Vodafone

[uky kozak]

Personal contract...Anyone wanna buy a phone?

[Platypus]

Could you not just close down your company?

I'm sure the cost of that (accountant's fees) will outweigh the cost of simply buying out of the contract.

[TykeMerc]

The mobile companies are well known for enforcing their contracts and when you consider their business model it's hardly surprising.

The cost of handsets is massively subsidised by the contract payments, they routinely give handsets worth several hundred pounds (cost to them) to customers for absolutely nothing, they have to maintain a significant infrastructure of cell towers and bulk telephone and data links and pay a licence fee for the radio spectrum that they use. They also have to pay commissions for the sale of contracts by retailers and have their own staff to pay.

I'm not making excuses for the way that mobile companies behave, but the simple fact is if you sign a contract for goods and services you should read the damn thing first. All of the mobile contracts that I've ever seen have made the cancellation terms very clear (I used to fit carphones when I was a student and even 20 years ago the contracts were transparent), while I sympathise to an extent you went into the deal with full information available and even a cool down period.
I believe that the mobile companies have been challenged in court quite a few times over their contracts and yet they appear substantially unchanged so they're probably pretty much rock solid.

[Platypus]

blah blah blah

TykeMerc's post makes we wonder if they might be amenable if you offered to EXTEND you contract beyond the current term but on a LOWER monthly payment - thereby ensuring they get their investment back but over a longer term

[reddog]

One other thing that you may want to consider is that not paying will seriously affect your credit rating.

[uky kozak]

No I will pay by any means necessary to honour the contract. I have just moved my phone to PAYG and I will just use that for incoming calls mainly. Once I am back on my feet and its Feb 18 2010 I will phone them again and cancel my contract on both phone and mobile internet. I know it will mean nothing to them but at least I will have the satisfaction of saying to them "well considering you helped me out in time of need...blah blah.

[ASB]

Don't know which mobile internet contract you are on but my voda one (probably different to yours 'cos it's corporate) allows them to cut me off if I persitantly breach the fair usage policy. If they were to cut you off like this I don't see how they could realistically continue charging you for a service they have refused to deliver.

[swamp]

Personal contract...Anyone wanna buy a phone?

Here is an idea, though you may not like it!

Swap your personal phone to a business phone. Vodafone will tear up your personal contract(s) if you sign a new one in your business name. They did this for me and it was very easy.

Business tariffs are different from personal ones, slightly more expensive but this is more than offset by tax gains (every Ltd Co contractor should have a business phone.) Now when you switch tell them you don't want a data package, or downgrade to a cheaper one. You'll be dealing with the business centre and they won't normally have to chase down chavvy cheapskates, so they may well be OK with you dropping your data package or give you flexible terms.

[Grinder]

How much money are we talking about here? ie monthly contract x number of months to completion on the minimum level?

Broadband is only about tenner/month, mobile usually you can step down to a lower tariff about £15/month.

You can make that much mowing a couple of lawns each month.

[HairyArsedBloke]

"As far as they are concerned a contract is a contract"

sorry, i must have missed something. when is a contract not a contract?

Not been a victim, but isn't Vodafone one of those that have done the "take 10% or 20% less money or ..... off" to contractors trick?