Save yourself money and switch telcos
Changing phone plans or switching telcos might seem like a major headache, but the swap can take just a few hours, and save you some serious cash in the long run. Here’s how to do it.
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Mobile phone customers wanting to save themselves some serious cash can switch telcos within a matter of hours.
Keeping the same phone number makes it easy for consumers to jump providers if they aren’t locked into a contract, making it the perfect time to hunt around what is a very competitive market.
Some competitive offers for SIM-only no-contract deals with a minimum of 10GB of data and unlimited calls start at around $20 per month.
However for those customers who are still in a contract it's often best to see out the fixed term before switching to avoid hefty break costs.
Telco comparison websites WhistleOut’s spokesman Kenny McGilvary says before switching make sure you don’t cancel your existing mobile service because the new provider will do the switching for you.
“Once you’ve identified the plan you want then order a new SIM card online, over the phone or in store,” he says.
“During the sign up process you’ll be asked whether you want to port or transfer your existing number to the new account.”
Mr McGilvary says all you need to do is provide your existing phone number and provider to your new telco.
Then once you receive your new SIM card you’ll need to activate it yourself.
This usually takes just a few hours.
Moose Mobile’s chief executive officer Dean Lwin says switching is seamless and more people should do it to save.
“Your current SIM card will keep working right up until the time number transfer takes place so the only downtime is the time it takes to swap your SIM card,” he says.
“There is really no excuse for people not to shop around especially when there are so many cheap non-contracted options and moving your number is now so easy.”
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network spokeswoman Melyssa Troy says when looking for a new phone deal make sure you understand the inclusions in the new offer.
“Check the critical information summary (CIS) for each plan," she says.
“This includes the price, inclusions, contract length and any extra charges if you cancel your plan early,” she says.
Originally published as Save yourself money and switch telcos