Postbag 07
Can my network stop me leaving?
Answered 20 June 2026 · reading time about 3 minutes
“I asked to leave and they said an adviser had to call me back to 'discuss options' first. That was two weeks ago. Can they do this?”
— S.N., Leicester
Important notice: qukbnaro is an independent reader-question blog. We are not a mobile network, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Three, O2, Sky Mobile, EE, Vodafone or any other provider. We do not sell SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services. Every answer is general guidance only — confirm current details with the provider's own website or app before deciding anything.
The short answerNo. Text PAC to 65075, get your code back within minutes, and hand it to the new network. Your old provider cannot refuse it, delay it, or make you sit through a retention call first.
Keeping your numberText PAC to 65075 — free, returned by text, valid 30 days.
Dropping the numberText STAC to 75075 — identical mechanics.
Any exit costsItemised automatically in the reply before you commit to anything.
The handoverGive the code to the new network; the move usually completes in one working day.
What they cannot do
- Refuse the code or attach conditions to it.
- Insist on a phone call first.
- Invent charges beyond those itemised in the reply.
- Treat a bundled household bill as a lock.
If you're mid-contract
You can still go
The reply simply shows the term charge. Sometimes paying it is worth it — do the sum before deciding.
If you have a device balance
Settle it or carry it
On split contracts the balance either gets settled or joins the exit figures. Either way, the reply shows it.
If you're offered a better deal to stay
Take the code first
Retention offers are legal and occasionally good. They just cannot be a toll gate — get the code, then negotiate with it in your hand.
Coverage-check the destination at your postcode.
Audition one rolling month via its budget tenant.
Buy the new plan — SIM or eSIM.
Text PAC from the old SIM and read the itemised sums.
Hand the code over; keep the old SIM in until the number lands.
Diary a check that the final bill closed at zero.
Important notice: qukbnaro is an independent reader-question blog. We are not a mobile network, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Three, O2, Sky Mobile, EE, Vodafone or any other provider. We do not sell SIM cards, contracts, handsets or services. Every answer is general guidance only — confirm current details with the provider's own website or app before deciding anything.
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