Refresh - Once phone is paid off

[ajo]

Sorry if this has been covered but im still not that clear.

Once the phone part has been paid off, do I still have to pay the same line rental for 24 months or am I free to cancel/downgrade?

Just trying to work out what is best for me as I will be able to pay the phone price in full first thing anyway.

Thanks

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

You can keep the airtime going or cancel it. You cannot downgrade it without taking out another (lower) contract.

[Anonymous]

On a side note you can also unlock it to all networks so any networks sim works in it.

You could also change to a sim only tariff.

https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/help/help?qid=1&q1=2&route=unlocking&case=Handset%20Unlocking%20Form

https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/all-tariffs

[Anonymous]

Is there no lower limit to when the airtime tarrif is cancelled at all?

If I'm reading right the remaing months on the airtime plan are waived so I could walk away completely. I am only two months into my refresh contract and not overly happy with my phone. I can get around the same as what I owe on my device plan by selling the phone on eBay, so I could put this money towards paying it off and then start a brand new contract with o2, carphone warehouse or whoever.

[Anonymous]

The beauty of refresh is that once your phone plan is paid off you can just carry on paying the airtime plan or upgrade again, choose another phone and new tariff or move onto a sim only contract or give notice and end it.

Be aware CPW cannot offer the refresh tariff so if you opt to upgrade through them, then you'll be stuck on a 2 year contract.

You can also unlock the phone for free which will increase its street value.

[anticpated]

Airtime is different from your device payments. You could sell the handset and setle most of the handset cost if not all. However your contract for airtime will have be paid or settle separately.

[viridis]

Not true anticipated, once you've paid the device plan you can walk away from airtime plan with no fees. You don't have to carry on with the airtime.

[MI5]

viridis is correct - Pay off the handset then tell O2 you wish to cancel or just upgrade again on another refresh contract.

[Anonymous]

But could you go into carphone warehouse once the device is paid off and upgrade as normal which would then start a new contract with them and cancel the air time contract with o2?

[jonsie]

Yes you could but you would have to cancel the airtime first.