Coming to the end of a contract

[Jim10]

Hello all, I feel I'm being incredibly dim here but can't seem to find the right guidance on the website.

My 24 month contract (airtime + phone) is finishing on the 2nd March. I want to move to a sim only deal as the phone is still ok. The deals via uswitch are significantly cheaper than directly with o2 so would prefer that route. 

If I upgrade today for example, will I pay twice, to the 2nd March on my old contract and from today on the new one?

Also, do I need a new sim if I go down this route, or does it simply swap over?

Many thanks for any assistance

jim

[MI5]

@Jim10 

wait until April or you will be hit with the £1.80 price rise, then use uswitch.

https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/compare/sim_only_deals/o2/

Choose the deal you want

This will automatically redirect you to the O2 website

Just follow the prompts and choose the UPGRADE option

Complete the deal and nothing on your account changes except the tariff at the new cheaper cost

Payment date is the same and your next bill will be at a cheaper rate and will be made up of the pro rata cost of your old tariff and your new tariff

The change should show in My O2 within 24 hours

Volt benefits will still apply as will possibly a 3 month extra such as Disney+

[Jim10]

Huge thanks @MI5, all sounds sensible - my only issue is that my rollover tariff is extortionate, pretty much the same as I'm paying for the phone + minutes currently (£67 ish pcm), paying that for a month would probably not offset the additional £1.80 over the course of the contract

Do you know if you are able to negotiate a different rollover without a contract term? 

[MI5]

@Jim10 

Why is it so high?

The airtime on a contract is usually around £15 to £20 unless you are on a standard contract from a third party?

If so, to upgrade now, your next bill will be pro rata part of your old and part of your new split between the number of days leading up to your normal billing date.

PS. choosing to upgrade means you keep the same sim.

[Jim10]

@MI5 thanks again

The cost is I think a result of getting a new phone on 24 months, so the device part was about 45-50 pcm + unlimited tariff, which I'm not using hardly at all, so that together makes up the current price (+ two years of high inflation rises). 

Quite why the rollover tariff is so high I'm not sure, suspect to catch people not upgrading or renewing in time.

Excellent, that's what I suspected, however I've been told three slightly different things by staff in the shop (will pay for both tariffs in any crossover period), the chat (I can't upgrade until the end of the current plan in March) and the sales team (think it would be a pro rata but wasn't sure).

Figured coming here would likely be the best option, should have done it first!

Noted re sim, thanks again for your help

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

You're welcome @Jim10