# Cell phones



## Catalanista (Aug 24, 2013)

So i have a couple of questions regarding cell phones.

My US husband will be joining me soon in the uk.
Can anyone advise please how he might cancel or reduce his verizon phone contract for his iphone?
He has a daughter in the US and if he cannot get out of his phone contract, he may end up giving her the phone, tho it is rather expensive for a 12 year old.

Second question, assuming he can get out of the verizon contract, is there any US equivalent to the UK pay as you go deals that he could set his daughter up with? I cant beleive how much US phone contracts are and was wondering what the least onerous type of contract may be. Daughter lives in texas.

Thank you so much for any advice


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Has he contacted the provider and discussed his needs?


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## Catalanista (Aug 24, 2013)

No, not yet.
We dont have a clear move date yet , and his daughter just broke her phone today so needs something to tide her over.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I don't know the details, but just read an article about how T-Mobile is doing away with long-term contracts in the US. It might be worth it to investigate what they have on offer.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Catalanista (Aug 24, 2013)

Thanks bev, can i ask where you saw the article please?
Cheers


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

If he has a postpaid contract with Verizon then typically he'll have a 2 year contract. There's an early termination fee if he cancels his contract. The ETF is $350 for iPhones, though that amount is reduced by $10 per full completed contract month.

So that's the answer: he just pays the pro-rated early termination fee. For example, if he has completed 12 months of his 24 month contract then his ETF would be $230 ($350 less $10 x 12). In other words, he just pays back some of the contract discount he received when he bought the iPhone. Verizon may offer a few exceptions, e.g. soldiers being sent to the U.K. (or elsewhere) on official military orders.

Note that if he has a Verizon iPhone 5 or 5S then that device is SIM unlocked. He can install a U.K. Nano-SIM (prepaid probably) and continue using his iPhone in the U.K.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Catalanista said:


> Thanks bev, can i ask where you saw the article please?
> Cheers


Not sure - but given my reading habits, it had to be either the NY Times or the Economist.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Catalanista (Aug 24, 2013)

Ha, will look it up there.

If anyone is interested, i also found this site, Get out of your Cellular Contract - Take over a contract - Find rare cellular packages

Basically they will either let you sell your contract and /or phone on to a third party individual looking to avoid a full contract and activation fees, 

or

Let you buy a contrat, again from a third party, together with a second hand phone. 

So if you were looking to get out of a contract or buy into a short term one, it might work.

I have no further references so have no idea how well the system works


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

The T-Mobile story is perhaps interesting but would only apply to new service with T-Mobile. It would have nothing to do with an existing contract commitment to Verizon.

There is sometimes another way to cancel a contract without paying the ETF, but it is highly random. If Verizon makes a material change to the contract terms -- raises their prices materially, for example -- then the subscriber has a limited time (30 days usually) to notify Verizon that their change is unacceptable. Whereupon Verizon has two choices: to cancel the contract (without ETF) or to repeal their price increase for that subscriber. Said another way, the contract works both ways. If Verizon won't honor its contract terms as written at the start of the contract, the subscriber has a possible way out. Such changes usually appear in fine print on the monthly bill, so check the most recent statement.

Yes, if the subscriber has a friend or relative who wants to pick up the contract, that's often possible. The easiest way to do that is if both parties visit a Verizon store. If the original subscriber wants to keep his/her handset then the new subscriber will either need to bring another Verizon handset or buy one, perhaps at full price if not near enough to the contract end date.


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