Upgrading from a SIM Only to a Phone Contract- Paying the Early Termination Cost (ETC)?

[Starkers1997]

I have been on O2 for 3 years. The first 2 of them were on my phone contract.

At the end of my phone contract, I agreed to move to a 2 year SIM Only Contract. So I was led to believe that the ETC (Early Termination Cost) shown on my O2 App is the cost I would pay regardless of upgrade unless I ran it down to September, when it is supposed to run out. As of today, I still have just over 9 months to run on this SIM Only Contract.

I got this text after texting INFO to 85075, which says that my ETC is £0.00. I had also clarified this with my local O2 shop this morning and a colleague there said that the ETC would only apply when upgrading from one SIM Only Contract to another and not from a SIM Only Contract to a Phone Contract. I’m just wondering if this is correct and how it makes sense.

[MI5]

@Starkers1997 

There are no fees to pay as long as you are extending the term of your contract.

This applies to both phone contracts when coming from a simo or just upgrading a simo, so the shop was half correct.

[Starkers1997]

@MI5 

Then it must mean that if, for example, I wanted to upgrade from a simo to a Phone contract (let’s say the length of the contract I upgrade to is 36 months for instance from 9 months), I’d not have to pay the remaining ETC that is showing on my O2 App?

[MI5]

@Starkers1997 

Sorry but I'm not following your logic there.

If the new contract is for longer than the remaining time on your current contract, you don't pay a termination fee.

This is to prevent someone changing to a shorter contract to leave early.

[Starkers1997]

So you are saying that any contract longer than the time left on my contract means I do not have to pay the ETC?

End Current Contract- Pay ETC

Upgrade to any Contract longer than Remaining Time on Current Contract- Don’t Pay ETC

[MI5]

Correct @Starkers1997