Leaving T-Mobile the right way

A question about : Leaving T-Mobile the right way

I have read numerous threads across the internet about people being charged a fee by T-Mobile the moment they request a PAC before the end of a contract even if the PAC isn't used until after the contract end date.

My contract ends 10/02/15 and from what I've read elsewhere the best course of action is to give 30 days notice to T-Mobile allowing around 5 working days after the contract end date to then port out using a PAC.. So this is my plan:

19/01/15: Give 30 days notice
10/02/15: Contract ends
11/02/15: Request PAC and use it immediately once received
12/02/15: Number ports to new network between now and 18/02/15
18/02/15: End of 30 days notice

As my billing date is 12th of the month I believe T-Mobile will then bill me for line rental from 12/02/15 to 18/02/15 but no other fees or charges.

Does this sound right to people who've left T-Mobile previously?

Many thanks!

Best answers:

• I'm not sure, but I think the PAC request cancels the notice - in which case you'd be charged for another 30 days from the request (but I could be wrong).
• OK thanks, sounds like there is no way to avoid the ETC so I'll ring to get the PAC today and await my next bill on 12/02/14 with the charge I will need to get removed. Then at some point the final bill should materialise with just the line rental usage between 12/02/14 and porting date.
• That's cutting it fine. You're relying on the new network to port within a day (it only lasts for 30 days). If they are late the PAC will expire and it all starts again.
• Here's my current experience which pretty much goes as expected from the replies above:-
  Billing cycle is 5th each month
  Contract ends - 5/2/15
  Requested PAC 6/1/15
  Used PAC 12/1/15
  Now have a bill for Line rental + an ETC
  Called T-mobile who said I would receive a pro rata refund from 12/1/15 to 5/2/15.
  Remains to be seen if I will get this refund before they take the 'extra' payment on 22/1/15.
  Not an overwhelmingly good experience......
• Got my PAC today and was told there would be an ETC of Ј15.91 but not to worry about it as it was just a pro-rated line rental charge.
  This made no sense to me at all since I'm already due to pay the bill of Ј26.20 for the period 11/01/15-10/02/15. I don't understand how the Ј15.91 is calculated, it can't be pro-rated for 30 days from now because that would only need 7 extra days usage to be applied after my contract end date which would amount to just under Ј6.
  I don't intend using the PAC until after my contract expires on 10/02/15 so will use it on 11/02/15. I will see what my next bill has on it for ETC when it gets produced on 12/02/15 and then challenge T-Mobile if it's significantly more than Ј6.
• Normal bill today generated 11/02/15 and there is an MNP Early Termination Penalty (VAT Exempt) Ј15.81 on there plus a full month of line rental at Ј26.20.
  I used the PAC on 11/02/15 as my contract end date was 10/02/15 so there is no way the bill generated should have the penalty on it.
  I was expecting the line rental charge because at that point T-Mobile don't know when exactly I will use the PAC to terminate the contract.
  They really need to fix this error in their billing system. I will be calling up to challenge this charge.
• Just called T-Mobile and questioned the charge and without hesitation the adviser says "That's fine I'll get that removed for you".
  So the next steps are that I should receive a call or text from T-Mobile within 48 hours telling me what my new recalculated bill should be.
  They clearly get this type of call frequently. I find it infuriating that they make customers take action like this for what is obviously a badly designed or intentionally flawed billing system.
• As this lasts for years, I am sure the system was designed this way on purpose, not 'badly'/erroneously. Most leaving customers either don't notice the excessive charges or don't have guts to claim them back. Nice little earner and a consolation for losing a customer.
• I first gave T-mobile my 30 days on 5/2 and the advisor then stated to me did i want my PAC there and then which i questioned following the thread i ready on MSE. advisor stated give the PAC is fine and i would have the use by 27/2 which was my billing date but the 30 days would end on the 5/3 and i should have nominal charge of about Ј3.
  we shall see as i plan on porting the number next week to the new network.
  Can someone confirm upon porting the number and only paying upto 27/2 can i challenge the five extra days fees? which they claim will terminate my minimum Term after the 30 days notice
• My experience of leaving T Mobile recently was that despite doing a load of research and following the process recommended here, they still charged me an extra Ј20 termination fee.
  When I asked them why, the explanation was so mind boggling that I just gave up protesting. To be fair, I just thought "is it worth my energy for the sake of Ј20?" but I'd love someone to take them to task over their practices.
• Update:
  I received the text I was promised regarding recalculation of the bill. However it basically said the charges were correct.
  So another call to T-Mobile, this time to their 07953966150 number because I've now changed network so can't call 150. Anyway, there was no option to speak to the billing department so I chose to go through to the 'leaving us' option. I explained I'd been told the ETC would be removed but today's text had said otherwise and asked what the problem was. So the adviser went through the notes and said "OK I can see that you didn't port out until after this bill and contract end date" and then manually removed the ETC and so my next Direct Debit will be just a month's line rental of Ј26.20.
  The final bill will be generated on the normal billing date of 11/03/15 after which I will be credited back all the unused days since porting out. This is actually better than I expected because I previously understood I'd have to pay to the end of the notice period but this is not the case. In fact the notice period only exists if you are not using a PAC.
  I queried the billing system causing problems for customers in chasing removal of ETCs. The explanation was that eventually I would have been refunded the ETC and unused line rental after the final bill. Well I have no way of knowing if that would have happened but I guess I will take her word for it. So basically she's helped me out by getting the ETC removed now rather than me paying it and being refunded it in the final bill.
  TL;DR
  For future reference the ETC is calculated by monthly line rental divided by the number of days between PAC request and contract end date. This is added to the following bill plus normal line rental.
  After porting out the final bill will refund line rental for days since porting out plus the ETC as long the porting is done after contract end date.
  I assume there's no ETC if PAC is requested after contract end date.
  What a palava