Cell phones

[wbeem 568]

This thread might need to be moved. I toyed with posting it on the Life in the USA section, but I'm not sure if circumstances and outcomes will vary from one country to the next.

To those who are planning to, or have already, had to terminate a phone contract in the UK, how have you gone about doing this before you leave (I am aware that fees may apply) and then getting something to use in the interim?

I really want to know for sure that my service is terminated before we go to avoid costly calls to my network provider once in the USA. However, if I get a US sim card and pay my provider to unlock my iPhone a week or so before we leave the country, I am not sure if I will be able to activate it here. I'm going over for Christmas and toyed with the idea of buying a Pay As You Go sim over there and holding onto it until I unlock on this end so that I can insert the new sim (to make sure the paid unlock works!). Also, iPhones, when unlocked, will lock to the network of the first/next sim you insert so I can't do it until we are good to go and will just have to suck it up and rely on wifi and a cheap phone for calls for the last week or two before we go. It all feels a bit more complicated than it should be. I'm keen to hear on what others have done or plan to do.

[TMA 0]

Both of these website argue that yes, you can use your UK iphone with a US sim - but there are a lot of issues surrounding it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/advice/10373002/Can-I-put-a-prepaid-US-SIM-card-in-my-iPhone-5.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g32655-i61-k7270939-USA_SIM_Cards_for_UK_iPhones-Los_Angeles_California.html

Re: terminating a contract - I think a few people in another thread mentioned ringing your service provider a couple of weeks before you leave and changing your tariff to the lowest priced plan possible - then a week later ringing up and cancelling your contract - you will only pay the remainder of the contract as cancellation and the price will be remarkably lower? Not sure if this works - but it could be worth exploring?

I'm probably going to try and change the tariff - but I only have a couple of months on my contract left to run anyway. So might just have to take a little hit.

All the best,

Tom.

[TMA 0]

I actually just rang my service provider (Virgin) - there is a chance your service provider may be happy to let you out of your contract because you're emigrating. If not, then they are happy to change your tariff to the lowest possible price and let you pay it off that way.

Hope this helps,

Tom.

[Pheebs1201 269]

Not sure how useful this will be but...

I bought an unlocked iPhone 5s last time I was in the US as its much cheaper than the UK. Whilst in the US I used Red Pocket Mobile which was a rolling 30 day contract. I intend to reactivate that each time I return until I am there permanently and can get a longer term contract.

Now that I am in the UK I have an EE sim card in it with no problems, so it works in both places.

I have also previously used a red pocket mobile SIM in an unlocked UK phone with no issues.

Hope this helps somewhat...

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

My husband used a T-Mobile sim in his UK phone after arriving. He has since used it in two different hand-me-down iPhones that were given to him that were unlocked from ATT. Now uses it in his IPhone 6.

He thinks T-mobile is most flexible with selling SIM cards only and with month to month plans without contracts if you already own a phone. He also said an unlocked phone shouldn't lock again to a new provider.

[wbeem 568]

Thank you to all of you for your input. I am going to call my provider today and see if I can reduce my tariff. I have much more than I need anyway. There will be approximately 6 months left on it so with unlimited everything, that would be a hefty charge!

He also said an unlocked phone shouldn't lock again to a new provider.

Thank you. That was my concern when I mentioned getting a Pay&Go sim from the US so that I have it ready to switch over when we leave. I was worried that if I activate it while still running my contract, that it would lock to the US sim network and not let me access my own. EE seems happy to unlock an iPhone for around £20 which I don't mind paying for the privilege.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Isn't the locking all about getting you to stick with a provider who gives you a free or reduced price phone. That way you can't say "thanks for the $99 iPhone, but I am leaving for a different provider." It's their way of keeping your monthly business to recoup the cost of that phone. A pay as you go or prepaid SIM card doesn't care because they didn't lure you with a "free" phone.

Here's T-Mobile to read up on. http://www.t-mobile.com/bring-your-own-phone.html?cmpid=WTR_PB_6YgCvzXU&002=2202007&004=5875584497&005=46007870&006=38524175657&007=Search&008=&025=t&026=&gclid=CKGp9Kbl3sECFSgLMgodlzIAGw

He loves them and keeps trying to get me to dump Verizon. But I am still lured by Verizon who keeps begging me to upgrade with a free iPhone. He keeps insisting "there are no free phones" and you pay for it with higher monthly charges. :sigh: I fall right into their marketing scheme. This has been a recurring debate at our house lately because I have resisted becoming one of "those people" with an iPhone glued to their hand.

[cappucino boy 29]

This thread might need to be moved. I toyed with posting it on the Life in the USA section, but I'm not sure if circumstances and outcomes will vary from one country to the next.

To those who are planning to, or have already, had to terminate a phone contract in the UK, how have you gone about doing this before you leave (I am aware that fees may apply) and then getting something to use in the interim?

I really want to know for sure that my service is terminated before we go to avoid costly calls to my network provider once in the USA. However, if I get a US sim card and pay my provider to unlock my iPhone a week or so before we leave the country, I am not sure if I will be able to activate it here. I'm going over for Christmas and toyed with the idea of buying a Pay As You Go sim over there and holding onto it until I unlock on this end so that I can insert the new sim (to make sure the paid unlock works!). Also, iPhones, when unlocked, will lock to the network of the first/next sim you insert so I can't do it until we are good to go and will just have to suck it up and rely on wifi and a cheap phone for calls for the last week or two before we go. It all feels a bit more complicated than it should be. I'm keen to hear on what others have done or plan to do.

Hopefully termination is the same in the US and it just a call if you are in a long contract. Your phone from the UK might be unlocked already and if it's not there of several sites that can unlock for you. Otherwise a call to your provider that you are leaving the UK and they should provide the unlock code for the handset free of charge, one any iPhone handset is unlocked, it's unlocked you will not need to do it again. You may mean that the sim card can be locked. Your UK phone will work with either T-Mobile and/or ATT if it is a GSM pnone. I'd suggest purchasing a att go phone sim for pay as you go, some plans have a good data package and you will be good to go when you arrive in the US.

[wbeem 568]

Isn't the locking all about getting you to stick with a provider who gives you a free or reduced price phone. That way you can't say "thanks for the $99 iPhone, but I am leaving for a different provider." It's their way of keeping your monthly business to recoup the cost of that phone. A pay as you go or prepaid SIM card doesn't care because they didn't lure you with a "free" phone.

Yes and no. They do want to lock you into their contract, but once you are signed up, you are locked in.

I called this afternoon to ask about my options and my service provider was quite happy to reduce my tariff because I've been with then for several years and have had this phone for a about 15 months. I also asked about unlocking. I was a bit sneaky about it, and said it was so that I could use a non UK sim card in there when I go on vacation. Again, not a problem. They really lose nothing that way because even if I use another service, I am still bound to their contract for the remainder if its term, unless I am able to negotiate an early release (and hopefully a reduced penalty payment).

[landr 126]

I'm on Android, so can't help with the iPhone issue.

But just a thought about a solution at the US-end - can you get a new SIM via your fiance's service provider? Might be possible to get a household account with both your names on it - this will also be useful as part of the co-mingling of finances and lives evidence for AOS/ROC.

[wbeem 568]

I'm on Android, so can't help with the iPhone issue.

But just a thought about a solution at the US-end - can you get a new SIM via your fiance's service provider? Might be possible to get a household account with both your names on it - this will also be useful as part of the co-mingling of finances and lives evidence for AOS/ROC.

Yes, this is what I'm looking at doing, but there is no point both of us paying contracts for the same phone over the same period, which is why I thought of having it unlocked and using a PAYG sim from his service provider to test that the unlocking was successful.

As far as doing it for free, I doubt they would. Also, it seems that if you wait until the end of your contract and cancel before trying to get it unlocked, may of the network providers are refusing to do it.