comment. It’s possible that your mobile phone contract continued to run as it wasn’t cancelled. Did you give instruction to your network to cancel the contract? If not, this is why it would have continued to run.
  Ken
  
  Reply
- Roddy Wilson replied:
  
  December 6, 2020 at 11:59 am
  
  Exactly. It’s disgusting. I’m in the same position – as far as I can tell though, if you cancel the direct debit all they can do is stop the service? Which is what you want anyway… so!
  
  Reply
Laszlo said:

September 24, 2020 at 2:38 pm

I have a SIM only WiFi at home with 300GB data and a contract ends in 2021 September I think is there any way to terminate my contract without paying the remaining fees? I am moving to a new apartemant
Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 3, 2020 at 12:01 pm
  
  Hi Laszlo,
  Thanks for your comment. Are you using a 4G broadband service? If so, you should be able to bring it with you to your new apartment. Unfortunately, an early exit fee will normally apply if you wanted to cancel it with 11 months remaining on the contract.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Tim said:

September 13, 2020 at 10:10 am

Hi Ken
I am on a one month contract with Vodafone. I want to change networks and keep my number. From what I understand, the best way is for me to order a PAC code (which is valid for 30 days). This will terminate my Vodafone agreement. Then I have to wait for say 25 days to enter into my new contract to avoid paying Vodafone and my new provider. Is this correct?
Thanks Tim

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 13, 2020 at 11:36 am
  
  Hi Tim,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, you’ll need to go through the PAC Code process to keep your phone number. However, there’s no need to wait before you use your PAC Code – you can simply use it whenever you like and you’ll only be charged for the days you actually use. The 30-day notice period doesn’t apply when you use the PAC Code process, so long as you’re not within the minimum term of your contract with Vodafone.
  The 30-day validity o your PAC Code is an entirely different thing – it simply means your PAC Code will be cancelled if it isn’t used within the 30 day period.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Viv said:

September 11, 2020 at 5:29 pm

Hi Ken,

I have a 12 months contract that is coming to an end in mid September. Based on your blog, it seems like the easiest way is to go through the PAC/STAC route. However, Vodafone charges for 1 month in advance, so would Vodafone refund any unused part of the month, or would I lose that payment if I go down the PAC/STAC route? Or do I need to time the request of the PAC/STAC code to coincide with my next payment date?

Thanks,
Viv

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 12, 2020 at 6:58 pm
  
  Hi Viv,
  Thanks for your comment. Vodafone charges you a month in advance but you’ll be refunded for anything you don’t actually use. I’d therefore expect you to get a pro-rated refund based on the number of days that you didn’t use.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Mohammad said:

September 10, 2020 at 9:54 pm

Hi,
I have signed contract online by 3 about 8 days ago.I singed a sim contract for 24 months.Can I cancel my contract with 3?How much will you charge me when I cancel my contract?
Kind regards,
Mohammad

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 12, 2020 at 7:01 pm
  
  Hi Mohammad,
  Thanks for your comment. There’s a 14-day cooling off period on SIM cards from Three. You can cancel during this time at no extra cost – simply contact Three’s customer services team to do this.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - warren replied:
    
    November 3, 2020 at 3:39 pm
    
    they will then spend an hour trying to convince you not to.which is disgusting ,if your not strong mentally you wil wil find yourself stuck with them and there painfully slow data speeds;(granted they give the most data for the money,but 3 times slower than competitors )
    
    Reply
    - Malika Abdul replied:
      
      December 29, 2020 at 10:50 pm
      
      They have done this to me, saying they will send me a return package which never arrived a year on I’m still fighting to leave
      
      Reply
    - Allan Burr replied:
      
      January 7, 2021 at 7:17 pm
      
      Every time I try to explain my internet doesn’t work they pass me on and then nothing, I want out I am paying for something I am not getting.
      
      Reply
Rick said:

September 1, 2020 at 6:48 pm

Hi, I’m leaving the UK and I still have 10 months contract left, I don’t want to pay for it, what can I do….

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 3, 2020 at 10:50 am
  
  Hi Rick,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, your two options would just be selling your mobile phone to pay for the early termination fee, or finding someone who might want to take over your contract.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Kean said:

August 28, 2020 at 9:13 pm

Hi, I am with three and would like to move my number to a Smarty SIM card. However, I would like to not cancel my contract and keep it for the minimum term completion. Is this possible?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 6, 2020 at 8:51 pm
  
  Hi Kean,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, if you use the PAC Code process (as is required for moving your phone number), your account on Three will be automatically closed. It won’t be possible to keep it for the rest of your minimum term, and an early exit fee will be triggered.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Gary Patterson said:

August 28, 2020 at 3:39 pm

I want to cancel my EE contract, move to another Network and keep my phone number. My contract end date is 17th October 2020. When can I cancel without any charge?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 28, 2020 at 4:55 pm
  
  Hi Gary,
  Thanks for your comment. You can use the PAC Code process any time on or after the 17th October without incurring a cancellation fee from EE. If your move before this date, you’ll incur a pro-rated cancellation fee for the days that you don’t use.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Martina said:

August 28, 2020 at 3:36 pm

I wanted to cancel my Vodafone contract just one month and a half before one year contract to expire. They told me I have to pay 150 euros or wait until the contract expires.
This is in Spain. Is there any way to escape this nonsense? Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 28, 2020 at 4:56 pm
  
  Hi Martina,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, I don’t know how things work for Vodafone in Spain, so I’d recommend getting in touch directly with them for more information on your options. I’m only familiar with how things work on Vodafone UK and that’s a totally separate network with different cancellation policies!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Cheryl said:

August 27, 2020 at 8:09 pm

I am on a 30 day rolling sim only contract with Virgin. I want to keep my number and swap to a 1 monthly sim only contract with Plusnet. Do I need give Virgin 30 days notice

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 28, 2020 at 4:58 pm
  
  Hi Cheryl,
  Thanks for your comment. As long as you’re using either the PAC Code or STAC Code process, there’s no need to give any notice to Virgin Mobile before you move to Plusnet. Simply follow the instructions here and you should be good to go 🙂
  Ken
  
  Reply
Kenneth Joel said:

August 27, 2020 at 8:22 am

Hi Ken
I have a 12months dongle contract from vodafone. Im in my first month of contract. Due to poor downloading services i want to cancel my contract. Can i cancel it without paying the cancellation charges. I was told the minimum contract length is 3months. If I cancel after 3 months do i still need to pay extra cancellation charges.?
Kindly help me in that. Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 28, 2020 at 5:09 pm
  
  Hi Kenneth,
  Thanks for your comment. Are you still within the first 14 days of your contract, or have you already passed that stage? To answer your question: you can normally cancel your contract without any penalties but you’ll need to do this within the first 14 days. After the 14 day cooling off period, you’ll need to pay a full cancellation fee to cover the remainder of your contract.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Jack Judge said:

August 25, 2020 at 6:49 pm

Hi Ken,

I am relocating to Amsterdam in October and aim to keep my plan but switch to Vodafone NL. I am being told to pay £700 plus to have an early cancellation which is being offered to me as the only route to switch.

Do you know if there is a smarter, cheaper way to remain on the Vodafone network? I don’t understand why I need to pay such an amount to end up remaining with them in the Netherlands?

Thanks,
Jack

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 28, 2020 at 8:01 pm
  
  Hi Jack,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, Vodafone NL is an entirely different network from Vodafone UK, despite the fact they share a brand name. Therefore, there’s nothing in place here for customers moving from the UK to Netherlands (you’re treated exactly the same as anyone else who goes abroad). There are, however, a couple of options that might be available to you:
  1) You could keep your Vodafone UK service active after moving to the Netherlands. There should be no additional cost for using your UK SIM card abroad, at least until the end of the year when the EU transition agreement ends (it may or may not be extended beyond that, subject to UK-EU agreements). Normally, if you’ve been in the EU for more than 2 months in a 4-month period, Vodafone may apply a surcharge to your account from that point onwards, which may still be cheaper than cancelling your plan.
  2) You could sell your mobile phone, which should help to go towards the cost of ending your UK contract early. The cost your contract with Vodafone UK incorporates the cost of your handset, so they’re unlikely to offer you a penalty-free cancellation.
  3) The final option would be finding someone (e.g. a friend or family member) to take over the remainder of your Vodafone UK contract. That would avoid you needing to pay the early cancellation fee and the other person would then be able to use the remainder of your plan.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Kathryn Wrinn said:

August 25, 2020 at 2:04 pm

I’m leaving Three and have received a STAC code. How do I use this code

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 28, 2020 at 9:04 pm
  
  Hi Kathryn,
  Thanks for your comment. You’ll need to give the STAC Code to your new network, usually via an online form or through their customer services team. They’ll close the old account at Three for you, without triggering an 30 day notice period charge.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Nicholas said:

August 22, 2020 at 4:15 pm

If you need to leave a contract early – why do you have to pay for the calls and data you won’t be using?
Other providers separate the cost of the phone from the cost of calls and data – so you only have to pay for what is left for the phone, but not Vodafone. You are forced to pay for the unused calls and data you will not make.
Vodafone know exactly how much the phone cost and it is pure greed on their part that they take your money for the unused calls too.

Reply
james said:

August 22, 2020 at 1:52 pm

hello need some advice i am considering leaving 3 4g home broadband as the downloads speeds play up a lot from i understand i only have to pay £121.22 today as it ends in march 2021 just to double check there will be no hidden cancellation hidden fees that i need to be aware of?
i am planing to get vodaphone 4g data only sim for unlimited £33 monthly with a 12 mounth contract and use the 14 days cancel if i dont find it good https://www.vodafone.co.uk/data-only-sim

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 23, 2020 at 11:45 am
  
  Hi James,
  Thanks for your comment. There shouldn’t be any further hidden cancellation fees except from what Three has already quoted you.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 23, 2020 at 11:55 am
  
  Hi James,
  Thanks for your comment. There shouldn’t be any further hidden cancellation fees except from what Three has already quoted you.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Gerry said:

August 20, 2020 at 3:33 pm

Hi Ken,
A previous comment noted “I have been out of contract with three mobile for 8 years now and want to cancel, do I still have to give 30 days notice”. Im in a similar situation (except broadband only) but I cancelled by letter. They say (3M) that a 30-day notice period applies so I owe them. Do I have any options left at this point?

Many thanks,
Gerry

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 28, 2020 at 9:29 pm
  
  Hi Gerry,
  Thanks for your comment. Typically, the STAC Code process will allow you to cancel a contract without needing to a pay for a 30-day notice period. I believe this is still possible on mobile broadband SIM cards, though you’ll need to obtain a STAC Code by putting the SIM in a SMS-enabled device or requesting one from your online account.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Sophie said:

August 13, 2020 at 6:44 pm

Hiya,

I’ve just paid the last bill for my phone (12/08-11/09). The contract ends 9/9. Can I now leave the company with my PAC code and they refund me what I don’t use this month? Or am I still liable to pay the whole of this month? Thanks.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 14, 2020 at 9:39 pm
  
  Hi Sophie,
  Thanks for your comment. If you cancel before the 9th September, you’ll be charged an early exit fee for the days between your cancellation date and the 9th September. However, you’ll also get a refund for what you’ve already paid until the 11th September and this refund will be larger than the early exit fee.
  To give an example, let’s imagine your contract costs £30/month and you cancel it on the 1st September. You’ll pay an early exit fee for the 8 days you didn’t use (approx £6) but you’ll get a refund of £11 at the same time. You’ll therefore be credited an amount of around £5 on your final bill.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Andrew Hall said:

August 13, 2020 at 3:58 pm

Hi,

I have had my Pixel 3 phone for 1 year. The battery has had a terrible life span from day one and now had died properly (it will not hold a charge, it needs to be currently charging to be turned on, once you unplug it instantly dies).

I am taking this up with Google under manufacturers warranty but their helpline just hangs up on you and I don’t think I will get anywhere with this.

My minimum contract runs until July 2021 and I do not want extra cancellation charges for this. However as my phone is unusable and I am going to change my provider once the minimum term is over in the hope I can buy one that lasts length of the contract.

I want my direct debits to end automatically in July 2021 when my minimum term ends. I can set this up with my bank, but three will come after me for not paying my contract.

How can I automatically have my contract end and payments stop at the end of my minimum term?

I do not want to end early and pay a cancellation fee. Also if google eventually fix my handset, I still do not want the payments to continue beyond the minimum period.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 14, 2020 at 9:33 pm
  
  Hi Andrew,
  Thanks for your comment and sorry to hear about the issues you’ve been having on your Pixel. Like you say, I’d strongly recommend taking this up on warranty and seeing whether you’re able to get a replacement battery or phone. You can also check with Three, assuming your handset was purchased on contract from them.
  With regards to ending your contract in July 2021, I don’t think there’s an easy way you can schedule it to end almost a year in advance. The best thing to do would be to simply request a PAC Code or STAC Code when you reach the end of that contract. Alternatively, if you’re not planning on using the Three SIM card inside another device, you can always cancel it early and get a discount on the remaining charges. My recommendation would be to buy your next mobile phone on an unlocked basis. You can simply insert your Three SIM card inside that device to continue using the rest of your contract.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Eileen o leary said:

August 13, 2020 at 10:39 am

Hi ken I have an internet contract with Vodafone internet . The term is up and I want to cancel . My son will take out a new contract with Vodafone with a better rate. How do I manage this please

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 14, 2020 at 9:28 pm
  
  Hi Eileen,
  Thanks for your comment. There’s more information on this page about how you cancel your home broadband service.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Mark Cross said:

August 3, 2020 at 3:43 pm

i am paying for a contract sim for a friend and i wish to cancel the contract due to the fact that i am being used by my friend who refuses to pay me for the contract. the contract is under my name and was wondering would it be easier to transfer it to my me and have a new contract sim sent to me and have the other one stopped or just end the contract. i am however one month into a 24 month contract.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 8, 2020 at 8:05 pm
  
  Hi Mark,
  Thanks for your comment. As the billpayer for the SIM card, you can decide what you’d like to do. You can either request a replacement SIM card for the account, you can transfer it into your friend’s name, or you can cancel it (subject an early exit fee for the remaining 23 months).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Libbie said:

July 28, 2020 at 2:08 am

I know this probably sounds silly, my ex used to deal with my phone stuff.
I’m paying £53 a month for my contract which is ridiculous. I’ve found a better deal on sky mobile.
My EE contract doesn’t end until next year and still have £300+ left to pay off…. if I sell my EE contract phone and use whatever money I get for it to pay the remaining £300, does that then mean my contract is done with and I can then move to sky and is the £300 the final bill or is there more on top for the termination fee?
Thankyou

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 31, 2020 at 9:09 pm
  
  Hi Libbie,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can decide to sell your phone and to use the money to settle the early termination fee. Once you’ve paid the early termination fee, there should nothing else due and you’ll be free to move elsewhere.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Libbie replied:
    
    July 31, 2020 at 11:01 pm
    
    Thankyou 🙂
    
    Reply
Steve pearce said:

July 21, 2020 at 7:18 pm

Hi Ken

I have been out of contract with three mobile for 8 years now and want to cancel, do I still have to give 30 days notice. My mother was out of contract with Plusnet and when she cancelled they said she did not have to give 30 days as that only applied if in contract.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 21, 2020 at 8:00 pm
  
  Hi Steve,
  Thanks for your comment. It totally depends on which cancellation process you follow. Normally, I’d recommend following the PAC Code or STAC Code process. With this, there’s no need to give 30 days notice and you won’t need to pay anything extra. However, if you decide to do a standard cancellation, a 30-day notice period would apply. There’s more information here about how the cancellation methods apply.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Alan said:

July 18, 2020 at 10:05 am

Hi Ken

What if I already have a second phone and number up and running, and just want to cancel one of the phones. Why do I still need the STAC code if I’m not giving it to anyone?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 19, 2020 at 8:59 pm
  
  Hi Alan
  Thanks for your comment. A STAC Code will allow you to cancel the contract without incurring a fee for the 30-day notice period. However, you can decide to cancel without a STAC – in which case, a 30-day notice period will apply. The STAC Code can be used on any UK SIM card so you can always order a free Pay As You Go SIM for the purposes of using the STAC.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Carol Martin said:

July 1, 2020 at 12:35 pm

Hi Ken. I took a three sim only contract out 4 days ago. My phone is locked into my previous provider., so the contract is if no use to me. Can I cancel ? And will a cancellation fee app,y. I can’t afford to buy into a contract phone. Been back to shop in Liverpool where I took out contract and am waiting for answer from area manager..

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 1, 2020 at 7:52 pm
  
  Hi Carol,
  Thanks for your comment. It should be possible to cancel your contract within the initial 14 days without any penalty. To do this, you’ll need to get in touch with Three.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Tah said:

June 27, 2020 at 8:59 pm

Hi I’ve had a sim only contract for good few years, renewal date in October. I want to start the PAC Code process to cancel it. They have texted back to estimate £0.00 charges for cancellation, is this usually accurate?

Thank you

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 28, 2020 at 9:16 pm
  
  Hi Tah,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, if you’re outside the minimum term of your contract, there’s no exit fee due to if you use either the PAC Code or STAC Code process. If you go through the standard cancellation process instead, there will normally be a 30 day notice period over which charges are still due.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Mark said:

June 26, 2020 at 4:02 pm

Hi Ken, I’m on a dead end.
So it started way back, like 18 months ago, I moved house (had 3 SIM card already) and in my area is emergency calls only, so I started with complaints.. but the result is that I had gone to Ombudsman services even. but no result, they say that I knew what coverage is and don’t want to cancel my contract.
anyway, my contract end 16.06.21 so 12 more payments £67 for emergency calls only … it’s really frustrating… Ombudsman guys were offering 2 options first: return device and they will cancel without fees, or reduce my monthly bill by £12 – I refused.
then Ombudsman’s last word was: £62 and written apologize. (which I never received)
so is this the last instance I can go? because my coverage still crap and I was on them promises, I send even chat scripts, where support was saying that they are doing improvements Bla Bla Bla, they know about the problem in my area bla bla, but Mr. ombudsman officer did not see anything bad in it. so I must stay another 12 months with them without service? and I asked now that I want to leave please, they again putting that termination fee. it’s not fair. I would like to see any of them with emergency calls only 24/7 and paying £67 monthly… anything else I can do ? or just like poor small fish in the ocean pay till the end and leave them forever?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 27, 2020 at 12:46 pm
  
  Hi Mark,
  I’m really sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but sadly, moving to a home where you aren’t able to get coverage from your network isn’t currently a valid reason for getting a penalty-free cancellation. There are several things that you could possibly consider:
  1) Does your mobile phone support Wi-Fi Calling, or would Three be willing to supply you with a Home Signal box? Both of these would allow you to make and receive phone calls at home, without having any 3G or 4G signal from Three.
  2) Do consider returning your device, or selling it to pay for the cost of the cancellation. A rather large portion of your £67/month contract is actually going towards the cost of the handset (compare this to the equivalent SIM-only plan where they’re probably charging only £10 to £20 per month for the same amount of data). The difference in cost between your contract and the equivalent SIM-only deal covers the cost of the handset. At least by returning the phone, you’ll be able to stop paying for airtime that you aren’t able to use, and you can find a deal from an alternative provider that does offer coverage where you live. You can text INFO to 85075 to get a quote of how much a cancellation will cost you if you’d like to compare this to how much you get selling the phone elsewhere.
  I’m really sorry I can’t be of any more help 🙁
  Ken
  
  Reply
Syed Haider said:

June 26, 2020 at 3:42 pm

hi
i am outside UK in a non EU Country. I want to cancel my air time plan rolling contract. I cannot call on 789 to cancel my contract. If i enable my mobile data then it will be too costly. I have emailed Virgin mobile support team but there is no response. Is there any other cheaper method to contact Virgin mobile support team ?
Regards.
Syed

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 27, 2020 at 12:48 pm
  
  Hi Syed,
  You can use Virgin’s online web chat to get in touch with them. Alternatively, you can dial +44 345 6000 789 from outside the UK (consider using a VoIP service like Skype as this will allow you to call the UK at much lower rates than roaming).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Adrian Chard said:

June 21, 2020 at 10:51 pm

My daughter and her husband have separated, there phones are with Vodafone and contracted in my daughters name, Vodafone have told her that to cancel her Ex husband phone will cost her £400.00 to end the contract, is this correct or should Vodafone issue a new contract to her Ex husband.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 24, 2020 at 9:02 pm
  
  Hi Adrian,
  Thanks for your comment. I think Vodafone should be able to arrange the contract to be transferred into another person’s name. This would avoid you needing to pay the early exit fee.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Liam said:

June 17, 2020 at 11:09 pm

Hi.

I purchased a new contract with three. I used my stac code to cancel my previous contact which finished in April when purchasing the new contract.

It doesnt seem like three actually cancelled my old contact and continued it. What do i Do?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 18, 2020 at 5:17 am
  
  Hi Liam,
  Thanks for your comment. Was your old contract with Three or with a different network? Unfortunately, you’ll normally need to enquire with them to see whether the STAC Code was actually processed.
  Sorry I can’t be of any more help!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Francis said:

June 17, 2020 at 11:03 pm

Hi Ken, my contract with o2 will on 2 July 2020 and I have a new contract with Vodafone starting on 10 June. I don’t want to keep the old number and request a STAC: Hi, it’s O2. Here’s your STAC: 123456XXX. It expires on 2020-07-11. We hope you don’t decide to switch today, but if you do we’ve estimated you’ll have £3.42 of charges. If you’re on a standard contract, this estimate will include the balance remaining. Your final bill will include any out-of-bundle charges like insurance, Charge To Mobile etc. Log in to My O2 to see your switching info: accounts.o2.co.uk/signin. For more details go to o2.co.uk/switch or call 202 for free from your O2 mobile.

I submitted the STAC on Vodafone website and set a date for 15 June. But it seems nothing happen, the old o2 number is still live. I did PAC before and the switch happened on the next working day. But my old o2 number is still live at the moment, who should I chase up? Vodafone or o2? Many thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 18, 2020 at 5:19 am
  
  Hi Francis,
  Thanks for your comment. For any problems with using a PAC or STAC, you’ll normally need to contact your new network (so Vodafone in this case).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
- Mrs j adam replied:
  
  December 22, 2020 at 4:17 pm
  
  I’m so sick of o2 I’m surprised I didn’t have a heart attack because of my phone conversation. I changed my bank and my bank wouldn’t authorise a payment. They won’t send me a final bill through the post as ‘apparently they don’t do this’ they can send me a bill or take me to court.. it doesn’t help when you can’t understand what an employee can hardly speak any English..
  
  Reply
Robert said:

June 14, 2020 at 6:42 am

Out of contract for 4g router. Installed fixed line broadband and opted to leave three without number on 12 May 2020.
Thought that was that but i have another charge on my account on 12 June 2020 and my contract has been restarted.

Apparently I did not use STAC code?

Customer services have been terrible on chat. Ive been left in chat with waiting for a cancellation advisor for an hour and no contact. I cant call as the depts are all closed due to pandemic (oh but it lets you go through all the questions first to then tell you this)
I don’t use 333 as it was 4g router and sim is not in a mobile. My mobile is vodafone.

Total shambles and not looking forward to going through another hour plus on chat pulling my hair out.

Why do they start the contract again after a month when I have processed to leave and I do not need the number!
This is surely black n white. Leave means Leave.

Reply
- Robert replied:
  
  June 14, 2020 at 7:14 am
  
  Ok so now I have read your article then I’m more aware of the cancellation process.
  I have paid another month unnecessarily and will take advice to request sim only from other provider and then advise STAC to Ensure cancellation with Three.
  The three App should make it clear that you need to speak to an agent to cancel tje contract.
  Can you advise if I need to buy a bundle from giff gaff initially (free sim provider) before I can provide them the STAC to enable the Three contract cancellation?
  Thanks
  Rob
  
  Reply
  - Ken replied:
    
    June 14, 2020 at 11:34 am
    
    Hi Robert,
    Thanks for your comment. I totally agree that it’s all a little bit confusing & that the networks should do a bit more to make it clearer.
    With regards to your question, it depends on the mobile network whether you’ll need to buy a bundle from them. You can use the STAC Code on any active mobile phone SIM card. On giffgaff, you’ll need to top up your SIM card with some credit (minimum £10) before you’re able to start using it and before you can utilise your STAC Code. There’s no need to buy a bundle with this, so you can always save your £10 of credit for a later date (e.g. as a backup SIM card for the future).
    As an alternative, I believe some other networks like ASDA Mobile don’t have the same requirement for you to top it up to start with. You can also use the STAC Code with any other mobile phone SIM card you already have, or you can even ask a friend or family member to use the STAC Code for you. As the STAC doesn’t actually affect anything on the new SIM card/contract, it has no effect except from closing your old account.
    Hope this helps,
    Ken
    
    Reply
Rick said:

June 12, 2020 at 8:33 pm

Hello,

Thanks for the comprehensive information on this page, it goes a long way to clearing the muddy waters…

Today I’ve had a strange experience with Three. I had a sim-only 12-month contract which was past it’s minimum term and I decided to cancel. I used the Live Chat system via their website. I was expecting the usual ‘i know you think you want to cancel but really you want an upgrade don’t you’ routine but instead the advisor spend the best part of half an hour trying to convince me to take a stac code and give it to another provider (Smarty) instead. The reason they gave was that it would immediately end my contract instead of the 30-day notice of an actual cancellation. When i asked what another provider would gain by me passing them a stac code and them closing my account for me, the question was dodged. I’ve understood stac codes are used when you want to move service provider, don’t want an overlap in service, but do want a new number. it felt like I was being hoodwinked into ending up with a new cost elsewhere so i insisted on the normal cancellation process. Have I totally misread what I was being offered?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 13, 2020 at 8:58 pm
  
  Hi Rick,
  Thanks for your comment. In this instance, the customer services agent was definitely trying to save you a bit of money, at the expense of Three! If you go through Three’s standard cancellation procedure, you’ll have a 30-day notice period over which you’ll still need to pay for your plan. However, if you go through the Ofcom-regulated PAC Code or STAC Code process, the notice period charge will not apply as long as you’re moving to a different network. This could simply be a Pay As You Go SIM card from another network, so there’s actually no obligation to continue using that other SIM. The guide here outlines your options in more detail, in case this is helpful.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Tracy Jebbett said:

June 4, 2020 at 2:02 pm

We pay £60 a month for our 17 year old daughter mobile. She has moved out and we don’t want to pay any more. We have over a year to go . She has no means of paying the bill herself. How much would we have to pay to end the contract

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 6, 2020 at 7:11 pm
  
  Hi Tracy,
  Thanks for your comment. Which mobile network is the contract with? The information here should allow you to calculate the early termination fee, or you can text INFO to 85075 to get a calculation of the actual cancellation charge.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Nik said:

June 4, 2020 at 11:57 am

HI Ken,

I’m with EE and currently in the 45 day upgrade period. My actual contract runs out on July 15th. There is no offer they can give me to stay so I will be leaving with my number via a PAC code. My question is to avoid any further charges should I buy my provider deal on the 15th of July with the PAC code – will this terminate EE or is it 30 days of more EE charges?

If so should I move from EE on the 15th June (30-days before the end) to avoid any further direct debits?

This 30-day period cancellation and leaving with a PAC code is unclear to me.

Thanks for you help.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 6, 2020 at 7:18 pm
  
  Hi Nik,
  Thanks for your comment. You’re absolutely right in saying that you’re contracted to pay the charges on EE until the 15th July. Therefore, if you wanted to avoid paying for two contracts, you should time the start of your new plan for some time on or after the 15th July. There won’t be a further 30 days of charging, providing you go through either the PAC Code or STAC Code process.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Sharon said:

May 29, 2020 at 1:20 pm

I ordered a monthly sim and patiently waited 1 month, after many calls to the support team where they assure the sim was on its way, I gave up and decided to cancel my plan. Will I be charged if I never received hence never activated the sim?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 30, 2020 at 12:51 pm
  
  Hi Sharon,
  Thanks for your comment. Which mobile network did you buy your SIM card from? They shouldn’t really be charging you if you never received your SIM card, but this is something you should check with them directly.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Rafat Omar said:

May 25, 2020 at 11:52 am

Hello,

I am running with my contract already 6 month’s out of 2 years contract!, and i am paying monthly a high rate for almost 1 to 2 Gb, which makes me really unsatisfied for the simple fact that others of my colleagues pays the same amount of money and are able to receive an upgraded packages starting from 7 Gb. could anyone recommend me what to do in this case?

Thank you
Omar

Reply
Lynne said:

May 9, 2020 at 4:07 pm

Ive changed my mind about renewing my pay monthly contract, can i cancel within 14 days and request a PUK code

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 11, 2020 at 5:09 pm
  
  Hi Lynne,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, it should be possible to do this. I’d recommend getting in touch with your mobile network as soon as you can and requesting a PAC Code for your phone number.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Samer said:

May 6, 2020 at 2:37 pm

Hello,

I’m 3 months into a 24 month pay monthly contract for an iPhone 11 Pro with Vodafone. I’m just not happy with what I’m getting and I don’t feel im getting my moneys worth. Is there anyway of leaving without having to pay the price quoted by Vodafone when I text them which is £1281.53?

Can’t I pay less

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 7, 2020 at 11:55 am
  
  Hi Samer,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get around the early termination charge quoted by Vodafone. This is because it’s essentially paying off the remainder of the contract, which includes the cost of your device (worth £1,049 if you were to buy it SIM-free from Apple). It might be worth putting a formal complaint in writing to Vodafone if you’re unhappy with the service. Alternatively, you can check to see whether it’s possible to trade-in or sell your iPhone which should go most of the way towards covering the cancellation charge.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Lewis nameLewis dwyer said:

May 2, 2020 at 10:53 am

Hi the contract is in my name but I bought it for my partner she has now taken the phone and we are no longer together can I change contract details into her name

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 4, 2020 at 10:06 am
  
  Hi Lewis,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, this is something that should be possible – though you’ll need to contact your mobile network to enquire about this.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Mark said:

April 29, 2020 at 10:24 am

I have been desperately trying to cancel my Virgin Mobile contract since BEFORE my phone was even delivered, well within the cooling off period, but it has been impossible for me to get through due to short-staffing caused by the health crisis. Is anyone having similar problems?

Reply
- Dean Barrett replied:
  
  June 7, 2020 at 5:20 pm
  
  I phoned customer service back in November and got told my contract cancelled. Came to realise it hadn’t actually cancelled so phoned again at the end of January , I was very nicely trying to explain to the lady I wanted to speak to a Manager as I shouldn’t have been charged and she hung up on me , I made a complaint and didn’t hear back from them…. I phoned again in February and got told it was now cancelled but I have to pay from November because I hadn’t given them 30 days notice… Still didn’t cancel they started charging me more for a larger Data per month contract… I can’t get in contact with anyone.
  I thought BT was bad , this company is the absolute worst I have ever dealt with..
  
  Reply
Amina said:

April 23, 2020 at 12:44 am

Hi,
I am 12 months into my 24 month contract and want to buy a new phone from another company….can you clarify if I can move my sim to this new phone? If I buy an un-locked sim and put it in my current phone does this mean I can use the current Vodafone sim on the new phone?
Also, if I can move it to the new phone, will the data I have each month be moved over too?
Finally, does it have to be an un-locked sim or can I put, for example, someone else’s Vodafone sim if I want to give the phone to them?
Thanks!

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 23, 2020 at 10:34 pm
  
  Hi Amina,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, it’s possible to buy an unlocked mobile phone elsewhere (e.g. from a third-party retailer) and to insert your current Vodafone SIM card inside it. Your plan is actually linked to the SIM card rather than your actual device. Therefore, if you were to put your SIM card in the new device, all of the allowances will move over along with your phone number, etc.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Michael Harrison said:

April 18, 2020 at 1:39 pm

I am currently in a 24 month contract. (Taken out Oct 19).

I am a serving solider and am due to be posted overseas for 6 months. July 20 – Jan 21. To a country that is not in your roam-free destinations. What options are there for my contract being paused for this period? Or unable to be paused, cancelled. So I can withdraw a temporary contract with host country.

As vodafone is a supporter and a signer of the Arms Forces Covenant. What can be done to accommodate myself.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 20, 2020 at 10:28 pm
  
  Hi Michael,
  Thanks for your comment. There’s some information here on Vodafone’s website about how you can apply for contract break.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Reza said:

April 9, 2020 at 3:24 am

Hi Ken ,
I’m in the contract for about 6 months, however, I’ve got a text message telling me they will increase the price by 2.5% as they continue. This is in line with the UK inflation rate.etc.
so..Can I cancel my contract?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 11, 2020 at 11:23 am
  
  Hi Reza,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, the mobile networks are allowed to increase your monthly charge by RPI inflation as long as they informed you about this at the start of the contract. Unfortunately, this means it isn’t valid grounds for ending your contract without penalty.
  Sorry about that!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Irene Brown said:

April 8, 2020 at 7:34 pm

My contract with o2 ends in a few days will they still take full payment next month or do I need to contact them

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 11, 2020 at 11:25 am
  
  Hi Irene,
  Thanks for your comment. They will continue to take full payment and provide a service to you, unless you’ve asked them to cancel your contract (either following the standard cancellation process or the PAC/STAC code process).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Helen Riley said:

April 6, 2020 at 12:27 am

I have a bundle package with vm & decided to get a mobile contract with them. Signed the agreement on the 26th of jan & received an email it would be delivered on the 27th. It didn’t arrive until 6pm on the 28th!! The phone was faulty so I contacted vm & we agreed a new delivery swap for Friday 31st!! Phone never arrived.. so I called only to be told that it hadn’t gone through??? Vm then had to raise an ID card so I didn’t receive my replacement phone until the 7th of February. When I contacted vm regarding my contract which I signed on jan 26th & info on my 14 day get out clause & also the payments that were taken from my direct debit. I ended up being told I have a good as new (refurbished) phone that I’m paying £972 over 36 months for but where is my legal right regarding goods that are not fit for purpose & also my 14 day get out clause!!

Reply
- Helen Riley replied:
  
  April 6, 2020 at 12:34 am
  
  I queried this with vm but was not given answers to my questions as the the girl was obviously reading from text book. She also said if I stopped interrupting she would try to explain but her explanation was only covering vm legal rights & not giving me mine?? I have an email stating they have fallen short of there policy to me but have only offered to reimburse me £37 which is what I paid for a phone I hadn’t even received. To add insult to injury when I looked they’ve only given me £25.50 credit!!!
  
  Reply
Leanne said:

April 5, 2020 at 4:06 pm

I’m on a 12month which ends in aug would I have to pay termination fee?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 6, 2020 at 10:38 am
  
  Hi Leanne,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, sadly, you’ll need to pay an early termination fee to cover the usage between now and August. The information on this page should allow you to calculate the termination fee, or you can text INFO to 85075.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Ashok Rana said:

April 3, 2020 at 3:50 pm

Hi I am in SIM only contract with Vodafone. Currently I am in overseas and I want to cancel my contract, how can I cancel it? any suggestion can be appreciate.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 6, 2020 at 10:40 am
  
  Hi Ashok,
  Thanks for your comment. The procedure for cancelling your contract with Vodafone is exactly the same as normal – you can either call their customer services team to ask for a cancellation or you can use a PAC Code/STAC Code to end the contract when moving to another network.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
danny said:

April 3, 2020 at 9:07 am

my contract is up on 12/05/2020 and I don’t wish to renew the contract on both my phones I have, how can I get this done please? The phone lines are closed. If I request a PAC code do I do that on the 12/04/2020?I just want to make sure my contract DOES NOT renew please.

Kind regards

Danny

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 6, 2020 at 10:41 am
  
  Hi Danny,
  Thanks for your comment. You can either go through the standard cancellation process, or you can go through the PAC Code/STAC Code process if you’re moving to another network. If you decide to go through the PAC or STAC process, do make sure you actually use the code that’s issued (or your contract will continue as before).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Emily said:

April 3, 2020 at 4:17 am

Hi Ken,

My contract ends in July, 2020 but I left Australia earlier than I expected due to the COVID-19.
Since I won’t be able to return to Australia for a long period of time (more than a year I think),
I want to cancel my contract earlier. I tried to call 1555 and 1300650410 and email the vodafone team but no one responsed my request except the automatic answering.

What can I do to cancel my contract from overseas?

Thanks,
Emily

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 6, 2020 at 10:43 am
  
  Hi Emily,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, the information on this page refers to Vodafone’s UK network – I’m not very familiar with how things work over on Vodafone in Australia. I’d recommend consulting local resources if possible (i.e. Vodafone’s website in Australia, or their customer services team if you’re able to get through).
  Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Anna Rogers said:

April 2, 2020 at 3:23 pm

Hi Ken,

A quick question. If I paid my early cancellation fee but changed my mind, would vodafone put me back on the same contract as before?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 6, 2020 at 10:48 am
  
  Hi Anna,
  Great question! Unfortunately, this is something you’ll need to negotiate with Vodafone Customer Services. As you’ve already ended your contract and paid the termination fee, they’re under no obligation to put you on the same contract as before. Saying that, it might be possible for their customer services team to accommodate this (something you’ll need to discuss with them directly).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Simon said:

March 24, 2020 at 1:40 pm

I mistakingly set up a new contract when trying upgrade my line to sim only. Eventually got through to call center employees who transferred me to the team to cancel the contract as it was still within the 14 days but due to the virus, the team must not have been there as I was on hold for a total of 3 hours before hanging up. Not wanting to call every day just to sit on hold, I have tried to cancel by getting a new sim with giff gaff and transferring the number across using PAC.

Figers crossed.

Reply
Francesco Rocca said:

March 24, 2020 at 8:31 am

Hello I supposedly purchased a phone with SIM card at Rome airport in 2018. As I only needed the phone for one month and I discussed this with the agent. Unfortunately I have been paying this account of €10 per month up until now.

How do I cancel this service.?

Many thanks
Francesco Rocca

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 24, 2020 at 4:01 pm
  
  Hi Francesco,
  Which mobile network did you get your SIM card from? You’ll need to reach out to them to cancel your plan. Alternatively, it’s possible your credit or debit card provider might be able to help you out here.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Jerry said:

March 6, 2020 at 6:34 pm

Hi Ken, My Vodafone contract ends on the 4th of April 2020, did I have to phone them up to give them 30 days notice or could I have just texted switch for the PAC code and terminated my contract?

The rep kept mentioning fees with a PAC code!

Best regards,

Jerry.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 10, 2020 at 8:09 am
  
  Hi Jerry,
  There’s no need to call Vodafone unless you want to (e.g. in case you’d like to speak with their customer retentions team to see if there’s any deals they have available). You can text INFO to 85075 to find out your currently early termination fee – it will give you the exit fee as it stands today but this will be recalculated when you actually move your phone number over. You can then text PAC to 65075 to get your PAC Code without speaking to Vodafone. There’s no difference in early exit fee when using this process.
  Hope this helps!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Zarqa Khan said:

February 15, 2020 at 12:01 pm

Hello, i had a 24 phone contract plan with 3, but recently my phone has been stolen so I went to cancel my plan but I have already paid the entire 24 month contact period and they continued to take monthly payments of £31, without ever contacting me or sending a letter to notify the end of my contact or and upgrade or lower monthly price. Resulting in around £90 being taken from my account. I am very upset a out this as I wanted to upgrade and maybe continue using three but now I am unsure. Please is there a way to get the money back.
Thank you

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 16, 2020 at 11:11 am
  
  Hi Zarqa,
  Sorry to hear about the experience you’ve had with Three. I guess this really comes down to whether there was proof you asked Three to cancel your plan. It might be worth putting a formal complaint in writing with them. Once you do this, they should review all of your previous communications (including the recording of any previous phone calls). They may refund the money to you if this shows they didn’t properly action your request.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Paul Dunn said:

February 11, 2020 at 4:50 pm

Im a new 3 customer just signed a 24 month contract I bought a router for my broadband but the signal is not good to stream, if I cancel what will I have to pay

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 16, 2020 at 11:23 am
  
  Hi Paul,
  Are you still within the first 14 days of your contract? If so, it should normally be possible to cancel your service penalty-free. Once you’re past the first 14 days, an early termination charge will apply as detailed above.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Gail Hewkin said:

February 10, 2020 at 3:04 pm

I ordered and received a sim only but i haven’t yet activated it.

I have now changed my mind and staying with my current provider. Because i haven’t activated my sim does this mean i won’t be entering into a contract and no payments taken from my bank account?

Thank you.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 16, 2020 at 11:27 am
  
  Hi Gail,
  Thanks for your comment. Would you mind letting me know which SIM only deal you signed up for? If it’s a prepaid SIM and you haven’t provided payment information, it should be fine just to not activate the SIM card. However, if you’ve signed up for a contract SIM card and provided payment information, you’ll need to ensure you cancel it within the first 14 days.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Libby Dickson said:

February 10, 2020 at 11:48 am

Good Morning Everyone
Can someone please HELP me-
I am having a HORRENDOUS time trying to cancel a SIM card- my sons mobile was lost in May 2018- contacted 3 for Insurance purposes and they sent me a letter confirming loss of phone.
A new SIM card was sent to my son and we thought great .
Only found out last month that a replacement SIM card should have been sent and not another account set up. ( 3 Store )
My son did not realise until November 2019 that 2 payments were coming out of his account ( for lost sim and new sim) since May 2018 we have tried numerous times to get this sorted but are not getting anywhere because we cannot remember the password for that account!
One customer advisor even put the phone down on us!
My son went onto live chat in November and was advised that the problem would be sorted and error re imbursed- this has not happened
Again we called 3 and was advised to go to a 3 store to get this sorted- in the meantime I was sent a Debt letter for £28- I have never owed a penny in my life !!!
My son and I went to a 3 store- they tried their hardest to sort problem by also phoning 3 and they got no where either- I was advised to pay the Bill – which I did and was told that should be the end of it – in regards to not receiving anymore debt letters- alas no – I received one on Saturday for another £ 28 !!
The manager of store did give us a telephone number for Office in Glasgow which my son called for nearly an hour but no response!
I am soo stressed about this as I am being shunted pillar to post – doing everything that is requested of me but no further forward – surely there must be another way to get other information of me that a security question
Can someone please give me advice as I am actually losing sleep over this- dont know what else to do

Thank You

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 16, 2020 at 11:26 am
  
  Hi Libby,
  I’m really sorry to hear about the problems you’ve experienced with Three. From my side, the only advice I can give you would be to ensure you’ve put a formal complaint in writing with Three. Going through their written complaints process should help to escalate the issue, ensuring there’s a single person to deal with it and hopefully helping you to get your money back faster.
  Ken
  
  Reply
- Stewart replied:
  
  November 6, 2020 at 11:24 pm
  
  You’ll get nowhere with them Libby they are an utter joke of a company!!! The call centre will just tell you anything out their wee folder then cut you off when you fire questions at them that have no answers in their customer service bible
  
  Reply
- sharon replied:
  
  July 21, 2022 at 1:53 pm
  
  I feel your frustration…same thing happened to me. I also called Glasgow. I found to keep escalating on the chat to speak to complaints, manager etc worked best. At one point I was able to give details of the account the payment was being taken from. (I’ve currently spent a whole morning on chat to tell them I want to cancel!! Good luck
  
  Reply
Mark said:

February 6, 2020 at 2:15 pm

Hi Ken –
I’ve just ordered a new handset from another supplier and spoken to Vodafone about getting a PAC code. I was told there would be a charge of £12.50 for this as my contract doesn’t end until 28/2/20. (it’s 06/02/20 today) but if I wait until 27 or 28 Feb there will be no charge. But does this mean I would be liable for another month’s charge from Voda, or if I get a PAC then will the contract terminate immediately? (They don’t like to make this easy, do they?!)
Regards, Mark

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 10, 2020 at 8:20 am
  
  Hi Mark,
  Thanks for your comment. You’re not charged anything for obtaining your PAC Code – the fee of £12.50 is simply an indication of what the “early termination charge” would be if you were to end the contract today. For instance, you could obtain the PAC Code today and then you can use it on the 28th February with no early termination charge.
  With regards to when you should transfer your number, it’s worth noting that the early termination charge is 81.7% of what you’d normally pay over the remaining length of your contract (due to the 2% discount and removal of VAT by Vodafone). If you were simply to use the service until the 28th February, you’d still pay this amount (and more) through your normal line rental charge. In other words, you’d pay around £15.30 of line rental if you were to keep your contract until the 28th February. This is discounted to a £12.50 early termination fee if you end your contract early.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
peter martin said:

January 29, 2020 at 5:29 pm

my supplier will not send me my pc code.
I offered to pay an outstanding bill of €24 but they could not give me the amount for termination
I have put it in writing giving them 2 hour notice as required by of com law

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 30, 2020 at 8:07 am
  
  Hi Peter,
  Thanks for your comment. Which mobile network are you trying to get a PAC Code from, and in which country is that mobile network based? The only reason I ask is because the PAC Code process only applies to UK-based SIM cards (it sounds like you might be using a SIM card from another European country)?
  Ken
  
  Reply
Harry Corbyn said:

January 19, 2020 at 5:32 pm

Hi Ken

I have just received my bill from Vodafone which includes £15.00 monthly advance line rental to 17/2/20, this date being the end of the 12 month minimum term. I have requested a PAC from Vodafone but have been told that there would be an additional fee of £11.72 to leave. Is this correct as the current invoice bills me to the end of the 12 month term.

Thanks

Harry

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 23, 2020 at 8:19 am
  
  Hi Harry,
  Thanks for your comment. I believe the amount quoted by Vodafone is simply the early termination charge (or how much will still be due for the remaining length of your contract). It doesn’t take into account how much has already been paid. So, for instance, if you’ve already paid £15 in advance, and there’s only £11.72 due to pay, I’d expect your final bill to show a refund of the difference (so around £3.28).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Rosemary Francis said:

January 13, 2020 at 12:02 am

Can I just stop direct debit for sim only contract if it is no longer in contract

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 16, 2020 at 8:14 am
  
  Hi Rosemary,
  Thanks for your comment. I’d advise cancelling the contract with your provider – whether that’s through the PAC Code/STAC Code process, or through the standard cancellation process. If you were to cancel the Direct Debit without informing your provider, and if they had continued to provide a service to you, they would still continue to pursue all of those charges through a different means.
  Ken
  
  Reply
John Hedges said:

January 7, 2020 at 11:33 am

I have a 3 mobile contract for my son in Ireland that I wish to cancel but I am now living in Scotland. What’s the process, please?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 7, 2020 at 5:40 pm
  
  Hi John,
  Is your son a customer of Three’s business in Ireland? If so, he’ll need to follow the instructions on this page. If an early termination fee applies for cancelling the contract, it’s also possible to continue using the SIM card in the UK.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Rafael Manrique said:

January 6, 2020 at 9:07 pm

I’m a student and had a Vodafone sim card while in the Czech Republic I contacted Vodafone but did not receive confirmation of my cancellation. I also tried to reach Vodafone by phone calls prior to my departure from the country but after going through the telephone prompts was disconnected once I reached the proper extension.

Any Help would be greatly appreciated

Just another foreign student

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 7, 2020 at 5:42 pm
  
  Hi Rafael,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, Vodafone’s business in the Czech Republic is different from their business in the UK (despite them sharing the same brand). As such, lots of the rules and regulations are different, so it’s difficult for me to be able to advise you on it. I’d recommend consulting a local website if possible, or contacting Vodafone’s customer support in the Czech Republic.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Cherrie said:

January 6, 2020 at 6:09 pm

I would like to cancel my superdrug sim only

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 7, 2020 at 8:03 am
  
  Hi Cherrie,
  You can cancel your Superdrug SIM only deal by disabling the auto-renewal option within your Superdrug Mobile account. More information here on how you can do this.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Amy Rose said:

December 29, 2019 at 12:19 pm

How much would the cancellation fee be if I end my contract with o2 it finished on 17th of June and it £22 pounds a month it’s a galaxy a3 2017

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 6, 2020 at 10:35 pm
  
  Hi Amy,
  As I understand it, your contract with O2 finished in June? If so, there should be no cancellation fee if you’re using either the PAC Code or STAC Code process. If you’re still within the minimum term of your contract, you can text INFO to 85075 to find out your current early termination fee.
  Ken
  
  Reply
João said:

December 28, 2019 at 3:51 pm

Hi, I still have 1 year left in my Vodafone broadband contract, but I’m going to move to my home country and leave my UK address. Can I cancel my contract with 30 days notice?
I will still need to pay the early termination fees?

Thanks.
P.S. overall, I’m happy with Vodafone and would keep with it.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 6, 2020 at 10:32 pm
  
  Hi João,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, it isn’t normally possible to cancel your broadband service without penalty for the reasons that you’re leaving the country. You’ll most likely be asked by Vodafone to pay the early termination fee, though it is worth talking to them as they may be able to give you a discount.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Peter Barry said:

December 27, 2019 at 9:40 am

I have an EE Tablet Essential plan (and telephone number) and a 4GEE Essential mobile number plan both on the same account and both have reached their contract end and I am deciding to move to BT mobile (but have not done anything with them as yet).

Is it best to obtain a PAC for the phone first (by text) and then a Standard Cancellation for the tablet for which I’m cancelling the number (by phoning them), or the other way round.

Any help gratefully received

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 27, 2019 at 6:58 pm
  
  Hi Peter,
  Thanks for your comment. I think it’s probably best to get the PAC Code first for your phone, assuming that’s the phone number you’d like to keep. With regards to the tablet, you can either go for a standard cancellation or you can get a STAC Code which can then also be provided to another network (e.g. consider something like Three’s Data Reward SIM card which will give you 200MB of free data on the tablet each month).
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - peter barry replied:
    
    December 28, 2019 at 9:10 am
    
    Thanks Ken
    
    I must admit I’d been thinking of closing the tablet first on standard cancellation as I will only be using it on wifi from then on and no need for a number (which I have to do by phone apparently) and still keeping the mobile phone active a few weeks longer before texting for the PAC. Thinking was I can (mostly) avoid a hard sell to try and retain me – though probably all to no avail I expect.
    
    Thanks for the help
    
    Peter
    
    Reply
Jan slacke said:

December 20, 2019 at 10:42 am

I’ve been in a 24 mth contract with mobile ph with ee for 24 mths. I now want to cancel but they have put me onto another roll on contract. Can I leave penalty free?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 27, 2019 at 8:34 pm
  
  Hi Jan,
  When you come to the end of your 24 month contract, you would be put automatically onto a one-month rolling contract (i.e. you can leave at any time, subject to the 30 day notice period if applicable). You can therefore leave penalty-free through the PAC Code or STAC Code process, or by paying a 30 day notice fee through the standard cancellation process.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Anne Rogerson said:

December 19, 2019 at 5:01 pm

Please could you advise – my adopted daughter who has severe mental health and limited capacity purchased an iPhone and took our a new contract for a phone. She already has one contract and to make it clear 3 weeks ago she bought 2 phones which we were able to return for her. She is on benefits and will be unable to pay for this contract. We currently have the iPhone and so could return the device. My husband went into the store where she purchased it and they advised we contacted yourselves.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 19, 2019 at 5:38 pm
  
  Hi Anne,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I’m just an independent blogger so I can’t help you out here with regards to returning the device. The best thing to do is to contact the customer services team of the mobile network or retailer the iPhone was purchased from. They’ll be best placed to help you with this. An organisation like the Citizens Advice Bureau may also be able to help you out with advice on this topic.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Augusta Bastos said:

November 19, 2019 at 5:54 pm

I need help I ordered on phone however to many orders have came through so I’ve accidentally ordered to many phones I only want one how do I delete them orders because I’ve tried to call sky and they don’t answer I have also tried to email them however no reply I need help with this or I’ll be in debt thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 21, 2019 at 8:01 am
  
  Hi Augusta,
  Thanks for your comment. The best thing to do would be to call Sky’s customer services team. They should be able to cancel this for you as there was an error during the order process. You also have the right to cancel your contract within the first 14 days with no penalty.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Anonymous said:

November 19, 2019 at 1:31 am

Hi…
I have a contract with Virgin mobile and I’m in the cool off period and I canceled it by calling customer service, but 2 weeks later still get charged for service what I didn’t use. Why?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 21, 2019 at 8:07 am
  
  Hi there,
  I don’t believe Virgin should have charged you, except for a pro-rated amount based on the number of days you were receiving the service. The best thing to do would probably be to contact them on 0345 6000 789 to get an explanation of the charge (as well as a refund where applicable).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Bridget Baylis said:

November 14, 2019 at 5:55 pm

Are there any mobile networks who will pay towards early termination fees in order to move to their network? (I know that some do it for broadband and landline early termination but can find anything online) was hoping to move from ee to possibly sky but open minded at moment

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 21, 2019 at 8:09 am
  
  Hi Bridget,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, I’m not aware of any mobile networks that will normally pay towards early termination charges.
  Sorry about that!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Batsuuri Batbayar said:

November 9, 2019 at 1:11 pm

I’ international student and i just made yearly contract of 45$ each month. i think it is expensive to me so i want to cancel my agreement and shifted to prepaid sim. if i do that does vodafone charge me any $ because of cancellation. i did agreement on 8- Nov-2019

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 10, 2019 at 9:19 pm
  
  Hi there,
  Are you referring to Vodafone in the UK? If so, it should be possible to cancel your contract in the first 14 days without any penalty.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
James said:

November 6, 2019 at 7:29 pm

With Virgin switching mobile provider to Vodaphone, am I in my right to cancel my contract with Virgin (6mths to go) without penalty ?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 7, 2019 at 8:27 am
  
  Hi James,
  That’s a very good question! There won’t be any immediate changes to the coverage provider on your service. Virgin Mobile’s contract with BT/EE still has another few years to run and I don’t believe they moving customers over until late 2021. Therefore, there is no right to cancel your contract penalty-free at present.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Hugh McLaughlin said:

November 4, 2019 at 3:58 am

Hi I currently have a 3 contract and also pay for a 3 SIM only deal for my partner but last couple of months her bill is not much different from my contract. My contract is £37.00 a month and hers is meant to be £14.00 per month but last couple months it’s been £30 something pound so i want to know how to cancel her SIM only contract. Thanks!

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 4, 2019 at 8:43 am
  
  Hi Hugh,
  Thanks for your comment. I’d recommend checking the itemised bill from Three to see why the charge has increased from £14 to £30 (e.g. it might be because of some out-of-allowance usage). If you’d still like to go ahead and cancel the contract after verifying the charges, you can cancel it following the instructions on this page.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Alekos Samaras said:

October 21, 2019 at 11:56 pm

hi

I am on a three contract for 4 years now. I am moving back home, out of UK, so I want to terminate the contract, but I want to keep the number as pay as you go, because I will keep coming to London every two months for part time work. What is the best to do?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 22, 2019 at 6:00 pm
  
  Hi Alekos,
  Thanks for your comment. As you’ve had your Three contract for 4 years, I’d assuming you’re currently out-of-contract. Is that right? If so, there shouldn’t be any early exit fees applying to your plan. You can simply call Three customer services on 333 and they should be able to arrange a move for you to Pay As You Go.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Curtis said:

October 21, 2019 at 12:11 pm

Hi Ken just wondering my contract upgrade is July next year is it possible for me to cancel 30 days before I’m due a upgrade as I don’t want the same number once i leave Three ??
Regards
Curtis

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 22, 2019 at 6:12 pm
  
  Hi Curtis,
  Unfortunately, you’ll need to pay for your contract for the entire minimum term (or an early exit fee to that regard). I believe the 30-day early upgrade is just something they offer (kind of like a discount) to encourage you to upgrade to a newer plan on the same network. It therefore doesn’t apply if you’re leaving and moving to a different network.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
stephen swann said:

October 14, 2019 at 10:22 am

I cancelled my contract with Vodafone because I was unhappy with there service my phone stopped working after 3 months of my contract to them .I sent it back to them for repair they said they would send it back to my local shop and would ring me when completed and the shop would contact me . I heard nothing from the shop so I called in on 2 occasions I was told they cant find my phone, I still have not received it and now they are threatening me with a £200 contract . I spoke to a supervisor at Vodafone he said he would look into this for me and I haven’t heard anything from him. I can only think he has ignored my complaint. do I still have to pay £200 even though they have not returned my phone to me ? steve

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 15, 2019 at 8:22 am
  
  Hi Stephen,
  I’m sorry to hear about the problems you’re having with Vodafone. Unfortunately, I can’t really comment or advise on legal disputes here. However, if you haven’t already, I would strongly recommend putting a formal complaint in writing with Vodafone. This will help to escalate the issue to their central complaints team which is probably going to be more effective than pursuing this through the store.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Tony Barrable said:

October 13, 2019 at 4:03 pm

Hi Ken, I am coming to the end of my 2 year contract with O2 through Carphone Warehouse. I am looking to retain my existing phone and change onto a Tesco sim only deal. Tesco also use O2, do I have to notify O2/Carphone that I’m doing this please?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 13, 2019 at 11:00 pm
  
  Hi Tony,
  Thanks for your comment. You should just follow the normal process for moving from O2 to Tesco Mobile – see the page here for more information. Once you’ve used your PAC Code or STAC Code, the contract on O2 will be ended. There’s no further need to contact O2 or the Carphone Warehouse to let them know you’re moving to Tesco beyond doing this.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Linda Larner said:

October 1, 2019 at 2:08 pm

My mobile has not worked properly sine I had it in December 2018 I’ve made many complaints tried a booster tried wi go calling nothing works.i was told by someone from by that my signal was fantastic on 2g3g and 4g I feel I’ve had this phone and contract missold to me.now been told I have to keep a phone I can’t use indoors till next July.im using a friends phone to type this.i think it’s disgusting

Reply
Jim Macleod said:

September 30, 2019 at 3:27 pm

Hi,
I am being made redundant and I want to keep my company Vodafone number, will probably go with Vodafone as the coverage is OK, but I’m asked for a termination fee to get a PAC. Can’t find a way around this on your FAQs. Any Pointers welcome.
Regards
Jim

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 3, 2019 at 8:08 am
  
  Hi Jim,
  I’m sorry to hear about this. With regards to avoiding the early termination fee, I believe the only way this will really be possible would be for you to take over the Vodafone contract. Alternatively, it’s possible Vodafone might be able to come to arrangement to transfer you onto a consumer plan with a new contract.
  Assuming the company is paying your Vodafone bill, they should also be the ones that are liable to pay an early termination charge, should one be required to end your contract.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Stuart said:

September 28, 2019 at 1:42 pm

Hi, I have five months remaining on my EE contract. I’d like to upgrade the handset though. Can I take out a new contract on O2 then port my EE number via PAC to that new O2 contract in five months time.?

Thanks

Stu

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 28, 2019 at 7:41 pm
  
  Hi Stuart,
  Thanks for your comment. Yes, it’s possible to port your phone number over at any time (so five months later into your O2 contract will be fine).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Stuart replied:
    
    September 29, 2019 at 12:31 am
    
    Thanks, great help, Ken.
    
    Cheers 👍
    
    Reply
Ivy King said:

September 23, 2019 at 5:41 pm

I am a 73 year old women. I have been with Vodaphone since I have had a mobile which is years.
Vodaphone phoned me and offered an upgrade which meant paying an increase for £23 to £33.00
for free calls, texts and 2 gb. I have received 3 bills and have bee charged £55.00. When I phoned Vodaphone they said I had another line and was offered this at the time and there was nothing they could do. This is not true has I am trying to keep bills low as I am a pensioner. Have I been scammed at point of sale and have you heard of this before.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 24, 2019 at 8:07 am
  
  Hi Ivy,
  I’m really sorry to hear about the issues you’ve been having with Vodafone. If possible, I’d recommend putting a formal complaint in writing with Vodafone to escalate this issue, so someone higher up can take a look into it. It may also be worth asking them to find any records relating to the original call, as they might also help you to back up your point.
  This isn’t an issue I’ve heard of before, but I hope this can help you (if only a little) to get the issue resolved.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Linda Ivin said:

September 20, 2019 at 8:59 pm

I purchased what I thought was a sim only card added to my BT broadband for £7.00 per month.
I have never been able to use this card for technical reasons with my phone which I no longer own and so will never be able to use it.
I had no idea this was linked to a 12 month contract.
I have 8 months remaining and although its a very small amount of money it still rankles as I believe I was mis sold.
Can I do anything or do I just have to live with it?
We use BT for our broadband and land line.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 22, 2019 at 5:29 pm
  
  Hi Linda,
  I’m sorry to hear about this. I’d definitely get in touch with BT to make a formal complaint, saying that you think you’ve been missold the contract. It’s possible they might be able to come to an arrangement with you – otherwise, they might offer a discounted cancellation fee based on the fact you haven’t used your SIM.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Allan Crofts said:

September 19, 2019 at 12:22 pm

my wife and I rejoined Vodafone in July this year (2019). I had a great deal of trouble setting up an internet account with them, got that sorted, direct debit payments were established £19.95 to be paid 29th each month, they took the August payment. I get a text on the 6th September telling me I haven’t paid my bill and threatening us with stopping all texts and calls. I paid the bill on the internet with my debit card. I emailed a complaint, which someone got in touch to tell me the account now has to be paid on by direct debit on the 2nd of each month, I was never contacted at all by this new arrangement. I was told I would receive a written apology an a refund on the August payment, neither of these have been forthcoming, I replied to an email from there complaints department and was told to make another complaint, I we were to leave Vodafone now, what would they charge, or do I have a case for no charge to be made?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 24, 2019 at 8:16 am
  
  Hi Allan,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, I don’t think it will possible to cancel your contract without any penalties, unless you’re still inside the original 14-day cooling off period (which it sounds like you aren’t if the account was set up in July). You can get an estimate of the cancellation fee by requesting a PAC or STAC (details found here). It’s possible Vodafone might offer you an additional discount as you’re unhappy with their service, but I strongly doubt they’d offer a penalty-free cancellation.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
S doherty said:

September 15, 2019 at 12:24 am

Can I cancel my contract early if vodaphone have compromised the contract thereselfs

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 16, 2019 at 12:01 pm
  
  Hi there,
  Sadly, I don’t think it will normally possible to cancel your contract penalty-free due to a breach of contract. This would only really be possible if Vodafone agreed with your request, or if you were to take them to court and if the court were to agree. The best next step might be to put a formal complaint in writing to Vodafone, and to see whether they’ll agree with the request.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Shirley knights said:

September 13, 2019 at 11:30 am

What happens if you take out a contract with Vodafone via car phone warehouse and 10 days later you still don’t have a connection. CPW say it’s a problem with Vodafone. I’ve said as I’m within 30 days I want to cancel contract. CPW say I can’t and show me online where Vodafone say it cannot be cancelled. So I have a new phone and no connection and cannot go elsewhere???

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 14, 2019 at 10:43 am
  
  Hi Shirley,
  It’s odd to hear that you still haven’t been connected after 10 days. It sounds like you have your new mobile phone, and presumably your Vodafone SIM card as well? If so, is it an issue with the SIM card you were provided with, or an issue with the coverage in your area?
  Ken
  
  Reply
Dwight Page said:

September 9, 2019 at 3:15 pm

Hi
I have just received my first bill with Virgin Mobile and have 2 separate bills one for my handset and 1 for my airtime this is the 1st time of happening and I am not happy at all with this as it will put me out of pocket for the next 23 months.
Is there anything I can do tried speaking to Virgin Mobile and they say cos Ive signed the contract Im stuck with them.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 9, 2019 at 10:04 pm
  
  Hi Dwight,
  Thanks for your comment. If you’re still within the 14 day cooling-off period, it should be possible to cancel your Virgin Mobile plan without any penalty. Similarly, if your plan is different to what was described to you when you purchased, I’d discuss this with Virgin.
  Ken
  
  Reply
JP said:

September 6, 2019 at 12:41 pm

Hi. I wonder if you might write something on cancelling a Sky *broadband* contract? I did a search but I don’t see anything and you’re just the best source of info on everything. Thankyou.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 6, 2019 at 6:17 pm
  
  Hi JP,
  Haha, that’s very kind of you, thanks very much for the feedback! We don’t have a huge amount of stuff about cancelling broadband contracts at the moment, but this is a great idea and something I’ll definitely bear in mind for the future!
  Thanks,
  Ken
  
  Reply
martin wood said:

September 1, 2019 at 8:57 pm

hi my daughter has got in a mess with ee shes paying 85 pounds per month for her sons mobile who is ten and her own she was paying about 55pounds per month but upgraded her phone the problem is her circumstances in income have changed just want to know the best way to get out of this mess either by reducing cost or getting out of contract ee says her contract is till 2021 can anyone give us advice the best way to deal with this regards m wood

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 2, 2019 at 5:49 pm
  
  Hi Martin,
  Thanks for your comment, and sorry to hear about the situation. The best thing to do would probably be to contact EE to discuss the options that might be available. Alternatively, independent advice may also be available through charities like the Citizens Advice Bureau.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
phillomena daly said:

August 27, 2019 at 8:12 pm

Hi I wanted to change my provider and asked for a pac code. I had a £750 early termination the network provider asked me for payment before they issued the pac. Is this legal?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 28, 2019 at 10:16 am
  
  Hi there,
  Thanks for your comment. Your mobile network mustn’t withhold your PAC Code, pending the payment of an early termination fee. Instead, they’ll need to tell you what this early termination fee would be, and that fee would then only become due if you were to use your PAC Code & cancel your contract.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Jon said:

August 25, 2019 at 9:28 pm

Hi,
I have a contract with Virgin mobile and I’m in the cool off period. I want to cancel it and keep the number and switch to another mobile operator. What should I do?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 27, 2019 at 8:05 am
  
  Hi Jon,
  Thanks for your comment. The best thing to do would be to get in touch with Virgin’s Customer Support team on 789. They should be able to arrange a cancellation during the 14 day cooling-off period without incurring the normal early termination fees.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Robert Sidaway said:

August 18, 2019 at 9:28 pm

How to leave talk mobile and port number to a new provider. Is it possible to text to exit

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 18, 2019 at 10:42 pm
  
  Hi Robert,
  Thanks for your comment. There’s more information here on how to port your Talkmobile phone number to a different network. It should be possible to use the new text to switch system.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Emily Wade said:

August 17, 2019 at 2:11 pm

Is it possible for me to use the PAC to transfer to Giffgaff, for example, but still maintain my monthly repayments on my credit agreement with Sky on my mobile device? So can I JUST cancel my mobile bill?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 18, 2019 at 11:01 pm
  
  Hi Emily,
  Thanks for your comment. I believe Sky Mobile has a “linked split contract”, where you need to pay off your handset repayment plan/credit agreement at the same time as cancelling your airtime plan. Ofcom are currently looking into this, and have proposed some changes to the law to improve fairness for consumers.
  Ken
  
  Reply
D.Mochan said:

August 15, 2019 at 4:49 pm

my contract with vodafone ends on the 12-11-2019, i have been told that i have to wait until the 29th of August to start the terminating process. If I do not inform them of my intention to terminate what happens then. I will probably go pay as you go because I hardly use my phone. What exactly do I do to terminate my contract

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 16, 2019 at 10:04 am
  
  Hi there,
  You can start the cancellation process whenever you like, but there’ll be an early exit fee from Vodafone depending on the date. To reduce the early exit fees that are payable, I’d probably look to transfer elsewhere around November when you’re approaching the end of your contract.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
James Wright said:

August 13, 2019 at 8:59 pm

I have just left Tesco Mobile but my wife has stayed (it was a family contact ) I have been with them for a long time.I have gone to 3 mobile. I got my PAC code easy and no termination charge. 3 3 sent the new SIM which was to be activated on Friday 09/08/2019 however I rang 3 to find out what was wrong only to find Tesco have locked my phone. I rang on friday for a request to unlock my phone but I found out today the person I was speaking to has not put in my request. I have now been told that it could be another 7 days before I get a code. So 3 can’t activate my phone. Is this legal.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 15, 2019 at 11:13 am
  
  Hi James,
  Thanks for your comment. In this case, I’d probably recommend putting a formal complaint in writing with Tesco Mobile. I don’t believe they’ve broken the law as they’ve given you a PAC Code as requested, as they’re legally obliged to. With unlocking, there isn’t a minimum timeframe they need to adhere to, though they should obviously have processed the request when you asked them to do so.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Sandeep said:

May 28, 2019 at 8:24 am

I moved out of UK 12 years back without cancelling my yearly mobile contract as I was shifting jobs. I may move back to UK in near future. Will past breach of contract affect me in any way now.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 28, 2019 at 7:12 pm
  
  Hi Sandeep,
  Thanks for your comment. The previous breach of contract might have affected your UK credit rating and might still be chased up by the mobile network if there are debts outstanding on the account. However, it shouldn’t affect your ability to get another SIM card in the UK (e.g. prepaid SIM cards are available without the need to undergo a credit check, and are popular for people who are new to the UK).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
pete said:

May 22, 2019 at 3:28 am

great article which helped me fight vodafone for a ridiculously high early termination fee. this article appears high in google so I would urge anyone with a high early repayment charge to query it.

it took me years to get the fee recalculated and only ended when I wrote to their CEO.

i reckon 20 people at vodafone told me the ETF was correct, but it couldn’t possibly have been correct, it was more than the value of the entire contract!

If anyone needs advice then feel free to email me – iamprobably at live.com –

Reply
Gaby said:

May 3, 2019 at 10:29 pm

Hi Ken,

My agreement end date with Vodafone is on 7th May. I got the PAC code from them today and my new O2 phone will arrive tomorrow. I wondered if you could help with clarity on early exit fees from Vodafone, do they apply with only days left on the agreement, or am I better off waiting to use the PAC code after the 7th May?
I found this on their website: How much is an early exit fee?
Your early exit fee is calculated by multiplying the number of months left on your contract by your monthly plan charge (excluding VAT). If your monthly charge is subject to a discount, we’ll use the discounted charge as the basis for the calculation.

As I don’t have a full month left on my contract, I wonder if it would just be any outstanding charges on my account to pay?

It just seems such a grey area. Is there an ideal time to use the PAC code where you can seamlessly transition to your new network? I know I could speak with Vodafone for more clarity but there is a reason I’m leaving them and I really don’t want to speak with them any more than I have to!

Thanks.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 7, 2019 at 10:29 am
  
  Hi Gaby,
  Many thanks for your comment. I can’t speak specifically for Vodafone, but in most cases the termination fee is calculated based on the number of days remaining on your contract, or the number of days remaining in your 30-day notice period (whichever is longer). For instance, even if you were out of a contract today, you would need to give 30 days notice to end your contract. Your mobile network could then charge you up to the end of that period. Requesting a PAC Code counts as notice for wanting to end your contract.
  With regards to the 30 day notice period when you’re out of contract, this is something I strongly disagree with (and receive a lot of complaints from other readers about). Luckily, it’s something that Ofcom are legislating to change in the near future.
  Anyway, to circle back around on your original question: the most cost-effective way of doing this would have been to request your PAC Code from Vodafone around 30 days before the end of your old contract (therefore giving notice to Vodafone in the process of doing this). You can then use the PAC Code to move to O2 just before the end of your contract. This would minimise the amount of time remaining on your 30-day notice period, as well as the overlap between the two contracts.
  I appreciate this probably isn’t very much help now, but I hope it will be useful for future reference!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Mandy said:

April 29, 2019 at 7:05 pm

Hi there, what is the basis for charging mobile monthly plans in advance? I have just taken out a Vodfone contract and did not realise the first and second month fees plus upfront costs would ALL be charged in the same month because the provider says all fees are in advance. I am baffled by this as it makes no sense – why am I paying for a service I have not utilised? Apparently it is the norm with mobile providers. Why are our options as consumers?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 30, 2019 at 8:27 am
  
  Hi Mandy,
  Thanks for your comment. You’re right: lots of the major mobile networks have moved towards doing this. It’s obviously in their interests as they get paid one month earlier, and it means they don’t need to chase up payments for charges that have already been incurred (your usage is paid for in advance so they can simply disconnect your line if a payment fails for some reason). On the flip side, it does make the credit check process a bit more relaxed, especially on SIM Only offerings.
  I’m not sure there’s really very much we can do about this as consumers, except from trying to find a mobile network that doesn’t do this!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Paul Field said:

April 29, 2019 at 1:37 pm

I am looking to leave Vodafone due to an ongoing Complaint (which I intend to take to the Ombudsman). During the complaint process they have treated me very badly, as a customer of theirs for 20 years+

Can I refuse to pay the early charges?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 30, 2019 at 8:21 am
  
  Hi Paul,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I’m not a lawyer so I couldn’t advise you on the legalities of deciding to withhold this payment. This is something I’d recommend getting separate legal advice on. However, it’s almost certain that Vodafone will not be happy with you refusing the payment, and they may decide to report this on your credit record and could pass the case over to a debt collection agency. For this reason, I would personally not want to do this!
  Ken
  
  Reply
Scott Kirby said:

April 10, 2019 at 9:27 am

Hi Ken,

My contract with three ends at the start of june. I spoke with them about paying my early termination fee of £20 and requested my pac code but they said i cannot do this as i am still in contract. If i chose too terminate early i would lose my number. Can they do this? I thought if i request my PAC and and am happy to pay the termination fee i could keep my number?

Thanks

Scott

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 11, 2019 at 7:58 am
  
  Hi Scott,
  Thanks for your comment. I think what they’re saying here is you aren’t able to pay the termination fee in advance whilst you still have an active plan with them. You can request a PAC Code at any time without triggering the early termination charge. Instead, the charge is calculated on your final bill only once you’ve actually used that PAC Code to move to another network (the exact charge will depend on how many days you had left on your contract, so until you do this, they won’t know exactly how much to charge you).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Daniel Carlin said:

April 2, 2019 at 4:00 pm

Hi Ken,
I have taken a sim only contract with o2 at £12 per month.
I was pay as you go and was advised by an o2 salesman to take the sim only deal and save £3 per month.
I was assured I could keep my current number but when the pack arrived i went to an o2 shop for assistance in activating the sim.
The assistant then informed me I could not do that with the sim I brought in with me and suggested I cancel that sim and take out the same deal in the o2 shop and she would do everything including saving my current number.
However I discovered in addition to my £12 sim payment on 8March there was an additional payment taken from my account on the 22 March for £108.16 on the same details of my sim only payment.
When i phoned up o2 to inquire what the money was taken for was informed it was for early termination of contract.
I was not made aware any charges were levied against me by phone call or in writing so I just noticed I had lost money from my account to o2 without my knowledge or authorisation.
I have been assured that my money will be refunded as I explained I was within the cooling off period in the first instance and would question how the claim was raised and money extracted without consultation with me.
There is a concern for me that I could have missed this transaction if I did not check my bank account.
they will take between 7 to 14 days to return my money to me.
Should I report this to Off com or to o2 by way of a complaint and seek some kind of compensation for their behaviour in taking funds without authorisation ?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 2, 2019 at 7:04 pm
  
  Hi Daniel,
  Thanks for your comment. I would certainly make a formal complaint in writing about this to O2, detailing exactly what happened and the fact they didn’t properly follow their own cooling off process. Regarding Ofcom, it’s unlikely they’ll look at your individual case (this would be something for the ombudsman). However, there’s certainly no harm in letting them know what happened as the feedback helps them to prioritise future investigations, etc.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Hiedi said:

April 2, 2019 at 2:03 am

Hi Ken, I have been contacted by debt collector group to pay certain large fees and after calling them on 3 separate occasions (and paying) I was told that Three would reconnect my service and I was still owing money from the rest of my contract despite having my plan cancelled by Three in July under the special condition premise I would return my mobile phone.
Having returned my mobile phone and moved overseas I am still being charged the ridiculous cancellation amount despite not even having a physical handset? why is this so high still? how do i get around this?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 2, 2019 at 6:55 pm
  
  Hi there,
  I’m really sorry but I’m not able to advise on the details of this situation 🙁 My recommendation would be to review the details of what Three previously promised you, possibly with the Citizens Advice Bureau. You can then decide on the next best steps.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Mark Green said:

April 1, 2019 at 1:55 pm

My phone was disconnected due to bad debt, I have been told i cannot request a PAC, I was then told I could but it would not work

What is the situation the number is still with my network but I wish to leave and take my number elsewhere I am aware i will incur termination fees and any unpaid debt could be passed onto a debt collection agency

I am prepared for that but I would still like PAC can my network refuse??

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 2, 2019 at 6:46 pm
  
  Hi Mark,
  I don’t believe that unpaid debt can be used as an excuse not to provide you with a PAC Code (otherwise, they’d potentially be forcing you to run up additional debts). You will however need an account that is still active on the network, and an early termination fee will be triggered once you move your phone number to another network.
  Ken
  
  Reply
David said:

February 26, 2019 at 10:16 pm

Hi . I’ve got some question about cancel my contract . I’m planning to leave UK soon , so my contract should expired next year . Is it my right to cancel it ? because i will not have any money on my UK account . I’m moving to America . I will have problem with payment every month. im looking for advice what should i do ?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 4, 2019 at 11:22 am
  
  Hi David,
  Sadly, it won’t be possible to cancel your contract without penalty, as described here. Is there anyone who might be happy to “take over” the contract on your behalf? Alternatively, is it possibly worth keeping the current contract for your trips back to the UK?
  Ken
  
  Reply
David Grimes said:

January 11, 2019 at 5:38 am

Hi I have a 24 month contract with 3 mobile but with a minimum term of 12 months does this mean I can cancel or upgrade my contract after 12 months ?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 14, 2019 at 1:55 pm
  
  Hi David,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I haven’t come across this before – could you provide any more information on which product it is you have with Three exactly? Normally, a 24-month contract will have a 24-month minimum term so I’m not sure where the 12-month figure comes in!
  Thanks,
  Ken
  
  Reply
patricia mcglynn said:

December 27, 2018 at 3:42 pm

Hi, I have a contract with 02 with unlimited calls texts, however i keep getting charged to a certain number, its not a number out of the area the person lives wihen 30 minutes walking distance and its a normal mobile number, they agreed something wasnt right and said were investigating why i was getting charged every call to that number, that was two months ago. and still no one has got ack to me and im still getting charged, Am i in my rights to cancel my contract as they are not fulfilling my agreed contract?

Thank You
Patricia

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 3, 2019 at 8:35 am
  
  Hi Patricia,
  That’s very odd. Some phone numbers beginning with 01, 02, 03 and 07 are excluded from UK allowances but this is typically because they’re non-UK (e.g. Isle of Man & Channel Islands) or non-mobile (e.g. personal numbers beginning with 070).
  My recommendation would be to put a formal complaint in writing with O2 to get this issue escalated and hopefully resolved. Unfortunately, I’m not a lawyer so I can’t advise on whether this is breach of contract. My guess is this wouldn’t count as breach of contract (and therefore you wouldn’t be able to cancel without an extra fee). However, you are fully entitled to a refund of any amounts they have incorrectly charged you for phone calls that should have been included.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Vanessa Cross said:

December 21, 2018 at 11:31 pm

I’m currently going through a massive dispute with Vodafone, I received a faulty handset which leaked data and broke down twice 2 days after the 30 day cool off. They wouldn’t replace and said I would have to send in for repairs, without ample replacement, In the end and with no help from Vodafone, I went to the apple store and used my warranty to replace the faulty handset.
Only wanting to compensate £30, I am not satisfied with this. I have now left Vodafone and will get a fee for leaving early.

Reply
Jane said:

November 20, 2018 at 10:52 pm

Hi

I had a contract with my partner via Vodafone, the account was originally in his name but when I upgraded in a Vodafone shop (my partner was also there) about 4 years ago we asked for it to be in my name as he no longer had his number with Vodafone. In May last year I upgraded via phone call with Vodafone and added another phone onto the account doubling my monthly commitment. I have recently contacted them about a problem with my phone and they are now saying that I am not the account holder, just authorised on the account and are refusing to action certain requests. My ex partner has had to go into a Vodafone shop and provide ID to sign a transfer of ownership form as he obviously didn’t know the security questions as I set them (they let me!) when I upgraded last year. They are now saying they have to complete a credit check on myself even though I have been paying the bill without fail for four years and to be honest I am sick to death of them telling me what they can’t do, when they have admitted they have breached their own rules in allowing me to upgrade last year and I want to transfer my number away from them, surely there is no regulated contract that they can hold either of us too and therefore charge me an early termination fee? Any advice would be great thanks.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 26, 2018 at 1:22 pm
  
  Hi Jane,
  Thanks for your comment. Sadly, there isn’t very much I can provide in terms of advice, but it does like the proper due process hasn’t been followed within Vodafone. I’d strongly recommend putting a formal complaint in writing with them which will help to escalate the issue and ensure it is looked into properly. Besides that, I wish you the best of luck of getting a resolution from this, and if applicable, being able to take your phone number from Vodafone to another network.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Mo said:

October 24, 2018 at 4:16 pm

Hi, I’m currently with o2 12 month sim only contract, I want to get a new phone and sim and get off o2 but I called them and they saying to pay the remaining 10 months of my sim only contract. I really don’t want to do that, anything I could do???!

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 26, 2018 at 9:31 am
  
  Hi Mo,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, if you’re tied in to a 12-month contract, you’ll need to pay off the remainder of it if you’d like to end the contract early. As an alternative, have you considered buying your new handset SIM-free and then continuing to use it on your O2 SIM Only contract? This will save you from having to pay the early termination charge, and of course, you’ll be saving money every month on your contract as well.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Derek said:

September 26, 2018 at 10:38 pm

Hi my Virgin mobile contract is due to expire on the 21st Oct. my top up date is the 9th Oct. I want to cancel my contract at the end day. But i am a bit confused about when to give notice and will i have to pay anything extra other than my remaining payments

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 27, 2018 at 7:32 am
  
  Hi Derek,
  Many thanks for your comment. I assume you’re on a Pay Monthly contract with Virgin, rather than Pay As You Go? I assume so but I was a little confused by the mention of a top-up date! To answer your question, if you’re on a Pay Monthly contract, you’ll need to give Virgin Mobile 30 days notice to end your contract. I’d therefore recommend doing this and asking for your PAC Code as soon as you can. Towards the end of those 30 days, you can then give the PAC Code to your new mobile network to minimise overlap between the two deals.
  Ken
  
  Reply
ivan said:

August 14, 2018 at 11:29 am

hello i’m leaving the country outside EU so i won’t be able to use my phone, i still have to pay 9 months to EE which i consider that is too much for not using the line…is there any alternative?, what if i just not pay?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 16, 2018 at 7:04 pm
  
  Hi Ivan,
  Many thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy ways to get around this, unless there is somebody you’re possibly able to transfer your contract to. Alternatively, you may wish to keep the line active for future trips back to the UK.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Michelle said:

August 10, 2018 at 7:08 pm

Hi
My Vodafone pay monthly 2 year contract is due to expire mid October. My earliest upgrade date was today.
I’ve confused the two dates and have ordered a pay monthly phone from Carphone Warehouse (still on the Vodafone network) and would like to keep my number.
I’m just wondering what the cancellation fee would be and when would be the best time to request a PAC code.
Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  August 13, 2018 at 8:13 am
  
  Hi Michelle,
  Many thanks for your comment. You should contact Vodafone directly to get a pounds and pence figure for how much it would cost to cancel your contract. Based on the information you’ve provided, I think it’s likely they’ll charge you on the old contract until mid-October, although they’ll potentially waive some of this if you’re upgrading to a new contract.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Melanee said:

July 16, 2018 at 4:32 pm

I’m looking at changing from 3 to another network. 3 have advised that if I cancel mid month (my contract is up shortly) then I’ll have to pay a full month’s fees and not a partial month. Surely this can’t be right? I’m suspicious that it’s another sales tactic to get me to stay with them.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 16, 2018 at 5:47 pm
  
  Hi Melanee,
  Based on my understanding, this shouldn’t be the case. They’ll charge you the full month’s fee via Direct Debit as normal. However, you should receive a refund for the unused days between the end of your 30-day notice period and when they’ve charged you until. From memory, you do need to call up Three to ask for this refund but it may have changed so it’s worth double-checking this with them.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Warren Smith said:

June 25, 2018 at 4:04 pm

My 2 contracts are up on 17th and 18th July and I am trying get to give my 30 days notice but Vodafone want to charge the early termination fee of £17 and £11 on each contract. How is this possible when the 30 days end would actually be after my contract end date. If I handed my notice in on the respective dates Vodafone are effectively making me stay with them for an extra month and I didn’t sign up to a 25 month contract. Kind regards.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 25, 2018 at 6:20 pm
  
  Hi Warren,
  Many thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, the way it works at the moment, is you need to give 30-days notice to end a Pay Monthly contract. Therefore, if you want it to end after exactly 24 months, you’ll need to request your PAC Code on the final day of the 23rd month and then you’ll need to transfer your phone number out on day 30 of your notice period.
  Obviously, this doesn’t make very much sense and I definitely share your frustrations in this area. I know Ofcom are currently legislating to stop this from happening, as lots of people end up paying for two contracts as they change from one mobile network to another.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Warren Smith replied:
    
    June 26, 2018 at 11:13 am
    
    Many thanks for your speedy and informative response Ken.
    
    Reply
Steve Roberts said:

April 9, 2018 at 7:29 pm

Hi, my wife and are on Virgin. For the past 6 days we’ve not been receiving calls to our mobiles, and after several calls to customer services and being supplied with 2 new sims, we’ve had enough .
When I called again this evening to cancel my contract, they said I would have to pay a fee, which normally I would agree with, but surely they have breached the contract by not supplying the goods I pay for ?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 11, 2018 at 2:43 pm
  
  Hi Steve,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I can’t really advise here as it’s a dispute between you and Virgin Mobile around the terms of the contract. However, I would definitely recommend putting your complaint in writing with them as this should hopefully help to escalate the issue and allow you to come to a resolution.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Liz N said:

March 19, 2018 at 6:30 pm

I am considering changing network and trying to work out how much this may cost me.
I started my contract with EE in July 2015, when I bought my handset outright, so am well outside the 24 months contract term.
However I did not do anything to renew or upgrade but continued to use their network after July 17. Does this mean my cancellation fee would be calculated from the remaining months of a second 24 month contract? ie about 18 months worth?
Struggling to understand how this works.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 24, 2018 at 10:05 pm
  
  Hi Liz,
  Many thanks for your comment. If you didn’t renew your contract at the end of the 24 months, you would have continued your contract on a 30-day rolling basis. Therefore, your early cancellation fee should be no more than 30 days usage, calculated from the date on which you give notice to EE you’d like to end the contract.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Yvonne said:

February 1, 2018 at 1:43 pm

Why do I have to give 30 days notice to leave my mobile provided EE when I have been out of contract for over 12 months

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 3, 2018 at 2:35 pm
  
  Hi Yvonne,
  Many thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, this is just how existing contracts are written (you can still leave within the 30-day period, but it just means you’ll need to pay for the remainder of the 30 days). Ofcom, the UK’s telecommunications regulator has flagged this here, and it’s due to be changed soon (at the latest, on the 1st July 2019). I realise this doesn’t really help you at the moment, but there’s a definitely widespread agreement about the unfairness of this charge.
  Ken
  
  Reply
John Wilson said:

November 7, 2017 at 12:48 am

Hi Ken,
I’ve been with Vodafone for years and at the start of this month I took out an upgrade contract with them for a new iPhone 7 over 24 months. I’m now thinking that I’d like to buy the phone outright and go onto a sim only deal with them. Is this possible and what are the likely charges. I understand I have 30 days from the start of the contract to change it.
Thanks for your help.
John

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 10, 2017 at 11:47 am
  
  Hi John,
  Many thanks for your comment. I believe Vodafone offers a Network Satisfaction Guarantee so you may be able to use this to return your handset within 30 days:
  “If you’re a new or upgrading customer, our unique Network Satisfaction Guarantee lets you put our bigger and better network to the test. This means you have 30 days to try us out. If you’re not happy, we’ll cancel your contract so you can walk away – no questions asked… Whether it’s a new network, a new operating system, or just a new phone, if you’re not totally happy you’re free to change your mind.”
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
S rahman said:

October 31, 2017 at 10:06 pm

I want to cancel my 3 contract. I’ve been trying for last 4 hours and I think today is the last day can you advise me what to do please thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 1, 2017 at 5:56 pm
  
  Hi there,
  I believe you’ll need to contact Three Customer Services on 333 if you’d like to cancel your contract with them.
  Ken
  
  Reply
tadesse said:

July 3, 2017 at 9:40 pm

Can I get PAC CODE before 2 weeks time of my contract finished from 3.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 6, 2017 at 8:11 am
  
  Hi Tadesse,
  Yes! You can request a PAC Code at any time. Once you have it, it will be valid 30 days from issue. Nothing will happen to your existing contract until you actually use the PAC Code, so there’s nothing to lose getting it early. In fact, I’d normally recommend this as good practice as you’re normally liable to pay for your old contract on Three for 30 days after the date of your PAC Code request (this is because they require 1 month notice for you to end the contract).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Irina said:

May 7, 2017 at 12:53 pm

Hi Ken,I just made a contract with Three about 2 days ago but the phone is faulty and I want to cancel the contract because I want another phone.do I have to pay a cancellation fee?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 8, 2017 at 8:16 am
  
  Hi Irina,
  Many thanks for your comment. I recommend speaking to Three to discuss your options, but as you’ve only had the phone for 2 days then I believe this should be fine. If you bought it online, it’ll be covered by distance selling regulations… otherwise, you’ve got the cooling-off period and also the warranty on the handset.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
NUNO ALMEIDA said:

May 7, 2017 at 9:51 am

hi how long do i have to stay with a number on a sim card before a change it to another sim card

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 8, 2017 at 8:14 am
  
  Hi Nuno,
  Thanks for your comment. There is no minimum amount of time you’ll need to have used a SIM card before moving to another network. The only restrictions you want to consider are contractual requirements (e.g. if you get a Pay Monthly contract, there’ll probably be a minimum contract term and also a 30-day required notice period). Similarly, on Pay As You Go, you’ll forfeit remaining credit and bundle allowance when leaving the network.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Khairul said:

May 3, 2017 at 4:06 pm

Hi Ken,

I took out a couple of one-month SIM Only contracts with the intention of only using them for a month or so. I didn’t take particular care to stop them from rolling over into the second month because I thought they would only bill me for the amount of days I used after the first month.

I terminated the contracts – which were with Plusnet and Vodafone – by means of porting out. Both networks billed me in full for two months. Am I entitled to a pro-rata refund for the amount of days I was disconnected on the second month of each of the contracts? I thought the 30-day notice is only applicable if you want to disconnect the number entirely.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 5, 2017 at 9:44 am
  
  Hi Khairul,
  Thanks for your comment. The annoying thing about 30-day SIM-only contracts is they normally require you to give 30-day notice of you ending the contract. Therefore, if you want to use the SIM card for only one month, you’ll actually need to call them on the day you start your contract (in other words, you’ll need to give them notice pretty much straight away you only want to use the SIM for one month). Typically, calling to obtain your PAC Code would be considered valid notice, so the mobile network can charge you a monthly fee up until 30 days after you obtain your PAC Code.
  Two further thoughts:
  1) I believe Ofcom is investigating how fair these charges really are, so hopefully things may change sometime in the future.
  2) If you only want to use a SIM card for one month, I’d probably recommend getting a Pay As You Go bundle instead. With PAYG bundles, there is no need to give any notice so you can easily use it for just 30 days and then throw away the SIM card. Also, taking SIM-only contracts and then cancelling them after one month is likely to affect your credit score in the short-term as well (as each application will leave a search on your credit file).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Liz said:

February 28, 2017 at 4:41 pm

Ken

Any way of cancelling contract based on continual ignored requests to stop spamming?

After being with O2 for more than a decade l changed to Vodafone in September 2016. Biggest regret ever. Terrible customer service, charging for unrequested services and non stop spamming.

Have sorted the billing problems however l have asked, told and demanded they stop spamming. They promise they will but days later new garbage appears in my phone messages.

Can l leave the company as they haven’t kept to what they agreed to do and that l informed them that l would leave they didn’t agree to stop spamming and stick to it?

Spamming has been since September 2016

Many thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 2, 2017 at 8:03 am
  
  Hi Liz,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I’m not a lawyer so I can’t advise you on whether this is a breach of contract (I recommend speaking to a qualified local lawyer on this instead). I’d also recommend making a formal complaint in writing to Vodafone. This should help to escalate the issue and of course, you’d then be able to discuss relevant compensation.
  Ken
  
  Reply
michelle said:

January 19, 2017 at 2:45 pm

hi im currently with vodafone.
contract finishes in dec 17.
im currently very dissatisfied with them due to being charged for a sim i do not have. called them several times in regards to this and been told that they have sorted and once again been charged.
im just tired of ringing being passed around from one to another.

Reply
David Walker said:

December 26, 2016 at 9:38 pm

Hi
I currently have a mobile contract with Vodafone. However, due to a change of circumstances and, therefore, affordability, I need to do something to bring the costs down.
Do you know if there are any other mobile companies out there who will take me on, be my provider and pay off my early termination fees?
If not, I know Vodafone say there’s a usage cap on their website but it can’t be applied to my account. Should they be allowed to not cap my usage?

Thanks!

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 28, 2016 at 7:05 pm
  
  Hi David,
  Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any provider that is currently able to pay off an early termination fee. However, with regards to changes in affordability, I’d strongly recommend discussing this directly with Vodafone. They should have a team there that will specialise in helping you out and will discuss the possible options with regards to reducing your monthly phone bill.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Clare said:

December 16, 2016 at 9:09 pm

Hi Ken,

I am currently with vodaphone I was able to upgrade from 25/11/16 and my contract ends in February. I have been offered the following contract on a I Phone 7 – 128gb.. Unlimited calls and texts and 3gb of data and they are adding premium Spotify for the duration of the contract.
They have said I don’t have to pay for the handset on the basis that I accept a phone that has been returned by a customer within the 30 days. Is this wise or should pay the extra for a new handset.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 16, 2016 at 9:19 pm
  
  Hi Clare,
  Thanks for your comment. This is entirely up to you really & depends on whether you want to have a brand new handset. Essentially, you’re being offered a “refurbished” iPhone from Vodafone. If you don’t really mind, this saves you money upfront and possibly means you get better specifications for the same money. Personally, I’ve not had that much experience with refurbs as I’ve typically always bought handsets brand new.
  Ken
  Ken
  
  Reply
Marion said:

December 2, 2016 at 7:30 am

I have called direct debit 2 months early for O2 sim card how much will I be charged

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 4, 2016 at 6:44 pm
  
  Hi Marion,
  Thanks for your comment. I would strongly advise against cancelling your Direct Debit with O2, as they will simply try to recover this money from you another way. Instead, if you’d like to cancel your contract early, you can contact O2 to ask them to do this. They’ll typically charge you an early termination fee equivalent to the monthly subscription for the remaining months on your contract (so about 2x your normal monthly cost).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Sandra Cameron said:

November 25, 2016 at 6:32 pm

Do I have to pay for pac number which I have not used

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 28, 2016 at 7:59 am
  
  Hi Sandra,
  You should never have to pay for a PAC Code: all mobile networks must offer it to you free of charge. However, if you’ve ended your contract before the minimum term, early exit fees will apply however you ended your contract (this would be regardless of whether you actually used your PAC Code).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Lawrence said:

September 19, 2016 at 12:07 am

Thanks for setting up such a clear guide. I couldn’t figure out Three’s termination fees, despite digging through the same files you referenced.

Reply
Mark smith said:

September 7, 2016 at 9:40 pm

I upgraded early on Saturday 3Rd September 2016 nd my contract was going to finish on 23Rd of October,I was using a Sony Xperia z3 compact to a cash back HTC 10 but I changed my mind about it as to different nd on Monday 5th September went into carphone warehouse to change or cancel within the 14 day minimum period but got told I can’t do either as I’m on a cash back tariff nd as I upgraded early I can’t cancel contract but I think I should have been told that b4 they let me upgrade

Reply
Aly said:

August 22, 2016 at 3:27 pm

Hi Ken,
I had a contract with Vodaphone which I cancelled in 2005, due to bad reception. The cancellation was instructed verbally over the phone to customer services. Since that time the phone number has not been used at all, I no longer have the phone and was on a system they no longer use but Vodaphone has continued to take monthly payments from my account approx £900, without my knowledge. I should have been more diligent checking my statements but with other phone contracts in place that DD payment was overlooked.

I have spoken to customer services over the past 4 days and spoken to 7 people who have who have been unhelpful. Vodaphone are denying that any instruction was received and as we did not cancel in writing they are prepared to offer £95 only in compensation which I have rejected.

In 2005 was it possible to cancel by verbal instruction? If so is there anyway of proving it? And can they simply say they have no record of that instruction?

Thanks
Aly

Reply
- L Robinson replied:
  
  November 16, 2016 at 9:46 pm
  
  I also cancelled via the 191 number, But still have another phone within contract so noticed Vodafone were still billing me two months later… after exhaustive calls and emails (where they claimed that cancelling does not count if you do not use a PAC code) they have cancelled the phone and given me a credit of just over £8 (against their overcharge of almost £30). Without a doubt they are a bunch of crooks and I would not recommend them to my worst enemies.
  
  Reply
- Kathleen replied:
  
  November 18, 2016 at 5:42 pm
  
  I have the exact same issue with them .. how did you get it resolved?
  
  Reply
- Wish replied:
  
  January 8, 2017 at 12:57 am
  
  Hi Aly you can actually speak to your bank and request a direct debit indemnity, they should be able to refund you most if not all of the payments Vodafone have taken. You just need to tell them these payments were not authorised by you and the bank will refund the money immediately. I worked for Santander and this was the best resolution for unauthorised direct debits. Hope it helps.
  
  Reply
Danielle said:

July 26, 2016 at 6:44 pm

Hi Ken, I need urgent help and I’m so un-tech savvy!
I have had an on going issue with vodafone for about 6 months now, unfortunately I don’t have anything in writing as I have always dealt with them by phone which has resulted in absolutely nothing despite all the promises.
I’ll try and sum this up as best as I can. Earlier on this year (2016) I noticed that despite paying my bill there was a large outstanding balance that showed up only on my vodafone app and not on my account, when I called up to query this I was told it was outstanding charges on one of my contracts (I have 4) belonging to my mother, seeing as how she travelled to Europe a couple of months prior it made sense however I had already paid the extra charges on her bill and the outstanding balance was far too excessive for 4 days in Europe on top of what I had paid already. After my query this outstanding balance has now been added to my account. Through numerous phone calls I was able to get them to admit that it wasn’t actually charges that I had incurred and also my payment date had been changed without my knowledge or consent. Twice customer service actually went through all my bills since November 2015 to check whether what I owed and what I have paid balance out, twice it has been proven that it does. Since then I have been promised on 3 separate occasions that they will rectify the issue and get back to me and have even been told NOT to pay my bill until the issue is resolved. A few months later as of right now I’m overdue 2 months soon to be 3, my contracts have been cut off about 3 times and the outstanding balance is huge and incorrect! There is more but I just couldn’t bore you with 6 months worth of nonsense. I just want out of my contracts. 2 are up for renewal this year and the other 2 next year. Please help ASAP!

Reply
- Joanne replied:
  
  September 27, 2016 at 7:56 pm
  
  I’ve been having trouble with Vodafone since March when they disconnected my mobile number for another number on my account, they charged me over £500 for the pivelage. They haven’t responded to my complaint letters, I finally got the £500 taken off my account a few weeks but still had four different people telling me I owed different amounts of money. I paid the bill that I thought it should be and my account now debt free but Vodafone are blocking my number up to twice a day. I don’t expect your problem to be sorted any time soon. You need to contact the ombudsman.
  
  Reply
Niamh said:

July 4, 2016 at 9:48 pm

Hi,
I am signed up to a 24-Month contract with Vodafone, Ireland (Since Feb 2015). When i called in Nov 2015 to dispute a bill i had received i asked what my contract expiration date would be (i genuinley couldn’t remember when i had purchased the phone) , i was told it would be Feb 2016… I called again in Feb to find out exactly which day my contract would end and was told i was contracted with Vodafone until August 2016. I accepted that a mistake was made and said i would call back in Aug. Since then i have been having issues with my bill and have had to call Vodafone Customer care multiple times. During the most recent phone conversation i had, i was told my contract would not expire until Feb 2017. Now i understand that errors can be made, but i feel Vodafone should honor the information that i was given, on 2 separate occasions, however they are stating that they will NOT honor this, can i do anything about it?
thanks

Reply
- Trisha Horlock replied:
  
  October 5, 2016 at 4:52 pm
  
  Hi’ I have been a Vodafone customer for many years and have had several problems. I cancelled my mother’s phone over a year ago and had to cancel it 3 more times before it was finally done. Didn’t get a full refund on tariff but after hours on the phone and in the shop, the shop said they would refund £50 as a goodwill gesture which will come off the next bill. The next saga was on a sim only contract and the tariff was reduced. The bill stayed the same. I rang them and was told this would be done whilst I was on the phone and to switch the phone on and off at midnight and the new tariff would be in force. This was done and the phone had no network coverage. It took 2 1/2 hours on live chat and various reasons were given as to why the phone did not work. For example the sim card did not exist. This had been put in at a Vodafone shop approximately a year ago. When I said I would cancel the problem was sorted immediately. On 25th August I took my son’s Samsung S6 in for repair. He had had the phone since December 20l5 but didn’t start using it until July 16th. He was really pleased with the phone and then the microphone developed a fault plus the back light didn’t work. When I rang the repair centre they stated that the phone had water damage so would have to go through his mobile phone insurance. My son has not got his phone wet but we were told water damage can occur from getting out of an air conditioned car into hot weather or taking the phone in the bathroom. This seems to be a cop out. They said this had occurred over a long period of time. I asked what a long period of time was as he had only been using his phone since 16th July and they could not give me an answer. We were not happy but agreed to pay the £50 excess and they said that they would ahead with the repairs. Approximately a week later I got an e mail telling me it was ready for collection. I went to collect the phone only to find out it had not been repaired. Lack of communication between the repair centre and the insurance. The shop apologised and said they would send it back to the repair centre and it would take 3 to 5 working days. We didn’t hear anything so on 23rd September I rang Vodafone and was told that the phone could not be repaired so they said they would send a new S6 but at present they were not in stock. They would contact us when they were in stock. My son wanted to upgrade his contract to a S7 and pay something up front and possibly increased monthly payment. They said he could not do this unless he paid off the rest of his contract. After hearing nothing I contacted them today and said he would accept an S6 when they were in stock. They were in stock but had omitted to inform me. The new Samsung S6 will arrive tomorrow but we had no choice of colour. What I really want to find out is if we buy out the contract can we legally keep the phone. I have read that after 6 months of the contract the phone is legally owned by us. Want I don’t know is does this change if a new phone has been supplied through an insurance claim.
  
  Reply
Charlotte said:

June 25, 2016 at 6:33 am

Not sure if you can help me here. I have emigrated to New Zealand but I still have just under a year to go on my UK mobile phone contract but have decided to pay the balance and am currently using the phone here in NZ. I feel the mobile company are really messing me about and I am having to keep my bank account in the UK open so they can eventually take the remaining balance out. What would happen if I just cancelled the direct debit? This is theoretical of course.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 29, 2016 at 9:56 am
  
  Hi Charlotte,
  Even if you were to cancel the Direct Debit, you’d still be liable to pay the charges on your contract. It’s worth asking your network as there might be an alternative way of paying as opposed to using a UK bank account e.g. you might be able to pay with a credit or debit card, or you might be able to set up a Direct Debit on your friend’s account (with their permission of course). Alternatively, you could pay it off in one go through an early termination fee. If you were to simply stop paying the charges without paying the early termination fee, it’s likely that your mobile network would pass your details on to a Debt Collection Agency.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Jane said:

June 4, 2016 at 10:53 pm

I signed up for a Vodafone contract in March 16. I have not had mobile data since April 13th, 2016. Despite hours on the phone and letters of complaint, they have still not sorted it. This week I got my PAC code and transferred to O2. My phone now works. I have to cancel and sort out the Vodafone side. They are chasing me for payment … I haven’t paid anything yet as they set up my direct debit wrong. I said I shouldn’t have to pay a termination fee as I have not had a sevice but they said I have to pay the remainder of my contract as as long as I have had phone and text then mobile data is just additional?? How can that be when you can pay varying amounts based on how much data you want. I have a text agreeing to recompense me for a SIM card that I had to purchase whilst on holiday in USA. I’ve also been charged for world traveller when it didn’t actually work! So stressful, I can’t get anywhere on the phone with explaining it anymore, too many variables of who owes who and they’re not interested.

Reply
Lydia said:

May 26, 2016 at 12:11 pm

Hi Ken
I am currently in a contract with ID Mobile for my son and 1 year into the contract my son has damaged his phone. I contact ID and they advise they cannot help. ID then change the mobile number without my knowing. I also can no longer get into my ID Mobile account on line. When I try to re-register the account, the app advises not a valid number. I contact ID and advise not able to get into my account and that the number has been changed without my consent. ID advise that it will take 3-5 days to investigate. In the meantime they ring me to advise that I can have another premium number, but my concern is not the number but the security of the account. 4 days in no reason back from ID on what has happened and ID seem incapable of ringing back on the number provided. Am I able to cancel the contract with them without me paying an early cancellation fee or will I be held liable.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 31, 2016 at 12:14 pm
  
  Hi Lydia,
  Sorry to hear about the problems you’re experiencing with iD Mobile. Any ideas how the phone number was changed on your account without consent? Was this a security failing on the part of iD Mobile? Either way, you’ll unfortunately need to resolve this problem directly with iD Mobile (essentially you can ask them for a penalty-free cancellation and then it’s just whether they decide to give one to you).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Emma said:

May 26, 2016 at 10:43 am

I have a Samsung Galaxy S6 – 1 year old and in perfect condition. I have been given a new phone as part of my job so no longer need my Samsung. What are my options? I still have 1 year left on my current phone.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 31, 2016 at 12:20 pm
  
  Hi Emma,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, as you’re tied in to a 24-month contract, there’s not much you’re able to do with regards to the contract. You can possibly cancel it early but you’ll still need to pay an early termination fee for the remaining 12 months. If you choose to do this, consider selling or recycling your Galaxy S6 to get some money which might cover your early termination fee. Alternatively, is there any other way you could utilise the contract? For instance, is there a trusted family member who might find it useful and who might be willing to pay the remainder of the contract? If so, you could amend the Direct Debit so the money is coming out of their bank account instead.
  Ken
  
  Reply
jovita said:

May 18, 2016 at 7:00 am

Hello,i’ve got a contract with id mobile for 24 months. I’ve signed just over 30 days ago. I would like to cancel it. Will there be any charges? Contract is £5 a month and the phone price was only £65?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  June 5, 2016 at 2:21 pm
  
  Hi Jovita,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, there is likely to be an early termination fee as you’ve probably passed the cooling off period for your iD Mobile contract. For a definitive answer on how much it would cost to end your contract early, I’d recommend calling iD Mobile on 7777.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Costin said:

May 9, 2016 at 5:51 pm

Ok here is the deal, I made a contract with an s7 edge with Vodafone 3 days ago…I recently discovered something better somewhere else, is it possible to cancel the contract and return the phone without any early cancellation fees?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 11, 2016 at 4:46 pm
  
  Hi Costin,
  Thanks for your comment. I think you’ll probably be covered by Vodafone’s 30-day guarantee: might be worth exploring that and seeing if you can return the handset.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Steve said:

April 26, 2016 at 6:57 pm

I am at my wits end with vodafone. Last year I became Red Leader for me, wife and sons phone.
In the first 7 months of this new contract i required additional mobile data on a temporary basis after moving home (no wifi installation) i had to go on a higher tariff for the remainder of the 2 years to get this temporary fix of data.
Later they cut off my wife’s phone. After an hour and half on the phone i found out it was due to me not paying a bill (even though i had direct debit set up). I was told that it was because they had changed system and my direct debit details had not transferred over – theres a lot more but i won’t bore you anymore.
I have since written 3 letters of complaint all of which have been ignored, even though one was signed for.
I have asked for a Deadlock Letter but its difficult as they say that have not received my complaint. I am now in the hands of the mediation department, or something ridiculous like that, who will be phoning me back.
I have no confidence in Vodafone managing my account and if have concerns in the future being able to deal with them. I have asked to leave without fee but it is unlikely they will grant me this – what can i expect in terms of some sort of settlement? Reduced tariff or shall i progress to the Ombudsman?

Reply
- Robert replied:
  
  May 13, 2016 at 11:08 am
  
  Steve, I am having exactly the same issues as you are having. I’ve also been ignored by Customer Services when I have asked for a Manager, the Resolution team were told that £20 compensation for cutting my three numbers off 3 times due to their mistake (Once leaving my 10 year old stranded in town) was not acceptable. I suggested a heavily discounted contract for my son for a year and was told no.
  
  Was then told the Deadlock team would contact me and they didn’t either so I have written them my 30 day cancellation letter which stipulates that Under the T&Cs Clause 11b, I am terminating the agreement without any financial detriment to myself due to Vodafone cancelling the service 3 times without any prior warning and through no fault of my own. Here is Clause 11b:
  
  You may end this agreement by writing to us if:
  
  we don’t do something fundamental that we should have done under this agreement (for example, if there is a complete failure of the entire UK network for seven days in a row due to something we have done), within seven days of you asking us in writing;
  we tell you that there will be an increase in the plan charge (calculated before the addition of VAT or other levy) and you write to us within one month of us telling you about the increase;
  we change this agreement to your material detriment. This includes (i) increasing charges in the UK (calculated before the addition of VAT or other levy) which has the effect of increasing your total charges (based on your usage in any of your last 3 bills) by more than 10% when compared with the charges 12 months prior to the increase; or (ii) changing or withdrawing services. We will tell you if this is the case. You need to write to us within one month of us telling you about the change, withdrawal or increase. This does not apply if this is a change to or withdrawal of third party services not included in your plan, which we and you can cancel (or stop using) without ending this agreement.
  
  Reply
Chris said:

April 16, 2016 at 10:49 pm

Hi, I’m currently with Vodafone and have had problems with signal for months. After trying to get my issue resolved repeatedly and getting nowhere with little help there end. In the end I was told by an agent online I could have free cancelination. I’m now being told that this information was incorrect and trying to charge me over €700 to cancel. Where do I stand?

Reply
timothy said:

April 8, 2016 at 10:54 pm

Hi ken, you seem to know what your talking about, if a mobile phone company (vodafone) want to be paid for the contract i have with them, would you say that sucessfully taking a payment is something fundamental that vodafone should do? As under there contract i can cancel without any financial penalty to myself if this is the case, yet when ive comtacted them they refuse, what would you suggest be my next course of action.

Reply
- timothy replied:
  
  April 8, 2016 at 10:57 pm
  
  I should add ive made 2 payments that they didnt process, but when i spoke to my bank they said the payments were authorised and in holding waiting for vodafone to claim for 14 days before being returned to my avaliable balance.
  
  Reply
Ellie said:

April 6, 2016 at 10:58 pm

Hi there, I am looking for some advise on cancelling my Vodafone contract. The reason I want to cancel is that they haven’t been reliable and are messing me around. I was first in touch with Vodafone on the 11th march in order to transfer ownership of the account. Everything was done correctly and was told it would be done automatically in 7 days. I waited the 7 days (and a few) i got back in touch and was told there was a glitch and the transfer didn’t go through and would have to wait another 7 days. I waited the amount of time they said, got back in touch and was told it had still not been done. At this point I told them I am not happy to wait another 7 days and wanted it done ASAP, I was told it would be done within 48 hours, which it was NOT. I have further been in touch with Vodafone to be told that the transfer would be done on the 6th April. I notified Vodafone that if the transfer was not done at this time I would be ringing to cancel my contract. I haven’t been notified that the transfer has taken place and I think it still hasn’t. I no longer want anything to do with Vodafone if this is the case as I have nearly waited a month for this to be done. My contract isn’t up until March 2017, I am just wondering if i would have to pay fees to cancel. My argument is that Vodafone has not given the service that they should have, that is being paid for each month. If you could help in any way that would be great.

Reply
Ralph said:

March 23, 2016 at 11:50 am

Hi Ken, I’m in a contract with Vodafone and included is an Entertainment Pack (Spotify Premium) which is supposed to be free. They repeatedly charge me for this service each month and every time I contact them to bring it up they just say “yes sorry we’ll sort it for next time”, then by the time the next bill comes through I’ve been charged again and nothing gets sorted! Is this a breach of contract? I’m getting fed up with it and would rather just leave the contract now.
Any advice would be much appreciated, many thanks in advance!
Kind Regards, Ralph.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 27, 2016 at 5:47 pm
  
  Hi Ralph,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I can’t provide any legal advice – I would however recommend you make a formal complaint here in writing to Vodafone. This should help to escalate the issue and will hopefully get it resolved more quickly.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Ralph replied:
    
    March 27, 2016 at 8:16 pm
    
    Thanks for your assistance Ken much appreciated.
    Ralph
    
    Reply
    - Jimmy replied:
      
      April 26, 2016 at 9:42 pm
      
      Hi Ralph,
      
      Did you hear back from Vodafone about this? I am having the exact same issue and have had enough and want to leave, they tell me the same thing every month and nothing ever happens.
      
      Thanks in advance
      
      Reply
- james soutan replied:
  
  April 21, 2016 at 11:37 am
  
  hi
  i am having the same problem for the past 3 years now. vodaphone will not give me spotify for me and charge me every month. ive threatened to leave but was told i would have to pay charges. if you get anywhere please let me know
  thanks jamie
  
  Reply
Mark said:

March 22, 2016 at 8:24 pm

Ken,
I have currently had no service for the past 48 hours with Vodafone, they admit it is an issue on their side but I can’t see any signs of a resolution soon and really need my handset working for work purposes. Where do I stand? Can I cancel early for free? What options do I have?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 4, 2016 at 5:23 pm
  
  Hi Mark,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I don’t think you’re entitled to a free cancellation, but it is always worth asking in case one might be granted. I recommend you make an official complaint in writing in Vodafone and see what they come back with in regards to your question.
  Ken
  
  Reply
ashley said:

March 14, 2016 at 9:52 pm

I rang up vodafone about my early upgrade fee an advisor informed me i could upgrade that day with no charge I followed this up the day after to find that this was false information, and thwt my upgrade date is september. I’ve been in dispute with vodafone as I’m lead to believe that they have to warrant me this upgrade, they have listened to the recording of the advisor telling me incorrect information, but said they won’t warrant this upgrade. Surely by law they should have too?

Reply
Georgie said:

March 13, 2016 at 3:08 pm

My grandad has been with 3 for many years now, despite us telling him every year not to renew his contract with them. For the past two weeks he has had no service on his mobile phone. He relies heavily on it as he does not have a landline or wifi in his home. He wants to opt out of his contract without having to pay a fee as he has had issues like this for years and there must be some kind of contract breach as he has been without signal for such a long period of time. 3 will not accept his argument so is there anything else we can do?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 13, 2016 at 9:02 pm
  
  Hi Georgie,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I don’t think Three has breached their contract. For this reason, it’s probably unlikely they’ll grant you an fee-free exit (instead, they’ll probably suggest you use something like the inTouch application to make and receive phone calls). Saying this, it’s probably worth making an official complaint anyway, as they might decide to offer you some kind of discount.
  Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Dean said:

March 5, 2016 at 10:24 pm

Hi, i contacted vodafone to end my contract early and i have 3 months left of the contract, however they said that it would be £63 to end yet i pay £21 a month for the phone so how does that work

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 12, 2016 at 12:18 am
  
  Hi Dean,
  Thanks for your comment. If your contract is £21/month and there are 3 months remaining until the end, then your early termination fee will normally be somewhere in the region of 3 x £21 = £63. Let me know if something doesn’t make sense?
  Thanks,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Marcia said:

February 26, 2016 at 10:13 pm

Hi Ken I wonder if you could advise. I am on a 12 mth sim only deal with Vodafone and can upgrade from March 9th 2016. However they have another great deal on at the moment that ends March 3rd and I would like to terminate existing contract and start this one in the next few days. Do you think they’ll charge me early exit fees with less than 2 weeks left on existing contract? Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 2, 2016 at 3:04 pm
  
  Hi Marcia,
  Thanks for your comment. The best thing to do is to contact Vodafone customer services on 191. If you’re upgrading to a new plan on their network, they might choose to waive your early termination fee.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Marcia replied:
    
    March 2, 2016 at 8:39 pm
    
    Thanks Ken. I did call them and was able to upgrade with no fees. Apparently certain teams have the ability to rollback upgrade dates, mine now says March 2015 😉 It turns out I couldn’t use my employee discount (VEA) with the sim only package I wanted and it therefore worked out cheaper for me to upgrade with a phone. Am currently a happy bunny 😉
    
    Reply
Roy said:

February 3, 2016 at 4:49 pm

I phoned Vodafone in January and told them I wanted the buy out my contract. The agreement was due to end in March and they gave me a figure of £28 to cancel the contract. I went ahead and told them I wanted to leave and got a code to take my number with me.

However today I got a text saying my next bill is £93.18. I spoke to them and they said they will re-calculate the bill and I will receive another text when it is done.

I can’t understand why it would cost £93.18 to end terminate a contract early — in January — that was due in March??

Reply
- Chloe gosman replied:
  
  February 22, 2016 at 6:17 pm
  
  I am with Vodafone too. Had my phone 2 months and I want to cancel my contact due to having more important things to pay and my phone bill is always higher then expected yet I never go over on texts data or calls?
  How can I cancel my contract?
  
  Reply
Jason collis said:

January 24, 2016 at 4:02 pm

in September 2015 I took a second line on my contract for my partner at the time the sales rep said she had spoke to her manager and they could give me free insurance for the duration of my contract, it has come to light now January 2016 that they have been charging me for insurance £9.99 a month, when I explained I was told free insurance they basically called me a liar and said I agreed to pay £7.49 a month and they would reimburse me £2.49 a month from September to which I said not good enough I have been paying for something I never asked for or agreed to pay eventually they agreed to pay back £49.98 and give me £20 off my next bill, so I’m looking into them waiving my early termination fee any help appreciated thanks

Reply
Stephen said:

December 29, 2015 at 3:59 pm

I had a 2 year contract with EE, it ran out and I extended it for 12 months sim only. Now have 7 weeks to run and EE want to charge me the full amount to exit early. No cost to them, phone paid for under original contract. Doesn’t seem fair, can they do it?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 17, 2016 at 6:38 pm
  
  Hi Stephen,
  Thanks for your comment. They should only be charging you an early termination fee based on the remaining number of months. It might be worth asking them to provide you with a breakdown of the calculations?
  Ken
  
  Reply
Lucy norton said:

December 28, 2015 at 6:10 pm

Hi,
I’m with Tesco and have 11/12 months left in my contract and as an upgrade got quoted 209. However I have had numerous problems with them and handsets. With the contract I took out an HTC One m8 even though my phone said I had full signal and 4g I wasn’t receiving calls or texts etc so thy replaced the handset with an m9 that will never reach 100% charge. It had said that it will take 13 hrs from 20% to 100 the one time. Where do you think I stand?

Reply
Ravindra said:

December 11, 2015 at 2:59 pm

I had 24 months contract with vodafone. I terminated after a tel call to vodafone 4 days early. They have charged me £159.18
Is this correct?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 17, 2015 at 6:37 pm
  
  Hi Ravindra,
  Thanks for your comment. I’m not quite sure why you received such a large termination fee from Vodafone. Did they give you any kind of breakdown on how the charges were calculated? Ending your contract 4 days early should only give you a fairly small charge (typically less than £5).
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Ravindra replied:
    
    December 22, 2015 at 8:51 am
    
    Thank you Ken for your reply. They have not given any breakdown. I cannot access online as I have closed the account. Over the telephone takes a long time. Just cant solve the problem.
    What would happen if I close the direct debit so that they don’t take the money and will come back to us?
    Thank you,
    Ravindra
    
    Reply
    - Ken replied:
      
      December 22, 2015 at 4:33 pm
      
      Hi Ravindra,
      Unfortunately, the only way of getting an explanation will probably be over the phone from Vodafone. Sorry I can’t be of any more help, as you can imagine, this is an account-specific querie! With regards to payment, I’d highly recommend against cancelling your Direct Debit instruction. All this is likely to achieve is a late payment demand from Vodafone along with possible implications to your credit score, etc. This is really something that’s best resolved directly with Vodafone.
      Sorry again,
      Ken
      
      Reply
    - Alan replied:
      
      March 24, 2016 at 2:59 pm
      
      I just wonder how they sorted out this for you. I got a same issue with Vodafone. I had 24 months contract with vodafone. I terminated 5 days early. They have charged me £78.58. I called vodafone twice and they accepted this was wrong. However, I got a call today to ask me to pay £78.58 again!
      
      Thank you,
      
      Alan
      
      Reply
  - Alice replied:
    
    February 17, 2016 at 5:45 pm
    
    Vodafone is just USELESS.
    They sold me a faulty phone, then said I couldn’t have a replacement so it was sent away for repair. Now it’s come back & it’s locked to Vodafone & it can’t be unlocked. This has taken TWO MONTHS just to get this far & I still don’t have a phone to use! As I do not want to go with a Vodafone sim.
    Also I cancelled my old Vodafone contract back in August 2015. They did not cancel it, I was sent a bill in September. I then cancelled it AGAIN & was told it was done. It was not done, I received another bill in December. I cancelled it AGAIN. I got another bill & a letter from the DEBT COLLECTORS in January which is when I said ENOUGH. I cancelled it again & all of the unpaid bills that I apparently owed were scrapped.
    It’s just one thing after another with Vodafone. The customer service is terrible. They just pass you from one person to the next without passing along any information so you end up repeating yourself over & over.
    I dare to think how many hours myself & my partner have spent on the online chat, on the phone & in store talking to the Vodafone staff! Not to mention the phone bill my partner got for phoning Vodafone from his phone……
    All Vodafone care about it money. As long as they’re making money, nothing matters to them. Now my only options left are to either just use a Vodafone sim in the faulty phone they sold me or to sell / bin the phone! But then I will be losing £75 for the phone & also the extra money I spent to unlock it.
    My one last option would be to take them to court. I don’t particularly want to do that but if it comes to it then so be it.
    DO NOT USE VODAFONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    Reply
    - Kim replied:
      
      September 30, 2016 at 2:00 pm
      
      Wish I had never used Vodafone. Really hope yours gets sorted.
      
      Reply
- wayne howes replied:
  
  December 26, 2015 at 2:39 am
  
  vodafone are a disgrace. question everything they do. they’re terminating my contract after 9 months after account in disrepair and have the cheek to say there will BE DISCONNECTION FEE TO ME!!! DO NOT TRUST EM, WORST PHONE COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER..
  
  Reply
  - Shabana Carlton replied:
    
    July 8, 2016 at 10:37 am
    
    Gosh, so interesting to see this forum. I too like many, are having problems with Vodafone on various levels over the last year. Too many to bore you with, but now leaving them. I would agree with you all VODAFONE is just so poor in maintaining customers. More than ten years as a business customer, but shocking to read all this and relate to my own experiences. Good luck all. Not sure if the other providers are better but if your at the bottom of the ladder there can only be one way…up!
    
    Reply
Lyndon said:

December 4, 2015 at 8:41 am

Hi Ken
I have just completed a 24 month contract with Three for tarrif and phone. I contacted them to change my contract to a “sim only” package as I was happy to keep using my existing phone. I was quoted some prices of different tarriffs and decided on a package for me. However, after about 4 or 5 days I decided that I could get a much better deal, with a new phone included, so phoned Three to cancel this new contract andtold them that I would be looking into a different package with phone but wanted a bit of time to shop around.
To cut a very long story short…After numerous phone calls to Three I have been issued with a debt collectors notice for 2 months contract £45.57 plus a cancellation fee of £153.00. According to them they have no record of my phone call cancelling the sim only contract and have said that my phone had been used during the “cancelled”period of 1 phone call and 3 text messages! I have phoned them half a dozen times with no resolution to this situation. I have conceded to pay the first month of the contract as I guess I had used it sparingly for a few days. But I don’t feel I should be made to pay the second month and a cancellation fee as I had wished the contract cancelled within the 10 day period. Thanks for your attention and any advice would be very much welcome

Reply
- Alison replied:
  
  December 10, 2015 at 9:46 pm
  
  Hi might be veering off the subject slightly but hope you can help. I rang vodafone to cancel my contract in august for a better deal. Ended up getting talked into staying with them for same deal and free handset. Then received invoices through post of £150 for cost of handset. Called straight away and was reassured this would not come out of my bank and was their mistake. I have been chasing a refund almost weekly since September and have still not had a refund. Each time I speak to someone they blame previous person for filling something in wrong. I have logged an official complaint with them. Code of practice states they will deal with complaints within 5 days and keep customers updated. Not once have they called me. I’m getting to end of my tether and don’t know what to do. Is there any way I can get out of my contract? In my eyes they have breached the contract I entered into with them.
  
  Reply
katie said:

November 28, 2015 at 3:14 am

Hi ken, my boyfriend recently got a contract in my name and bank due to to credit scores. he now cant afford the contract anymore, he got the iphone 6 £65 a month for 24 months, this will be the 3rd month of the contract, I cannot afford to pay it either, nor the £1365 termination fee. what should I do? what exactly happens if I just stop paying it, what will the collection agencies do? thanks in advance!

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 17, 2016 at 6:37 pm
  
  Hi Katie,
  So sorry to hear about the situation. Unfortunately, I can’t give you any detailed advice about this – your best bet would probably be to contact the Citizens Advice Bureau.
  Sorry I can’t be of any help,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Rose said:

November 23, 2015 at 9:21 pm

Hello!

I just got home and received a bill statement regarding the three mobile wi-fi which I was told was a “free gift” when I signed up with a 24 months contract with three. I do not need the gadget as I already purchased an all-you-can eat data plan. I do not wish to be paying an additional 9 pounds monthly over my already expensive plan.

I need advise on how to cancel or revert this part of my plan package.

thank you

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 24, 2015 at 6:56 pm
  
  Hi Rose,
  Thanks for your comment. In the first instance, I’d strongly recommend calling Three Customer Services on 333 to talk about this (you should explain that it wasn’t quite clear there’d be an additional charge for this mobile wi-fi service).
  Ken
  
  Reply
- Anju replied:
  
  January 12, 2016 at 8:27 pm
  
  Hi
  This happened to me as well. I was not aware that I have to pay an extra for mobile wifi until I received a bill from them as I was told this was a free gift from them .
  I called 3 to cancel the mobile wifi but there are not agreeing with me !
  
  I have’nt even opened the device from package .
  How did you solve this problem … Suggestions?
  
  Reply
Chris said:

November 21, 2015 at 9:07 pm

Hi I have had issues with Vodafone with my bills I am only 3 months into my contract and they have overcharged me on my first 2 bills and waiting on 3rd. it took my 37 calls to Vodafone in 2 weeks to get my first bill sorted, then another 15 calls to sort out my 2nd bill. they have promised me one thing and just done another. I feel as if once u have a contract with Vodafone they don’t care as they know u have to pay them. when I call in to talk to them I do security questions then I am transferred, after 1hr 30 mins they just hang up on me is there anything I can do about this

Reply
- ian horn replied:
  
  January 30, 2016 at 11:57 am
  
  Hi have just received an £85 bill from vodafone for calls I never made! Terrible company, awful!
  
  Reply
Gemma said:

November 20, 2015 at 10:53 am

I upgraded my phone contract on 5th Nov £44 a month (I actually pay £35 with a discount). I have not been able to receive incoming calls since I changed over (2 weeks ago!). I have made several calls to Vodafone to try and resolve this and so far nothing – They sent me a new SIM to try and it doesn’t work either. I have no idea what I can do next as when I call them it is a different person every time – I am at the end of my tether with it all.

Where do I stand with regards to cancellation/complaining? cost etc? If I cancel can I take my number with me etc?

As part of my deal – I didn’t pay for the handset as I agreed to send them my old phone as exchange (£130).

Thank you!

Reply
Jordan said:

November 10, 2015 at 3:03 pm

Hi

I have had the worst experience with Vodafone. Firstly Vodafone have messed up my bundle on my contract leaving me without data for a whole month so no internet access whatsoever. After countless phone calls and live chats nothing happened no one wanted to help. I was told I would have to pay for a replacement sim which I begrudgingly agreed to. Four days later no sim, called and Vodafone informed me they cancelled the sim order. No help useless staff and many hours of waiting on hold or speaking to staff that did not want to help has left me thinking I hate Vodafone and want to leave. Has Vodafone breached the contract? Who do I speak to?

Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 11, 2015 at 10:57 am
  
  Hi Jordan,
  Sorry to hear about all the problems you’re experiencing on Vodafone. In the first case, I would make a formal written complaint here to Vodafone. This will escalate the issue and you should be given someone who manages the complaint. From there, you can discuss the possible options with regards to your account.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Elle said:

November 4, 2015 at 10:29 am

Hi I’ve just phoned three and cancelled my contract 13 months early and are charging me nearly £400 but problem is I’ve only cancelled because I haven’t had service for the past 2 months. Every week I phone and every week they tell me the same there’s a problem with one of the masts. So after 8 weeks of not being able to make or receive calls I have cancelled my contract. Can you tell me where I stand or who I need to contact about not paying the fee as three didn’t seem to understand as why I shouldn’t be charged!!!??

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 5, 2015 at 8:09 pm
  
  Hi Elle,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I can’t advise you with a definitive answer in this situation. This is because it really depends on two things:
  1) whether Three offers you a free cancellation as a matter of goodwill
  2) whether Three has breached the terms and conditions you signed up to with the contract
  For #2, you would probably need to consult a lawyer or the Citizens Advice Bureau for advice with the contract.
  Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful here!
  Ken
  
  Reply
- Ikra replied:
  
  December 1, 2015 at 7:33 pm
  
  Im having the same as problem. What did you do in the end? I am no way Paying a fee for no fault of mine . Greedy suckers!
  
  Reply
Shabnam said:

November 2, 2015 at 11:15 am

Hi,
I’ve had loads of bother with Vodafone and they’ve agreed to cancel my contract without any termination charges, however they will be sending a courier to pick up the phones and simple cards. We have approx a year left til the end of the contract. Because we’ve already paid for a year should we be getting a partial refund as we’ve paid for part of the phone? Or is the phone their property as we never finished paying the contract? Thanks in advance.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  November 3, 2015 at 10:24 am
  
  Hi Shabnam,
  Thanks for your comment. I’m not quite sure what your exact arrangement with Vodafone is (e.g. are they simply putting an end to your contract without any termination fees?). Typically, the phone is actually your property as soon as you get it so there shouldn’t be any need to return it to Vodafone. Saying that, I’m not aware of the exact details of your cancellation (it might be, for instance, they’re cancelling your contract and you returning the phone acts as a psuedo early termination fee).
  Ken
  
  Reply
Jack E said:

October 23, 2015 at 6:19 pm

Hi Ken,

My 3 contract expires on 27/10/2015, I informed them I wish to cancel on 21/10/15. On the same day I have taken out a contract with Vodafone and provided them with my PAC (although my number is yet to change). I’ve had second thoughts and wish to cancel Vodafone within the 14 day cooling off period and remain with 3. Having just spoken to 3 they said I can cancel my cancellation and upgrade with them. If/once my PAC updates with Vodafone will this cancel my 3 contract and if it happens before the 27/10 will I incur an early termination?

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 27, 2015 at 11:52 am
  
  Hi Jack,
  Thanks for your comment. My advise would be to call Vodafone as quickly as you can and to make sure the phone number isn’t ported in. As long as the PAC Code isn’t actioned by Vodafone, your account on Three will remain open as before and you shouldn’t incur any early termination fees.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Michael Parsons said:

October 23, 2015 at 1:36 am

Hi Ken can u help I’m terminating contract with Vodafone. there is 19months left. my ex has could me it is gonna cost me £896 to sort out, is this right or is she trying to rip me off ?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 23, 2015 at 3:17 pm
  
  Hi Michael,
  Thanks for your comment. If you want an official & authoritative answer, I recommend calling Vodafone directly to get the details of how they calculated the charges. I can however give you a rough calculation: if your contract is around £47/month with 19 months remaining, then you can expect to pay £893 as an early termination fee.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Degason said:

October 17, 2015 at 10:36 pm

Hello.
I have recently taken up contract with Vodafone on iPhone 6
The story is like this.
Vodafone agent kept calling me to take up contract for over two month because I was on “pay as you go” until I gave in. I told them I can only take contract of Samsung Galaxy s6 edge which goes at £44 monthly pay and they told me they could not give me my choice because it was out of stock and two my credit record was short.
I told them I don’t like iPhone but they continued to persuade me and kept fowarding my conversation to the managers.
After accepting, they first brought for me used iPhone 6 without the charger and the headphone and I had to complain and they replaced.
Now what hurts me most are the functionality of the iPhone, it does not satisfy my interest and I had clearly told them I do not like iPhone. Further more Samsung Galaxy s6 edge goes at £44 per month and they are charging me £45.5 per month and extra £ 5 monthly to activate international calls and charge the international calls seperetely.
I am stressed up and I would like to terminate the contract.
Help me how to go about this, because I do not want to pay any money because they have messed me up.
Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 20, 2015 at 12:03 pm
  
  Hi there,
  Thanks for your comment. How long have you had the iPhone from Vodafone? If it’s less than 14 days, you have the right to cancel your contract and return the device. See this page on the Vodafone website for more information. If you’d had it for more than 14 days, your only option is probably to make a complaint against mis-selling. You can lodge a complaint by following the instructions here.
  Best wishes,
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Degason replied:
    
    October 20, 2015 at 7:31 pm
    
    Thanks Ken
    I am lodging up a complaint following this vital peace of advise you have given me.
    My regards
    
    Reply
Christabel said:

October 17, 2015 at 9:27 pm

Hey,

Just some advice for a friend. Her contract with Vodafone is up, as of the 15th October. She doesn’t plan on staying with them, due to network coverage. She is now with another network. She phoned them, 30 days prior to her contract ending, to stay she wouldn’t be renewing. Which Vodafone t&c’s intructed her to do, if she wasn’t planning on staying. She said the man on the phone, was very helpful, gave her a pac number etc However, she has received in the post, a bill for £60 for early termination fee? Any idea as to why this is, as her contracted is now ended?

Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 20, 2015 at 12:06 pm
  
  Hi Christabel,
  Thanks for your comment. Without knowing all of the details, unfortunately I wouldn’t be able to tell you how the bill is calculated. The best thing for her to do is to give Vodafone a call on 191: they should explain how the charges are calculated. You can then query the charges, if it might be applicable.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Christabel replied:
    
    October 21, 2015 at 3:06 pm
    
    Thanks for answering. It was a bit of a confusing message. She has tried to ring Vodafone, it took her 40 mins to get through, then they cut her off! I think she is going o go to a Vodafone store. Hopefully she’ll get it sorted out.
    
    Thanks
    
    Reply
jan said:

October 16, 2015 at 7:17 pm

Hi I like to know If i have paid off early termination fee should vodafone network by law unlock my iPhone for free ?
Thanks Jan

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 20, 2015 at 12:13 pm
  
  Hi Jan,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, in the UK, there’s no legal requirement for your mobile network to unlock your handset. For more information, I recommend having a look at my in-depth article on unlocking your iPhone.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Gary said:

October 15, 2015 at 11:52 am

Great website! I found it today while looking for information on Vodafone early termination fee.

My contract with them ends 23rd of this month, but I spoke to them several times about upgrades and leavibg but never told of any fee….

I found a better deal on o2 so requested a PAC code from them which activated last week. Today, an invoice, just an invoice comes through my door for £196!!! Marked as early termination fee. My monthly contract was 21.50 a month.

Just speaking to them on live chat they said I won’t have to pay this and my final bill in a few weeks will correct this.

Have you heard of this happening, and is this really how they conduct their business by sending out such invoices prior to final bills? I’m afraid they are going to debit this out of my account shortly, and I can’t figure out how they got to this figure!!

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 16, 2015 at 3:04 pm
  
  Hi Gary,
  Thanks for your comment. Likewise, I’m really confused on how Vodafone came to this figure (the £196 early termination fee equates to approximately 9 months usage). As you’ve done already, it’s worth following this up with the billing team and getting the statements they make down in writing.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Mary Parmar said:

October 14, 2015 at 1:44 pm

I have a Vodafone hub. All I use it for is my Internet shopping. But in the last year it has let me down 3 times.I have had the hub changed but again it is not working.It broke down in June, August and again now.I asked to cancel but they want to charge me a fee as the contract does not end till next year.But it is not working and not fit for purpos why should I pay for something that is not working .They are taking payment and I don’t have any Internet service.
What can I do
Mary

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 14, 2015 at 5:38 pm
  
  Hi Mary,
  Thanks for your comment. Could you please clarify which product you currently have from Vodafone? I assume this is mobile broadband or is it something else?
  Ken
  
  Reply
Ryan said:

October 13, 2015 at 2:57 pm

My contract with Three ends on the 15/11/2015. They require 30 days notice so today I rang them on 333 to tell them I would be leaving.

They send me a PAC text today (13/10/2015) which expires after 30 days, so it will expire on the 11/11/2015 – 4 days before my contract ends.

I wish to change network but keep my number, so how should I go about doing so with the above information? I do not wish to pay a contract cancellation fee.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 14, 2015 at 5:44 pm
  
  Hi Ryan,
  Thanks for your comment. You’ll need to continue paying your contract with Three until the 15th November 2015. If you’d like to minimise the overlap between your old and new contracts, you could take out the new contract in early November. You can then move the number over in the middle of November (e.g. about one week before your PAC Code expires). If you like, you can try and time it to minimise the overlap even more – typically I wouldn’t recommend this as you’ll want to make sure that the new contract & phone are working as intended.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Lee Harris said:

October 7, 2015 at 9:56 pm

Hi, I’m wondering if you can help. I’ve been with 3 mobile since April 2013 and my 24 month contract ran out in April 2015. I have just left them to go to EE and then I have received a bill which says I have been charged an early termination fee which I didn’t think they could do as my contract actually ended in April but I kept it rolling until I found a deal that I was happy with and then obviously used a PAC code to take the number with me. Is what they have done even legal?
Any help is welcome.

Kind regards
Lee

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 9, 2015 at 11:44 am
  
  Hi Lee,
  Thanks for your comment. How much have Three charged you for ending your contract early? They may have charged you up to 30 days line rental, as you typically need to give 30 days notice when closing an account. If they’ve charged you more than one months line rental, it’s possible your contract was inadvertently renewed (they’ll sometimes offer a discount if you agree to renew your contract for a number of months). You can dispute this with Three if you don’t believe the calculations are correct.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Thomas price said:

October 7, 2015 at 9:32 pm

Can anyone help me I rang Vodafone to cancel my contact they gave me a price of £290 as I have 11 months left but when I went to pay next day they told me it was£390 I said you told me it was £290 they said they never I said you record all you calls go and listen they told they never recorded my call so can someone help me

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  October 9, 2015 at 11:47 am
  
  Hi Thomas,
  The early termination fee should be calculated as per the formula in the article above. Hence, if you have a £26/month contract, you can expect to pay an early termination fee of about £290. For a £35/month contract, the early termination fee will be closer to £390. It’s worth performing the calculations yourself so you can go to Vodafone and inform them what you think the charges should actually be.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Taty said:

September 28, 2015 at 3:49 pm

hi. I’m upgraded on vodafone for 2 samsung galaxy s6 edge in april 2015 and got 24 month contract. For one phone i’m paying 56£ and for second 54£ but i have to leave uk in january and not sure if will come back. Is ther any option like return the phones or pay just for the phones to end my contract ? Coz early termination fee will be huge if i end a contract now. Thank you

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 29, 2015 at 12:37 pm
  
  Hi Taty,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, due to the nature of contracts, it’s difficult to end it early without paying a massive charge. By January, you’ll have about 15 months remaining on your contract. This means they will probably charge you in the region of £840 to end each of the contracts (possibly with a small discount for VAT, etc). You can offset this by selling or recycling your Galaxy S6 Edge (it’s currently worth about £260 in cash).
  Sorry – I don’t think this is particularly helpful, but there isn’t really an easy way out of the contract. If you like, it might be worth making a quick call to Vodafone Customer Services (191) as they might be able to arrange something better.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Taty replied:
    
    October 4, 2015 at 5:54 am
    
    Thanks for your reply Kelly. I spended all my day off on a phone with voda trying to sort things out but final decision was i have to pay 1580£ as an early termination fee. I said that i dont mind to pay full price for a phones or deliver them back to the shop but no. No deal. So my question now is: what actions could they take if i will stop paying my contract, close my bank account and move to another country and never come back to uk? I know is sounds horrible and ethicly wrong but as i said is just a question. Thanks
    
    Reply
    - Ken replied:
      
      October 9, 2015 at 12:01 pm
      
      Hi Taty,
      Sorry to hear about the situation with Vodafone. Unfortunately, this isn’t something I’d be able to condone. You’re probably best off checking with a lawyer or the Citizens Advice Bureau for more information about this.
      Sorry I couldn’t be of any more help.
      Ken
      
      Reply
Kelly said:

September 10, 2015 at 11:44 am

Hi i have 2 months left on my vodafone contract but want to pay the rest of my contract off can i do this in my local vodafone store

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  September 11, 2015 at 10:17 am
  
  Hi Kelly,
  I believe they simply put it on your last bill (this will be paid by Direct Debit or whichever payment method you normally use). I’m not sure they’ll allow you to pay bills in store though you could always check if you want a definitive answer.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Kelly replied:
    
    September 11, 2015 at 10:36 am
    
    Thanks ken could i just cancel my direct debit when my contact is finished or will i have to notify Vodafone
    
    Reply
    - Ken replied:
      
      September 11, 2015 at 10:43 am
      
      Hi Kelly,
      It’s always good practice to leave your Direct Debit active – that way, they’ll be able to take money for the final bill and anything else that’s owed to them. If they do take any money in error, you can simply reclaim it with the Direct Debit Guarantee. If you like, you could wait a couple of months before cancelling the Direct Debit (alternatively, you can wait for your bank to cancel it automatically).
      Ken
      
      Reply
David B said:

August 6, 2015 at 4:18 pm

I’ve been with Vodafone for several years and my rolling contract is Pay Monthly by Direct Debit. The handsets have always been my own so I’m just paying for calls and texts. Over the years a lot of phones have died-off but the phone I like best and which I’m still using, is a Samsung GT-E1150i flip phone which is quite small and surprisingly robust.

Recently the phone became faulty. It would work OK as a phone and it would receive texts but it would not send texts. There was also a text saying that my account settings had been changed but if I had not asked for the change dial 191. I did this and Vodafone said that it might be the SIM. Personally I think that someone had hacked my account and disabled the sending of texts. (later the phone said Emergency Calls Only) Anyhow the new SIM with the same phone number got the phone working OK but there are two snags (1) Most of my stored phone numbers have been lost. (2) I have been billed £2.50 for the post and packing of the replacement SIM.

It would have been cheaper to just bin the old SIM and start again with a new phone service provider so I’m extremely vexed. Possibly a phone with more memory could store all my numbers without using SIM memory and this is what I’d like to do now. I’m also looking for a new phone service provider.

Reply
Dell said:

July 30, 2015 at 1:46 pm

Is a pac code Exclusive to my number or is there just one pac code for all off voda Tels

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 31, 2015 at 12:32 pm
  
  Hi Dell,
  Thanks for your comment. The best way of thinking about a PAC Code is like a password for taking control of your phone number. Your phone number will be associated with a PAC Code: your new network needs this code before they’re able to take control of your phone number. On a contrary, a PAC Code isn’t unique to one number. Hence, both you and I could be given the same PAC Code (just like we could both use ‘hello123’ as the password for our e-mail account). You must call Vodafone to get a PAC Code added to your account. In practice, they normally give a different PAC Code to each person (this ensures the security of your phone number).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Zoe said:

July 12, 2015 at 3:44 am

Hello Ken
I am looking at upgrading early on my EE mobile contract. My contract is supposed to cancel on the 21st September and currently pay £39 per month. I have quickly checked online and said I will be in for an early upgrade deal.
I know there will be charges involved, however I was wondering if I sell my old phone back to them would that be able to cover the costs of these fees? This would be a great help to me if I could?
Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 27, 2015 at 11:45 pm
  
  Hi Zoe,
  Thanks for your comment and sorry for the delay in getting back to you. The handset on the old contract is your property so you’re more than welcome to do what you want with it! EE does have a phone trade-in scheme where you can get money back for your old handset. You could also choose the sell the phone on eBay or you could recycle it through the many other services out there (instead of going straight to EE, it’s always worth shopping around to get the most for your old handset).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Asif said:

July 8, 2015 at 11:00 pm

so basically, iv got an iphone 4s on contract with three. i pay £37 a month(including guarantee) and without £28 a month. i want to cancel my contract early as i have 9 months left and wanna buy an iphone 6 from carphone warehouse. i just wanted to know how much they’l take from me?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  July 10, 2015 at 2:37 pm
  
  Hi Asif,
  Thanks for your comment. The exact termination fee you’ll pay depends on your contract and the terms you agreed to. I recommend giving Three Customer Services a quick call on 333 – they should be able to give you a quote to end the contract early.
  Ken
  
  Reply
James said:

May 16, 2015 at 4:39 pm

Hi Ken,
I swear I’m making this harder than it is. My 24 month contract ends 26th May, as I want to leave my current provider, Vodafone and move to EE, am I right in thinking I can just wait till 26th and cancel without incurring any charge? Then acquire the PAC code and get EE to do the rest?
Thanks in advance!

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 20, 2015 at 2:37 pm
  
  Hi James,
  Thanks for your comment. I recommend getting your PAC Code from Vodafone as quickly as possible and letting them know you want to move to EE. The reasoning behind this is they typically require 30 days notice for you to end your contract. Hence, they’re able to charge you for an extra 30 days from when you give the notice to leave.
  With regards to the rest of your question, you can wait until the 26th May to give your PAC Code to EE: they’ll automatically handle everything else for you.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Jo said:

May 15, 2015 at 9:14 pm

Is there anyway I can a 24 month contract of mobile broadband if I was under 18 when I signed up. I have been paying for the service for almost a year now.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  May 18, 2015 at 9:50 pm
  
  Hi Jo,
  Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to advise you on this issue: you’re probably best off either contacting Citizens Advice Bureau or contacting your mobile network directly over the phone.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Simon said:

April 19, 2015 at 7:38 pm

Hi there, I called up EE a fortnight ago to say I wanted to cancel my contract at the end of the 24 month period. They said to call back on April 15th, 30 days before the end of the contract as I would need to give 30 days notice. On the 15th April, they gave me the PAC code and told me to make sure I didn’t use it till 15th May – when I asked what time of day it would run out they just said make sure you use it before the 15th to be sure. I got my online bill on the 18th April and it’s got an additional early termination fee of £37 not incl. VAT. How is this possible if I am still using the service and don’t intend to termination the contact until the 15th May. I feel like I’ve been duped and intend to dispute this fee, any ideas on how I go about this?? Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 19, 2015 at 8:01 pm
  
  Hi Simon,
  Thanks for your e-mail. In the first instance, you should contact EE to enquire about the bill (there might be something weird about how they calculate or output their bills). If the problem isn’t resolved to your satisfaction, as a last resort, you can lodge a complaint in writing with EE.
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Simon replied:
    
    April 19, 2015 at 8:08 pm
    
    Thanks Ken, what in your view is the correct way to terminate the contract if you just wish not to continue at the end of the 24months?
    
    Reply
    - Ken replied:
      
      April 20, 2015 at 5:33 pm
      
      Hi Simon,
      The correct way to end a contract is pretty much as you described – it’s just a little weird how EE have worked out the charges. I’d certainly get in touch to find out how they’ve calculated it e.g. are they due to pay you a credit/refund after the last bill or were the charges worked out incorrectly on your bill?
      Ken
      
      Reply
      - Simon replied:
        
        April 21, 2015 at 8:49 am
        
        Thanks Ken,
        
        FYI I spoke to one of their accounts team last night and he tried to explain it to me. It is very weird how they work out the charges.
        
        My bill date is the 18th of the month.
        
        My 24 month contract expires on the 15th of May.
        
        So on April 18th, I had a bill of approx £130, made up of my normal £90 odd per month (line rental/charges/contribution to cost of devices) and an additional £37 for an early termination penalty.
        
        On May 18th I should get my final bill which they tried to breakdown over the phone in terms of what to expect:
        
        -> given I pay in advance for line rental, I have paid through till the 18th May so should see a pro-rata refund for the 3 days from end of contract date of 15th May.
        
        -> With regards any calls or data charges outside of plan, these will be added to the bill as normal
        
        -> with regards the early termination penalty, this will be credited back to me on the next bill as well
        
        So I should only see a credit in the next bill of probably about £40 minus any call/data charges that I’ve made.
        
        That’s my expectation and I guess I can only wait and see!!
        
        Does this meet with your undersatnding of their weird approach to this? They basically confirmed I had approached this the right way.
        
        The only area to be careful with now is using the PAC code before the last point as that would constitute a termination of the contract and if before the 15th May, my guess is they would charge an early termination fee.
        
        It’s a shame that this all has to be so complicated!!
      - Ken replied:
        
        April 21, 2015 at 6:53 pm
        
        Hi Simon,
        Agreed, it’s definitely very complicated… thanks for outlining to me how the calculation works! I suspect it’s easier for them to overcharge you at the start and then to refund appropriately (this is probably in case you cancel the Direct Debit agreement, etc). Anyway, I think the sums should add up when you get the final bill though it’s worth checking closely to make sure this is the case.
        With regards to the early termination fee, I wouldn’t worry too much about the date you use the PAC Code. You’ll be charged until 30 days after you give notice to EE (the total amount should roughly be the same whenever your phone number is moved over to another network). For example, if you were to use the PAC Code 10 days later, you’d be charged for 10 days of service plus 20 days early termination fee. If you were to use the PAC Code 15 days later, you’d be charged for 15 days service plus 15 days early termination fee. I would personally avoid timing the transfer too close to the end of your contract (just in case something goes wrong and the number transfer isn’t processed in time).
        Hope this helps,
        Ken
Maureen said:

April 14, 2015 at 2:33 pm

Hi Ken thank you so much for the info .

Reply
Maureen said:

April 13, 2015 at 9:04 pm

Hi I want to write a letter to three with a complaint about a mifi account can you tell me the address for this please

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  April 14, 2015 at 10:31 am
  
  Hi Maureen,
  You can make a written complaint to Three through this form on their website. Alternatively, if you want to send your complaint through the post, their address is: Three Customer Complaints, Hutchison 3G UK Ltd., PO Box 333, Glasgow, G2 9AG. You can find their complaints code here.
  Wishing you all the best in getting the issue resolved.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Pete watt said:

March 26, 2015 at 11:00 pm

I have been with Vodafone for some 20 years, but lately the service has been the worst ever. I get no signal at home or work, and I am living in a flat part of Bristol, so not exactly remote. I have complained( and that isn’t easy, given the waiting times on the customer service lines), three times in the last three months. Stock excuses such as we are performing maintainance, and it should be better shortly, to there isn’t a problem in your area. Having spent my one evening off this week waiting on the phone for 78 minutes in total, I have reached the end of my tether with them. I am mid contract, but am cancelling based on the “product” being unfit for purpose. I pay a monthly fee for a phone signal in a busy city, and am simply not getting one, so am surely within my rights under consumer law, to insist on a termination as they must be in breach of contract

Reply
- John replied:
  
  July 5, 2015 at 5:01 pm
  
  I’m having to go down the same route with Vodafone. 15 year customer, 6 months with poor reception due to mast / engineering work, doesn’t work at home or work (and many places in between). Pathetic responses from Vodafone so called Customer Service. Changed to BT / EE today! Waiting for the fight on their claim for cancellation charges! Bring it on!
  
  Reply
Laurence said:

March 11, 2015 at 6:06 pm

Ken, you’re a bit of an apologist for the mobile phone companies, aren’t you? In respect of early termination charges, why make no references to unfair contract terms, the unfair terms in consumer contracts regulations, and the more recent consumer contracts regulations. There are reasonableness tests that have to be applied to early termination charges and the facts of individual cases have to be taken into consideration. Your “moral” considerations have no place in this – the charge is either lawful or it isn’t, and only a court can determine that – the mobile phone companies have no morals at all, and their customer relations people put arguments to customers that would simply be laughed at in court.

Reply
Jannah said:

March 4, 2015 at 5:16 pm

Urgent reply please. My contract is due to run out with Three on 6th April. I found a good deal with EE via mobile.co.uk and tried to haggle with Three to give me same or better. They didn’t. So I went ahead and got a PAC code from them and ordered the phone which arrived today. I wanted to take my number over. It’s the 4th March today. Do I wait till 6th March or after 6th to transfer my number over?? or use up all my allowances on my old number and wait till the 4th April to transfer over?? Or it doesn’t make a difference as I have to pay for remaining month?? I’m so confused. Basically I don’t wish to incur anymore charges. The guy said I should have waited till early April to get my new phone that way I wouldn’t have ended up paying too much. By getting the new phone now means I have to pay for my new contract as well as old one till it runs out which is 6th April. I just don’t know when’s the best time to transfer over that’s all. Sorry if I’ve confused U lol

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  March 10, 2015 at 11:32 am
  
  Hi Jannah,
  Thanks for your comment. As your contract with Three ends on the 6th April, you’ll need to pay for the contract until that date at least. Meanwhile, you’re already paying the contract with EE so you’ll paying both contracts for the month ahead. For this reason, it probably doesn’t make any difference whether you transfer the number now or transfer it later. I recommend asking for your PAC Code immediately and take a couple of days to try out the phone on EE (you’re still able to return or replace it fairly easily before you transfer the phone number). Once you’re happy with everything on EE, you can then use the PAC Code to move your number over.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Shamis said:

February 17, 2015 at 6:22 pm

Hello Ken
I upgraded T-mobile to EE (24 months) with phone on 04/02/2015. Four days later, I go back to the store where I took the phone to cancel the upgrade because of coverage issues and they refused to accept the cancellation. They told me I can cancel the contract. I contact direct to the customer service (150), they told me to go back to the store. Which I did twice already.
Two weeks my job was calling EE and going to their store.

Their returns policy said:
“We do offer you a 14 day return on if you are experiencing coverage issues or our coverage does not meet your expectation.”
I read for them this they still refuse to cancel.
This is the worst company I ever came across (EE).

I need advise what to do please.

Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 20, 2015 at 11:40 am
  
  Hi Shamis,
  Sorry to hear about the problems dealing with EE 🙁 Given they’ve been sending you back and forth for more than two weeks, I would recommend making a formal complaint here. EE should assign you a specific person to take ownership of the matter and this will hopefully expedite solution of the problem.
  Ken
  
  Reply
boo said:

February 16, 2015 at 2:50 pm

Lost my phone on contract will i still have to pay for the contract.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 16, 2015 at 7:47 pm
  
  Hi Boo,
  Very sorry to hear about the loss 🙁 Unfortunately, the answer is yes… you’re still tied in to the rest of the contract even though you’ve lost your handset. Do you have insurance on which you can claim a new handset? If not, it’s likely you’ll need to buy either a SIM-free or Pay As You Go handset to continue using the contract.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Kazz said:

February 16, 2015 at 4:03 am

Hello, I have a monthly subscription from Vodafone since last November and unfortunately I have to relocate to another country. What should I do with it ? I can’t afford to pay an early fee…I will not be getting back in Uk.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 18, 2015 at 2:08 pm
  
  Hi Kazz,
  As mentioned above, unfortunately there’s no way of getting around the early termination fee. The cost of your contract essentially includes the cost of the handset spread out over 24 monthly payments. In order to pay off the rest of the contract, many people choose to sell or recycle their old handset. Especially with a handset that’s only 3 months old, you should hopefully be able to get a fairly good price. You can also talk to Vodafone to see if there are any other options (e.g. they might offer you a cut-price deal or you might be able to transfer your contract to another person).
  Ken
  
  Reply
  - Andrew replied:
    
    February 18, 2015 at 2:18 pm
    
    Kazz, I am in a similar situation. I am also not planning on returning to the UK. I’m with EE and they have quoted £115 to cancel the rest of my contract. I can’t stand EE, the customer service is awful and am tempted to just cut my losses and leave without paying it.
    Any thoughts on this? Repercussions? Are they really going to chase up a debt of £100?
    
    Reply
    - Ken replied:
      
      February 20, 2015 at 10:00 am
      
      Hi Andrew,
      Thanks for your comment. My personal recommendation is still to pay off the contract with EE. As mentioned above, the cost of your handset is actually split up over 24 months and included within the monthly cost of your contract. For EE, it’s a fairly opaque process but on tariffs such as O2 Refresh the airtime/handset split is much more clear. From a moral standpoint, simply leaving the country without paying the contact off is akin to leaving the country with outstanding debts on your credit card. Recycling or selling your handset is often a possible option for paying the handset off (especially if you’re going to get a new contract/handset in the country you’re moving to).
      With regards to the real-world repercussions, perhaps other readers can share some experiences of this matter?
      Ken
      
      Reply
      - Andrew replied:
        
        February 20, 2015 at 10:27 am
        
        Hi Ken,
        
        Thanks for the reply. Yes I appreciate it’s the right thing to do, but it’s only a SIM contract, I bought the handset myself. Just wondering what would actually happen if I don’t pay it. Seems to me like small change for them….
Sarie said:

February 6, 2015 at 11:47 am

Hello Ken,

My 24 month contract with Vodafone ends later this month but I’m not in England at the moment and I need to end it…what do I do?

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  February 9, 2015 at 9:55 am
  
  Hi Sarie,
  Thanks for your comment. Are you looking to continue the contract after the 24 months are up or were you planning to end the contract and to move to another network? If you aren’t actually planning to end the contract immediately, you don’t need to take any action (the contract will simply continue on a one-month rolling basis). If you wanted to end the contract, you can schedule this with your network in advance. However, you’ll need to be in the UK if you’re transferring the phone number over to another network (at least, on the day of the transfer).
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Suzann said:

January 25, 2015 at 10:26 am

Hi Ken
Urgent advise needed currently 36 days into a 24 month contract with Vodafone and I am unable to recieve/send texts, recieve calls but I can make calls and use the data allowance. Contacted Vodafone and currently topping up 7 hours of wasted time they don’t know what the issue is but are looking into it, offering me a pay as you go sim that they will reimburse me for after (with a temporary number which I don’t want to even use so will not accept that offer). They say there is no other solution but to wait until this issue is resolved with no current deadline. I’ve tried to askin cancel my contract as I am very unhappy however they want me to pay an early termination fee of £1000+ due to how old the contract is. They offer reimbursement for the days I’m without and service and say I will also recieve compensation for the issue however I’m not happy. My case is now under internal investigation with Vodafone due to information provided to me that has been misleading and incorrect. Is there anyway I can get out of this contract early without the termination fee as surely there breaching the terms and conditions of the agreement not me??

One very unhappy vodafone customer avoid them like the plague

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 26, 2015 at 11:01 pm
  
  Hi Suzann,
  Sorry to hear about your problems with Vodafone. My only recommendation, if you aren’t able to resolve the problem with Vodafone directly, is to forward your complaint to Ombudsman Services Communications (see the Vodafone UK code of practice for more information). Apart from this, you should continue making the complaint with Vodafone (keep detailed records of everything they’ve promised and of all the disruption you’ve incurred to your service). I really wish I could help more in this situation but unfortunately there’s very little I’m able to do.
  Wishing you all the best in resolving the issue with Vodafone,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Chocolate. said:

January 22, 2015 at 2:14 am

Hello,

Unfortunately, I changed my contract to EE & have experienced non stop problems with their poor customer care/service!
I was upgraded to an iPhone & iPad, however I’m unable to keep up with their constant charges (£80 Monthly approx!). When I called them & explained my poor financial situation they responded with telling me that as a result of NOT paying (as I was struggling to pay £80/month) they would INCREASE my contract by a further SIX months!! Ridiculous! So furious-I asked to end my contract & now sent a bill of £858!!
I have attached this amount :(( to my Debt Management Comp, but am NOT happy, is there someone who can help with info, possible overall settlement balance?? As can NOT afford to pay that…pls respond/EE management??
Thanks.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 23, 2015 at 11:14 am
  
  Hi Chocolate,
  I’m very sorry to hear about your current situation. I won’t be able to offer you any detailed advice but it’s worth having a look at this Money Saving Expert guide as well as the advice offered by Citizens Advice Bureau. They’ll outline your rights in this situation and the steps you’ll need to take to resolve the situation.
  All the best,
  Ken
  
  Reply
Paul said:

January 14, 2015 at 1:07 pm

Hi Ken,

I renewed my Orange 36 month contract in Nov 2013, due to expire Nov 2016. I understand that these three year contracts were outlawed by the EU in May 2014. Do you know if that means I would be allowed to come out of contract without penalty now, or am I required to see it through to the end?

Thanks,

Paul

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 14, 2015 at 5:10 pm
  
  Hi Paul,
  Thanks for your comment. Orange previously offered 36-month contracts from the 1st June 2009 and continued to do so until it was outlawed on the 26th May 2011. I’m therefore a little surprised they allowed you to renew for another 36 months in November 2013. That said, having had a look at the guidance from Ofcom, the restriction only applies to “new phone or broadband contracts” starting from May 2011. As yours was a renewal of an existing contract rather than a totally new contract, I don’t believe the legislation will apply in your case. That said, I’m not a lawyer and it’s always worth checking with Orange Customer Services to see whether they’ll charge you to end the contract early.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Bella said:

January 9, 2015 at 7:24 pm

I am with EE on contract and when I got this I phone 5s it said on the EE shop page that the phone was £9.99 and the monthly bill will be £30, although for the last 6months I have paid £60 a month I don’t use the phone for many calls, I only text and use wifi internet mostly more that the cellular data, and I can’t afford to keep the contract at this rate but I wouldn’t mind switching to pay as you go where I top it up with credit etc, is there a way to do this without getting charged? Thanks

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 13, 2015 at 12:01 pm
  
  Hi Bella,
  Thanks for your comment. Have you logged in to your EE Customer Area to find out where the £30/month of extra charges might be coming from? It sounds to me that controlling these charges will be the best thing to do going forward from here.
  If you wanted to switch over from Pay Monthly to Pay As You Go, you’d have to pay an early termination fee equivalent to £30/month multiplied by the number of months remaining on your contract. You would then be able to switch to a Pay As You Go tariff.
  Ken
  
  Reply
amanda said:

January 7, 2015 at 12:45 am

Hi im on t mobile and my contract ends in march I was just wondering if I will get charged for cancelling early as my bills are supposed to be 33 pounds a month and I’ve been paying 70 pounds and sometimes more as I keep going over my limit.
Thanks for your help

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 9, 2015 at 4:51 pm
  
  Hi Amanda,
  If you’re cancelling your contract early, you’ll only be charged for the basic monthly fee (that’s £33/month multiplied by the number of months you cancel your contract early). There’s a small discount (listed above) but you can roughly expect to pay £66 if you cancel your contract now rather than in March.
  Hope this helps,
  Ken
  
  Reply
alan tallantyre said:

January 3, 2015 at 12:29 pm

hi I recently called Vodafone to cancel my contract which runs out on 14th January this year so I gave 30days notice on 15th December I got my pac code on 15th December and this was transferred to my new mobile on 19th December. I knew I was due one last bill from Vodafone for £30.50 on 30th december. but on the 30th December I revieved a letter from Vodafone demanding a cancelation fee of £505.25p the letter was dated 19th December I was actually very lucky to get a stop on this being taken out of my bank on 31st December. I have now cancelled my direct debit until they look into this after I spent over an hour on 31st December being transferred from department to department with not very much joy. i believe i gave the correct notice so not to breach my contract and even i did breach my contract it was only by one month. i am lucky enough to have the original receipt from when i previously had an early upgrade on 31/10/12 what concerns me with Vodafone is their customer service is terrible and i am worried they will just send the balliffs round regardless.

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  January 4, 2015 at 5:29 pm
  
  Hi Alan,
  Sorry to hear about your problems with Vodafone. It does seem rather odd to me they’ve sent you a large bill for terminating your contract early: there certainly shouldn’t be such a large bill with only one month remaining on your contract (they should only charge you a termination fee based on the number of months remaining on your contract). I’m afraid there isn’t much advice I can give you on this issue but to get a written letter & explanation about why Vodafone is charging you such a large amount. Once you have this letter, it should become much easier to dispute the charges they’ve given you (you can show them the contract and the previous correspondence you have).
  Best of luck in resolving the issue,
  Ken
  
  Reply
DIEGO said:

December 10, 2014 at 7:54 pm

As long as UK mobile companies are rubbish and they treat customers as s***, I will pay them same way. I will finish this contract, and then I will renew with three different phones, brand new and expensive ones… then going back to my country and never stepping back in the UK. Of course my leaving will be carrying the three phones and without paying any single bill. I will collect my money back… pirates! (My rubbish company is Three)

Reply
- Ken replied:
  
  December 13, 2014 at 7:31 pm
  
  Hi Diego,
  Thanks for your comment. Whatever your feelings on the customer service from Three, I certainly wouldn’t condone this behaviour. What you suggest is equivalent to leaving the country with an unpaid personal loan or an unpaid balance on your credit card. If you aren’t happy with the customer service from Three and if you’ve gone through their formal complaints process, it might be worthwhile raising your issue with Ofcom or a regulator.
  Ken
  
  Reply
Sloic said:

December 1, 2014 at 4:36 pm

In France, moving abroad is one of the exceptional reasons that allow you to cancel your contract early without extra charge (with some form of proof).

I’d love to see this law exported in other EU countries.

Reply
mark said:

November 19, 2014 at 11:08 am

is there any way i can cancel my contract (have 3 phones for business) as i am at my wits end with Vodaphone.

Started experiencing problems with my phone approx 5 months ago. I eventually got through to a ‘technical person’ who said that there was a known problem with the battery to my phone and would arrange for a replacement to be sent out, so far so good…

i then get a text confirming that the order has been processed. A day or so later i receive another text saying that they are out of stock? this happens twice more. i then receive a battery which was the wrong type. I tried to get through to customer services (which is appalling to try to get through). Exactly the same happens again with sending out, none in stock and receive wrong battery again…

Advised to call into Vodaphone shop, they suggested calling into a Samsung shop which i did. They said that the problem is with the phone, not the battery.

Called back to vodaphone shop, they said they would send it off and would give me a temporary handset. They did not have any handsets so i had to purchase the ‘cheapest’ they had which was 50.00.

I received a 30.00 credit to my account in ‘recognition’ for the problem. My annual bill is around 2000.00+

The phone was duly returned with a note saying the handset had been repaired and the software updated, however, within 30 minutes of using the phone crashed again.

In between all this i was meant to receive a call-back from a manager with 72 hours which never happened…..

Reply
keeley said:

October 10, 2014 at 6:50 pm

hello i would like to know how much is it to end a contract for vodafone ,as i got 100 mins unlimited text .

Reply
Luk said:

November 17, 2013 at 6:32 pm

This section is far too negative. I’m afraid you’ve swallowed what the suppliers like to peddle.

Contracts go both ways – if your provider stops providing the service then they are in breach of contract and the contract is no longer enforceable. This is happening a lot now with EE switching off masts right, left and centre, with the remaining masts totally congested.

One just has to stand up to them.

Reply
Thomas said:

April 17, 2013 at 6:50 pm

I am having issues with Three at the moment and despite them making entries on my credit report to say the account is settled they are chasing for a debt which does not exist. I have made a request for information under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 section 77, 78 and 79, but they have sent a letter back claiming they are not bound by the CCA and saying the agreement we have is not a credit agreement but a contract. Thought this information may be of use to you.
As things stand, I have asked for a copy of the contract which they dont have either. And as they have no documentary evidence I even had a contract/agreement with them, then they cannot try and enforce any debt. All this is despite the account being closed and settled in full in July last year, which shows on my Experian and Equifax credit reports.

Reply

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