If your current mobile contract is coming to an end and you’re ready for a new one, then today we’re going to tell you how to get that new contract and make sure that you’re getting a good deal. There are plenty of operators and plans on the market to choose from, so you want to make sure that you’re getting the best one for you. And don’t worry about switching operators either; it’s easy, you can keep your current phone number, and it’s fully covered in the steps below…
First: Check Out Your Options…
Not everyone can get mobile service from every operator. This is because operators have different levels of service in different parts of the country. You’ll need to find out who gives you good coverage, because without it you’re going to get bad phone reception and it’s possible that your phone won’t work at all. Head to the OFCOM web site and check out their comparative coverage map to see who has good service in your area. People in cities will generally find that they get good service with all providers. However, if you live in a more rural area you might find that you’re limited to two or three operators.
Second: Pick a Calling Plan…
Knowing which calling plan you want is essential in finding out who’s going to give you the best deal. All contracts come with a calling plan, which is a set of limits that tells you the amount of calling minutes, mobile data and text messages that you can use for your monthly price. You need to get this step right, because the wrong calling plan will cost you money. Think of it this way, imagine that your plan has fifty calling minutes included; you pay the same monthly price for using fifty minutes as you pay for using five minutes. When your calling plan limits are too high you pay for services that you don’t use. And what happens when you call for sixty minutes? You pay your same monthly fee plus premium charges on the extra ten minutes that you used, so a small plan isn’t a great idea either. Because you already have a mobile contract you can base your calling plan needs on that. Are you happy with your current limits? Or do you need more or less of some or all of your services?
Third: Pick a Contract…
Now you’re in a position to find out who’s going to give you the best deal. Go online and find yourself a mobile tariff comparison site. Put your calling plan limits into the search box and then you’ll get a list of plans with operators that match your needs. You can just choose the cheapest plan, but don’t forget to make sure that it’s with an operator that gives you coverage in your area. If you find that the best deal for you is with your current operator, then you just need to pay your operator a visit and sign up for a new contract. If you need to switch operators to get a better deal, then you’ll need to do a little more work.
Fourth: Get a Pac Code…
Something that stops many people switching operators, even if they’re going to get a better deal somewhere else, is the thought of getting a new phone number and having to send out that new number to all their contacts. But you can actually keep your old number, and it’s relatively easy to do so. Before you cancel your current service, call your operator and request a pac code. This is a unique identifier for you and your phone number, and you’ll get it for free. You might get the code immediately, or you might have it sent to you in a few days. A pac code cannot be given out when service has been cancelled, and it has only a thirty day validity period. You need to complete your operator switch within thirty days, or the code will become invalid and you won’t be able to keep your number. Plus, if you should lose the code, the operator cannot give you a new one until the old one has expired.
Fifth: Cancel Your Service…
Once you have your pac (you don’t want to do it before, just in case there’s a problem), you can call your operator and cancel your current service. Sometimes customer service representatives will offer you a better deal to stay with the operator. If this is the case, feel free to stay with them, but make sure you get that contract offer in writing via email, just in case. When cancelling your service you’ll be told about any fees that you’ll have to pay, but as long as your contract has already ended there shouldn’t be any charges. You’ll also be told the date that service will end, which might be immediately with some companies, but may take several days. You will have to pay for any days of service that you get even after cancellation.
Sixth: Get a New Contract…
Finally, you can go to your new operator to get a new contract. Give your new provider your pac, and they’ll make sure that you get to keep your phone number. You’ll get a new SIM card to put in your phone from your new operator. You don’t have to provide a pac if you choose not to keep your number; you will just be assigned a new phone number. If you get a new number then you should get service within a couple of hours. If you’re keeping your old number the switch can rarely be completed as fast, and you’ll probably find that you don’t get service until the following business day. You can request a temporary number from the operator if you don’t want to be without service for that long, some operators will give you one while others won’t, and you may or may not have to pay a small fee for this.
In order to change his phone provider Sam Jones needed his PAC code. He found out just how easy it was to get this information when he clicked on to comparison services like uSwitch.
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