Mobile phone advice

[bensonsnuts]

Any advice welcome...
I'm just coming to the end of an 18month contract with 3 . Due to their consistantly terrible service I want to change providers .
I phoned up on the 22nd of Jan to give notice and ask for a pac code . The nice lady told me that as my contract didn't finish until the 28th of Feb , I could have the code which would be valid for a month , but I would need to pay for the extra week.
I was ok with that.
So I buy a phone from mobiles2yourdoor with vodaphone as the call provider . I ring phones2go to activate my account only for the operator to inform me that Vodaphone will not accept my PAC code
So I ring 3 to tell them I can't use the code and they now tell me if the code is not used , I need to give them a new 30 days notice . So at the moment I am paying for 2 phones and am not happy with either of them .
Options I have thought of so far ......... send the vodaphone back unused and cancel the contract as I am within the 7 day cooling off period.
Tell 3 to get stuffed and instruct my bank to refuse any requests for funds by 3 ........Not entirely certain I would get away with this one.
I've already asked 3 to put my contract on the minimum package and they managed to reduce it from £30 to £25
Can I port my pac code onto an old payasyougo number and expire my contract that way ?

Trying not to be rude as I have steam coming out of my ears

[yoshie]

They are at it your pac code should transfer your number to any phone pay as you go will do for now I have had the same number since 1994 and its been on Orange t mob and now O2 I still get calls from Orange to tell me I'm entiteld to a free upgrade. Haven't been on Orange since the 90s

[nero279]

Any advice welcome...
I'm just coming to the end of an 18month contract with 3 . Due to their consistantly terrible service I want to change providers .
I phoned up on the 22nd of Jan to give notice and ask for a pac code . The nice lady told me that as my contract didn't finish until the 28th of Feb , I could have the code which would be valid for a month , but I would need to pay for the extra week.
I was ok with that.
So I buy a phone from phones2go with vodaphone as the call provider . I ring phones2go to activate my account only for the operator to inform me that Vodaphone will not accept my PAC code
So I ring 3 to tell them I can't use the code and they now tell me if the code is not used , I need to give them a new 30 days notice . So at the moment I am paying for 2 phones and am not happy with either of them .
Options I have thought of so far ......... send the vodaphone back unused and cancel the contract as I am within the 7 day cooling off period.
Tell 3 to get stuffed and instruct my bank to refuse any requests for funds by 3 ........Not entirely certain I would get away with this one.
I've already asked 3 to put my contract on the minimum package and they managed to reduce it from £30 to £25
Can I port my pac code onto an old payasyougo number and expire my contract that way ?

Trying not to be rude as I have steam coming out of my ears

Instruct your bank not to pay any request from either company, but write to both explain why and that if they require any payments before it's sorted they will have to invoice you. Tell both phone companies what you have done when, and that one way or another you are not prepared to pay for their misinformation.

[Tallyman]

Having worked for Orange in the early 90's I think you best bet initially is to cancel the Vodaphone contract and return the phone unused within the 7 day period. Then ask 3 to confirm who they know will accept your pac code and get them to put their advice in writing, either letter or e-mail. Then look at getting a contract with a provider of your choice.

Have you looked at Virgin Mobile? Been with them now for about 5-6 years and never had any problems, although I rarely use my mobile. It's there more for emergency use than anything.

[Sancho]

I'm with Tallyman. First thing to do is cancel the vodafone contract. Get a new PAC code from 3 and try again in four weeks time.

[bensonsnuts]

Sorry 1st post should read mobiles2yourdoor as the retailer not phones2go ......I've changed it now ......###### phone companies ....make my head spin
I spoke to vodafone who were pleasant and English but couldn't use my PAC as it has to be entered at point of sale .
Rang mobiles2yourdoor and found they don't have anywhere on their internet form to use a pac code . So it is going back
Just need somebody to stick a bomb under 3 now and I'll be happy

[da SLUG man]

I've

got 3,

Vodafone

and Orange

it all depends where in the country you are if you're gonna get good coverage or not.

i HATE

Vodafone

because they bullied the council to build their new HQ up the road!!...

3 is the only network that works in my local!!

Orange give me free business call between all the

company

mobiles!


wouldn't use T-mobile again, they set up my account wrong, sent a huge bill, which i refused to pay... then when it got sorted, i had a bad account history, so they wouldn't put me on the higher

tariff

!!

[sparkyaj]

having had one 3g contract for three years i moved my number via pac to orange on two work phones recently.

every time 3g are the problem with releasing the pac number. they enter it on the system but do not release it from the network loose for another to pick up with.

i spent over 30hours on the telephone and at one point called both from two mobiles and put them on hands free and made them speak to each other!

I was in a situation where they cut off my work number which is in use 24/7 and froze my private number but were telling me that it was the other ones fault!"! grrrr

FUN

[max6674]

Why would you want to put your number on a PAG sim to end the contract, just end it. It may not be possible anyway but this all depends on how the platforms are linked where the accounts are stored, these are known as SPIDS (sorry, worked for O2 on the networks for years).

Sounds to me like the PAC code you have been given may have a digit incorrect or something along those lines as they dont want to lose you. Thye cant charge you another week or month if they have given you an incorrect PAC code, they are simply trying it on.

Your best course of action is the speak to OFCOM to be honest with you.

[tintin]

Both my phones are nearing the end of thier 18 month contract. I've been thinking about changing to a different provider as my current one ( 02 @ the carphone warehouse) is very poor on customer service. (they even tried to block my phone when they Fubared the direct debit!!)
I was told recently that 3 use the 02 network anyway and are offering some great deals!
Now having read this thread i'm not sure wether to consider them or not!
( my mate says they have been excellent fo him)

Any other thoughts!!!!
Cheers
Alan

[bensonsnuts]

I've been with 3 for over 3 yrs . Their coverage has improved but is still poorer than the rest .
Their call centre is in Pakistan/India .....not sure where exactly , but they are almost impossible to deal with .........and that is not meant in any sort of racist way .
In the last 18 months my bill has been incorrect at least 6 times and if it is less than a fiver I wouldn't even bother complaining as the service is so poor ! If you go into a 3 shop , you will still end up talking to the same centre from the shop phone.
The last phone they sold me was repaired several times and replaced twice before they conceded and upgraded it with a different phone .
Nobody can compete with the amount of minutes/texts they give you for your money , but that means nothing compared to the level of service I received.
Even after my recent experience I will probably use Vodafone as it was so nice to talk to an English person who did not sound as though they were reading from a script !

[max6674]

Both my phones are nearing the end of thier 18 month contract. I've been thinking about changing to a different provider as my current one ( 02 @ the carphone warehouse) is very poor on customer service. (they even tried to block my phone when they Fubared the direct debit!!)
I was told recently that 3 use the 02 network anyway and are offering some great deals!
Now having read this thread i'm not sure wether to consider them or not!
( my mate says they have been excellent fo him)

Any other thoughts!!!!
Cheers
Alan

3 and O2 have a secret agreement where O2 uses 3's 3G network in places where O2's 3G network is pants and vice versa for 3 with their voice calls. They use O2's voice network when theirs is pants etc. Saves them both building vast networks which run into billions to build and maintain when the revenue may not be that good.

Tesco uses O2's voice network and the Blue light services are virtually all contracted to use another network O2 have.

Im not being biased when I say this but O2 does have the best network in the UK. We spent a lot of time trouble shooting it when GPRS came live, they spent millions changing vast parts of the networks from Nokia and Motorola to Nortel as there was issues with calls being dropped sometimes and O2 didnt like it.. the only thing that lets O2 down is they have loads of billing platforms with loads of different call centers, some of which are not linked so you could call in one day and end up in Swansea to be transfered to Warrington to be trasfered again to Leeds to finally speak to someone who can look at your bill details.

Voda tried to get me to work for them but their network wasnt a patch on O2's. same with T-Mobile..

[tintin]

Thanks Benson And Max.......
Looks like i'll be sticking with o2, but maybe i'll go direct and cut out the CPW.
Alan