How to Switch Phone Providers
We understand how difficult it can be to find the right mobility plan. We spend hours researching, calling and comparing countless contracts from various providers. Tragically, many users end up going through this process, only to end up signing with a poor contract. Perhaps your plan has too much data, or not nearly enough. You may feel trapped, as if you have to spend the next two years committed to a contract that doesn’t even suit you. Fortunately, this happens all the time, and you don’t need to worry. Cancelling your contract and finding a new plan is actually a simple process. For the remainder of this article, we’ll go over exactly how to switch phone providers and terminate your contract.
How to Switch Cell Phone Providers and Terminate your Contract: Step One
Before taking any action, you should try to gather as much information as you can about your current contract. Above all, confirm what kind of plan you have. Do you know if your plan is prepaid or postpaid? Are you paying off a device or did you purchase it upfront? This is an important distinction to understand when figuring out how to switch cell phone providers.
Fortunately, prepaid plans are very easy to get out of. Most of them reset at the start of every month, so you just need to stop renewing it. Instead of topping up your bill, all you need to do is abstain. We’d also recommend calling your provider and telling them this month will be your last, but it’s not totally necessary. You’ll have to wait out the duration of the month before you can sign up for a new plan, so consider researching new plans during your waiting period.
Postpaid plans are a little more complicated. Usually, these involve 24-month contracts that you must sign. Most users will feel as if they can’t cancel these plans, and must ride them out for two years. Fortunately, postpaid plans can easily be terminated whenever you choose to. All you need to do is call your service provider and tell them you’d like to cancel your contract on a given date. Once the date is reached, you will no longer be under the jurisdiction of your contract.
Although you’re capable of cancelling a long-term contract, it’s important to mention that you might have to pay a cancellation fee. This largely depends on your provider and specific contract, so try to familiarize yourself with their rules. You should definitely read up on parts of Bell, Rogers and Telus’ terms of service if you have the time. Lastly, if your phone needs to be paid off, you should have the choice to buy it out. Once the phone is yours, you can easily bring it to another provider and set up a different plan. In sum, before cancelling a contract make sure to conduct a bit of research, and be prepared to possibly spend some money.
Step Two – Making the Call
Find your provider’s number and call them. It might take a few minutes, but you’ll eventually be paired up with a customer service representative. Tell them you want to terminate your contract and they’ll take care of the rest! On occasion, the worker may offer you a promotion or discount to try to keep you from leaving. If their offer seems reasonable, consider it. That being said, don’t hesitate to put your foot down and cancel regardless. At the end of the day, it’s completely your choice, we just don’t want you to be surprised if they make you an offer.
Your phone call shouldn’t take too long, and the customer service agent should forward you an email summarizing everything. Once your agreed upon date is reached, you’ll no longer be with your contract. Before this date arrives, make sure to research new plans you’re interested in. Now that you’re free from your contract, all you need to do is learn how to change providers.
Step Three – How to Change Cell Phone Providers
The third and final step is also the easiest. First off, you need to find a plan that appropriately suits your needs. Try using Planhub to compare the country’s mobile plans based on price and perks. At this point, we’d recommend a prepaid plan that allows you to bring your own phone. Since you just got out of a contract, you should try a commitment-free plan or two to see how you like it. Simply bring your phone or SIM card to a kiosk or order online, you don’t even need to make a phone call! Once you find a plan that fits your usage and budget, you can re-assess whether you want to enter another long-term agreement or not. If you want to learn more about the best prepaid plans in Canada, don’t hesitate to read our blog post about it! Now that you know how to change cell phone providers, you’re ready to go!