I currently have an out of contract iPhone on a sim only deal direct with EE. I have realised that for just a few pounds more a month I can get an iPhone 12 on a contract which uses the EE network but its not through EE (its with Metrophone).

So how do i go about this? i need to cancel my EE sim only but i want to transfer my number to the new phone. What order should things happen in?

Confused!

I *think* Metrofone are just an EE reseller. So you’re still buying an EE contract. So I don’t think there’s anything to transfer or you need to cancel the SIM. They have a phone number probably worth a call…?

You get your new sim.

You ask your old supplier for your PAK code.

But the new supplier often does that for you nowadays.

Give EE a call. Their customer service was really good when I just upgraded my sim only EE recently (to a Pixel due to the thread on here). With a bit of chatting you can probably get a much better deal than what is advertised on their site.

Thanks, I’ll speak to EE. The reason i hadn’t considered doing that it that Metrophones deal is less than half the price of the deal direct from EE so i didn’t think they’d be able to get anywhere close to it!

I’m on plusnet which uses the EE network but with much cheaoper prices than EE – but with some changes like they don’t offer short code tetxing. Metrophone may be different as a reseller rather than a subnetwork?

Plusnet on EE, Sky on O2 etc etc all run as MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Basically they run their own network on another provider’s physical infrastructure.

Yes Metrofone look like a reseller of EE contracts on the EE network. So you shouldn’t need to port your number as you are staying on the same network.

Resellers for Business Mobile Contracts are quite common (the people I work for go via a reseller for our work mobiles). The main providers don’t want the hassle of managing business contracts. Personal resellers are less common these days. Carphone Warehouse I guess is the first example that springs to mind as a reseller. They will offer different deals and contracts than if you go direct. Sometimes.

Call EE, pick the “thinking of leaving us” option. Say you’ve seen a deal you want and that you’re about to press go on it unless there’s anything they can do to match it? Leave it to them.

I did that yesterday at 5:30. New phone on my desk now, transferring data from the old one. Looking forward to having a camera that works!

As above, if there’s room in the pricing for someone else to make money from EE’s network on that contract, you’d think EE should be able to do it too.

You get your new sim.

You ask your old supplier for your PAK code.

But the new supplier often does that for you nowadays.

I have tried this. It’s fine if you are moving from one network to another, but I was told I would have to upgrade through the network themselves if I wanted to keep the number. Pac won’t work if you are staying on the same network.

The saving was so significant from mobilephonesdirect.com that I just changed my number.

Did this a couple months ago

I was going down the EE sub supplier route so requested the PAK and got a phone call shortly after from EE. They matched the 3rd party deal for me

As an aside the 12 is a massive phone, I use XXL gloves and need 2 hands to use it. I didn’t have a choice as it is my work phone but when I got my personal one I got a 12 mini, it’s exactly the same size as a 6/7/8 just all screen

Thank you sc-xc, something like that was one of my big worries as by the point I’d found that out I’d be committed to the new phone.
I’ve had my number for many years and I also use it for work so I really don’t want to change it.

Two things,

1) It’s a PAC not a PAK.

2) You don’t need to change your number. Shiftless salesmen will tell you that you do because they get more commission from a ‘new’ customer than from a transferred one, it’s a lie.

2) You don’t need to change your number. Shiftless salesmen will tell you that you do because they get more commission from a ‘new’ customer than from a transferred one, it’s a lie.

This might be the case, but EE told me I couldn’t keep number if I was going through a significantly cheaper reseller. I requested the PAC anyway, and it didn’t work.

I called another part of EE to see if they could help and they repeated what the first lot told me.

Similar with Three, although I didn’t bother even getting the PAC off them to try it.

First time Apple product user here, just got an iPhone 12.

Great thing so far , although it’s spying capabilities will be getting curtailed when I get further into it.

I am with EE as has been said no need to change numbers. I also used a reseller company.

Affordable mobiles . Very happy with them.

Well I’ve just been on to EE and surprisingly they couldn’t get anywhere close to Metrophones deal.

Well I’ve just been on to EE and surprisingly they couldn’t get anywhere close to Metrophones deal.

They matched mine, they said I was a ‘valued customer’ which I thought was BS but maybe it was actually true. She said she could see if always paid without issue over 8 years, who the hell doesn’t pay their phone contract?!

Surprised EE won’t match the deal, if they say you can’t take your number maybe there is some weird agreement between Metrophones and EE whereby they can only sell new numbers?

Have you checked Three, Vodafone, and O2? If you can find a decent deal on any of them see if EE will match that. I recently moved from EE to Voda, only because the EE signal at home is useless and it’s more of a problem now I work from home all the time. The retention team were very friendly and would have matched whatever deal I’d found, unfortunately they couldn’t put a mast up nearby 🙂

Handsets – I got an iPhone 12 mini as I’m not a fan of big handsets. As above, same size as the old SE, 5, etc. Much better (for me).

Always used to be that swapping to a new contract through a reseller wouldn’t let you port your number, guess that’s still the case.

Could you buy a cheap pay as you go SIM on another network, port your number to that then on again to the new contract you want?

I have no clue if this would actually work.