25 month contract if you want to keep your number?

[Gorf]

Hi, all.

According to the My Vodaphone app my contract ends 10 April, and indeed they've sent me a text to warn that I'll start being charged for Spotify after that.

I'm planning to go with Carphone Warehouse becaue Vodafone doesn't stock the handset I want to use next.

It seems to me that if I ring to give notice now, I'll get an early termination fee. However, if I ring on 11 April, I won't be able to keep my number unless I stay with Vodafone another month.

Is this interpretation correct?

[AnnS]

Hi @Gorf

I suspect the reason Vodafone mentioned this was Carphone tend to sell new contracts with a new number and this means having to transfer the number to PAYG which takes 30 days to complete. However, line rental is paid in advance, if your contract ends 10th April and it's not just the upgrade date, there should be no early termination charges.

The problem with going to Carphone as far as commission is concerned, selling a new contract is more lucrative than doing an upgrade, if you ask Carphone to do an upgrade and not a new contract with a new number, there shouldn't be any problems. 

If Carphone sell a new contract with a new number, it going to be slightly more complicated, you will need to ask Vodafone to put your number on PAYG, due to 30 days notice this will take the 30 days to complete.  When the number is on PAYG, you will be in a position to transfer to the new Carphone contract.  Alternatively, port the number out of Vodafone onto an alternative network and back in on the new Carphone contract.

It's a shame Vodafone don't offer the handset you would like, upgrading through the network is a lot simpler.

Finances permitting, you could always buy the phone SIM free from Carphone and take a SIM only upgrade.

[wwhyte92]

The alternative to this is using another network provider for 24/48 hours to facilitate a number transfer.

Simply request the PAC for the original contract with Vodafone. Buy a PAYG SIM from any other provider, but this must not be Vodafone (I used GiffGaff), and top up the minimum amount. Use the PAC to transfer your number from the Vodafone account to the new PAYG SIM (you can set this date in advance of when you wish to move, so you could set it up now to switch on 10th April to avoid any charges). The day after the first transfer, request the PAC from the new SIM provider and use it to transfer the number back to Vodafone but onto your new contract.

Each transfer can be set as next working day so the whole process should only take a few days to sort out. Best to instigate the first transfer on a Monday so as to avoid having to wait over a weekend however.

[chistery]

Request a PAC now and you have 30 days to sort out your new SIM, and prepare to PAC out and then PAC back. You might have to pay for two contracts for a short time, but that's the price you pay to change contracts and not upgrade.

Asking for a PAC now also means you might get a decent retention deal in a few days and end up staying anyway