Published on 12, July, 2020
I’ve recently realised my mobile phone has been out of contract for a number of years. I have been paying £28 per month. I don’t really make or answer calls, I mainly call my wife about once a day.
I do use it for email, texts and internet browsing, I didn’t want to contact the supplier as it causes me anxiety and I knew the ‘hard sell’ would happen to try and keep my custom. There was no option on their site to cancel a contract without phoning them, so that was never going to happen.
OFCOM has changed the rules, you can text any supplier to 65075 with just the word PAC, the supplier has to text straight back with your PAC code, it’s a migration code to keep your current phone number.
I’ve now ordered a new SIM card from a comparison site, so still no actual contact with a company.
My new contract is still with one of the main companies and £8 per month for unlimited calls, texts and 50gb of data, also included roaming abroad and phone will become 5g as already capable.
That’s a one month rolling contract, I’ve done a 12 month, so got a bonus of a £35 Amazon voucher and will pay £4 for the first 3 months and then £8 per month. That equates to £4.09 per month over the contract using the incentives. .
When the Sim arrives I only have to text my PAC code to the new supplier.
I also had been paying my son’s phone at the same price and my wife realised she was paying the same for hers, we have gone from £84 per month to £12 for the next 3 months.
I don’t know if this helps anyone else but the new rules took all the stress out of changing contract.
TheCatWoman said:Do you get to keep your old number
Yes - that's exactly what the PAC code is for. It stands for Porting Authorisation Code, which allows you to keep your existing mobile number when you've decided to switch to a new provider. (The system's actually been place for a good few years now).
The alternative, by the way, is a STAC code (Service Termination Authorisation Code), which enables you to switch between providers, but instead be given a new number by your new provider.
There's more info here.
I love that idea for a show!
Do you get to keep your old number or do you have to have a new one, because that would be a pain in the bum.
Slightly off subject, I see Panorama are doing a programe where two families live without thier smart phones for a week and charts how they manage, I wonder if they'd do a reverse one where people like me are given a smart phone for a week to see how we get on with it?
My dad was always taking me off somewhere to buy another old car, he would get me to wind the window down and ask for directions. Dad would then ask me what the person had said, my answer was usually….. “I don’t know, I can’t remember.”
My reply here is off-topic, but your sentence "I don't like phoning, trying to explain and don't listen." made me laugh, because I think I know exactly what you mean.
Before I knew I was autistic, several years ago, my wife made me ask someone for directions (not on the phone, but on a busy street.) I remember just going through the motions off nodding my head during their reply (masking!) and couldn't process any of it. It was actually comical, because there is literally no point in me asking for directions. Anyway your reply reminded me of this.
The PAC code is valid for 30 days, the offer on the comparison site has to be applied for by midnight tomorrow, there is normally similar offers all the time. When you text your code to the new supplier it then cancels your old contract. The thought of phoning them was making me feel physically sick, texting at my own speed was much easier.
I don't like phoning, trying to explain and don't listen.
Easier to text. Do you have a time limit to do this?
Roy said:OFCOM has changed the rules, you can text any supplier to 65075 with just the word PAC, the supplier has to text straight back with your PAC code, it’s a migration code to keep your current phone number.