Let`s start with the possible. Of course, you can keep your phone. At the moment, our two Samsung S4s are beyond the end of their contract and still on Verizon. Unfortunately, we still pay Verizon`s very high prices. I`m just waiting to see the full spectrum of phone announcements this season (and I`m very interested in the Nexus 6 and Project Fi), so we`ll probably wait another month or two. Since this summer, all major airlines (with the exception of AT&T) have eliminated subsidies to airlines. You can bring your own phone. Of course, this means you`ll be spending more than $400 to $800 directly on an unlocked phone and you`ll likely pay usurious interest to Visa or Mastercard. A good mobile phone contract is a necessary expense for most of us. But whether you have a limited budget or not, then choosing the right mobile phone contract is key.

You don`t want to end up paying more than you owe, and at the same time you deserve a certain level of service. Sticking to your current cellular contract may be the right thing to do, but it may not be the case. The only way to find out is to take some time to look at all your options. Luckily, it`s pretty easy to switch carriers these days, so even if you`ve decided not to stick to your current business, a new contract should take too long. My advice is: Keep your old phone for fun and gaming. Even keep your old phone for a few months (as I am and waiting to see the full spectrum of new deals). But don`t wait more than about six months after your contract expires to get a new phone. But now that mobile and broadband providers need to let you know when you can change freely, it will be much easier to avoid being overcharged. Since you`re reading a guide here on what to do at the end of your contract, we`re pretty sure you won`t sit there and keep paying for what you pay for the same service you`ve always had. But if you are, we wish you all the best. This is a real win for consumers, as you are told now when you can look at other rates and ultimately save money with a better deal.

End-of-contract notifications mean that millions of customers are notified and have the opportunity to change and save instead of staying in place and spending too much. Of course, this also means that you will be tied to a contract for quite a long time, and the new phone is not really free, as you can also significantly reduce your monthly price, as we will explain below. Yes, it turns out that it is possible. The answer is divided into two approaches: getting a new phone, but not typing into the old phone – and simply keeping and using your old phone. Let`s take them in the right order. Is your mobile phone contract expiring? Don`t just give up We`re still waiting to see exactly what each of the suppliers` termination notifications will look like. But there are four pieces of information that every broadband, pay-TV, and mobile carrier must include: However, to change, you`ll need to unlock your phone. Your old carrier should be able (and ready) to unlock your phone after your contract expires. Otherwise, there are a huge number of unlock sources on the Internet. Just be careful and avoid scams.

As your phone ages, you`ll find that more and more apps aren`t compatible or aren`t supported by older versions of the operating system. O2 and Tesco have plans that allow their customers to see the cost of the handset and billing separately. They make it clear that once the handset is paid in full, the amount of airtime is all there is to pay monthly. O2`s refresh plan also allows customers to upgrade their mobile phones without paying the full cost of their contract or cancellation fees. Broadband and mobile operators must now contact you between 10 and 40 days before the end of the contract. They should also contact you every year when you no longer have a contract, with information about your current plan and the best deals available to you. Well, it`s a little more interesting. Getting a new phone is downright expensive – as much or more than buying a new PC, considering most of the current prices.

So, do you have to walk with the drumbeat of the biennial upgrade? Or can you save your Benjamins for another day? These three machines are fully functional (well, the 4S is on the edge and if its screen drops completely, it has to go). The iPhone 3G runs on iOS 6 and the other two run iOS 7. Since they work well with older versions of the operating system and the few applications they run still work, I saw no reason to risk performance issues when upgrading. The upgrade option is usually driven by this desire – to satisfy our existing supplier – while still getting a brand new phone. And that`s fair enough. However, as mentioned earlier, aside from the small (but manageable) danger of not checking whether your new provider`s coverage is as good or better than your old one`s, there`s nothing to lose when you change, and there`s plenty to gain. And while SIM Only doesn`t come with a handset, of course, you`re free to buy a phone directly and use it on SIM only. This can sometimes be cheaper than a contract phone (although, of course, you`ll have to pay a lot more upfront). But this is not always the case, so it is worth seeing how the prices of the desired handset compare. You can be very satisfied with your existing supplier. They may have been around for years, but there`s no price for loyalty in the harsh consumer wastelands. It is killing or being killed.

Vodafone or EE or anyone who doesn`t give free hugs for your immortal devotion. On the contrary, they are waging war for their habit. The last option you have is to change the network completely. Finally, since you no longer have a contract, you can leave. Take telephone contracts, for example. Until recently, most of us bought our phones with phone service, and most of the cost of our expensive smartphones was buried deep in the operator`s “subsidy” that was chained to our freedom. We were tied to a single carrier (regardless of the unacceptable fare or lack of quality service) until the end of the contract. Your service won`t turn off, your phone won`t explode. No, what really happens when your contract ends – for the vast majority – is that you continue with your former supplier at the same old rate.

But you can do better. However, if you are determined to stay with your existing provider, just visit their website, sign up, and there is a tab or option somewhere to see your upgrade options. This is where the practice begins to collapse. And it depends a lot on your phone. If your old phone was once very popular, you still have the option to get updates, especially security updates. If your old phone was a phone to sell and forget, you may get stuck on an older version of Android (this is mainly true for Android phones) that will never be updated. However, the fact is that you can definitely keep and use your old phones – these are fully functional portable-sized internet devices. Only your imagination has no limits. If you`ve made a brand new iPhone offer, the cost of the handset has been factored into your monthly repayment, so after 24 months, you`re sure to pay too much if you don`t cancel or change the contract. For this reason alone, you should at least consider your other options before deciding to do nothing.

Ahead of these annual notifications, some of the UK`s largest mobile networks have made the following commitments to reduce customers` bills outside the contract: Richard Neudegg, Head of Regulation at Uswitch.com, said: “For years, providers have benefited from not always making the status of their contracts fully transparent. Virgin Mobile will switch its customers without a contract to 30-day SIM offers only with equivalent dates and minutes. If you want to move forward with your current plan, you can do so. Surprisingly, a poll by Which? found that half of those who reached the end of their contract did not immediately change suppliers or companies. This effectively allows customers to pay for a handset they have already paid for. That`s why it`s important to look for a new mobile offer as soon as your contract ends, even if you don`t want to change phones. After cancellation, you will need to ask them for your PAC code (which allows you to keep your current mobile phone number with another operator). You will then need to log in to a new operator and give them your PAC code. There you go! The main disadvantage of Pay As You Go (in addition to not getting a new phone as part of it) is that the cost is often higher than SIM only for the same number of certificates.

This is not universally true, but it tends to be. Of course, when it comes to the new phone part, as with SIM Only, you have the option to buy a handset directly and use it on Pay As You Go. Therefore, networks and providers are now required by law to contact you 10-40 days before the end of the contract to inform you that you will soon be free to search for a new mobile phone plan. .