Can i get out of my O2 contract?

Thumper Long

Hello folks

just wondering if you know can i get out of my O2 contract. I am not happy with the service i receive as the coverage where i live in dublin i find is horrendous, i nearly have to stand on the roof of my house to make a call. O2 are apparently sending an engineer to the area but i wont hold my breath. I never had this problem with vodafone and only changed to O2 about 6 months ago so i have say another 6 months to go. If the engineer comes back and says ye great reception they wont do anything. can i drop my tariff down to the lowest and buy out the remainder of the contract and then take my number to maybe 3. any advice is welcommed, thanks in advance

TL

20 Times 20 Times

Right advise on terminating your contract, first you are free to walk into any mobile retail outlet and change over your number just bring ID with you. There will be a termination charge of course and that will depend on what tariff you are on. My advice is ring them up and change your tariff to the lowest one , be careful here as lately if you change your tariff with o2 it renews a 12 month contract with them so ask the CSR about this.

They should put it at the lowest option €15 per month and that’s what you will have to pay, one you have put the tariff down to the lowest walk into any mobile retail outlet and port your number over simple as that.

Thumper Long

thanks for that sarge, is it legal for them to just initiate a new 12 month contract without you signing for it or agreeing to it, so if i understand you correctly i will be able to keep my beloved number as it belongs to me and start up a contract with operator X using it even though im registered to O2?

20 Times 20 Times

Do not say you want to cancel your number just walk in off the street to vodafone or where ever you choose and port you number you need your last o2 bill thats all , in fact dont even ring o2

Ham'nd'egger

If the signal in your house is as poor as you say it is, maybe if you ask your network provider to find a stronger home mast for your phone, it may improve matters a little bit. Personally, I know that the testing of signals is a bit more that an engineer standing with a phone in your house, so don't worry too much on that side, they will test RF ratios, gains and downloading capabilities on site.

If you are going to leave your provider, you do need to notify them of your intention to sever your contract, possibly on paper. I don't know what sort of call spend you have but I am sure that O2 can "look after you" if they want your custom enough badly enough, and if that includes boosting signals in your part of town, so be it. Bear in mind that if one phone company has trouble with signal in your immediate locality, there is a good chance that they are not the only ones who are suffering so be careful about moving provider and be sure that it is the right move.

Pythia

Thumper Long wrote:

thanks for that sarge, is it legal for them to just initiate a new 12 month contract without you signing for it or agreeing to it, so if i understand you correctly i will be able to keep my beloved number as it belongs to me and start up a contract with operator X using it even though im registered to O2?

I'm not sure if you techincally own your number, like in a legal sense.

20 Times 20 Times

Its your number but you have signed a contract to stay with them for 12months

Pythia

See here: http://web.o2.ie/site/legal/pay_monthly_terms.jsp

9. Phone Number
You acknowledge that you have no proprietary rights in the telephone number allocated to you. We reserve the right to withdraw this number at any time.

Slice

If you're not barred for non payment and there are no fraud/security issues relating to your account then none of the mobile providers can stop you from taking your number elsewhere - the porting process is regulated by Comreg

Random

You have no legal rights to your number, though Comreg can negotiate disputes as far as I know.

As for just walking into a Vodafone store and porting away from O2 ... like any operator who you're still in contract with O2 will bill you for your remaining months on your contract. If you don't pay this you won't get an O2 contract again and it will go down as bad debt or whatever. I'm not too sure on how this information is shared between networks though.

Gillo

It's not jsut a case of going down as a bad debt, the debt will be recovered as much possible before hand, that may well include a call (to your house) from a collection agency.
You have six months left your best bet is to grin and bear it for now, then once you are out of contract move; who knows there may well be a better signal at that stage.

No one has mentioned using a different phone, maybe it is jsut an issue with your handset??

Random

You don't have a Motrola V3 by chance do you? Their reception is notoriously (sp?) awful. Try in a Nokia 6230 or other such phone and see

Thumper Long

im using a nokia 6230i i have tried different handsets to see if it makes a difference still no joy, i haven't decided what to do yet as there is still no news from the engineer!!