transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

We are due to arrive in NZ on 15th July. My current "deal" with Orange in the UK, is a minimal circa £20/mth call charge deal and also out of minimum contract period.
I'd like to keep it active till we arrive in NZ (transiting thru HK for 4 days).

Would there be any issues trying to terminate once on the ground in NZ with Orange and swapping the phone onto a NZ tariff and likely fresh number.
iphone 4. unlocked

Appreciate all the phone companies are a bunch of ... but I'm sure others must of been in a similar scenario...?

NH

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

Having been a longstanding Orange customer for over eight years, before leaving a couple of years ago, my advice would be to sort it out right now, weeks in advance.

First, they'll possibly try to fob you off with the customer retention team, then they'll mess you around a little more, handling everything by post, except any residual payments. It was like pulling teeth. Once they know you're definitely leaving, they can be irritatingly slow, in my experience. Triple-confirm that you will no longer be at your current billing address.

If I was in your situation, I'd set a firm cut-off date with them, perhaps ten days or so into arriving in New Zealand, so it's something you don't have to deal with when you land, when you're jetlagged and acclimatising. I'd find out if Orange can do a small roaming bundle for the period that you're travelling and to cover that first week or so in NZ. Might only cost £15-20 or so for enough calls and data to last you for your period of travel and settling in, so that you can stay in touch.

Once you land, you've then got a week or so to scope out the best deals and pick up a new sim. For some unknown reason, I couldn't get a 2 Degrees sim to work in my phone, so with some phones, it might take a little messing around in New Zealand.

Call Orange today and get the ball rolling.

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

you may not have to much hassle if you are out of contract but by god if you don't sort before you come if you are its a bloody nightmare as they will not accept emails and have to actually speak to the account holder. took us months to sort out and the amount of stress is unspeakable. get out now and get yourself a pay as you go sim for the travel and bin it when you get here. It might cost a little more but it may save a heap of stress

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

100% agree with the above advice. Shut your phone contract and any money you owe them down before you leave. I fell for the company insisting I should wait and it was a royal PITA to sort out from NZ, particularly as my phone decided it was unable to connect to any NZ network so is basically a glorified brick.

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

I was an Orange customer before we left UK on Feb '14 , had a year left on contract and was paying a wee bit more than you. I phoned Orange beginning of January, explained situation, she cancelled my contract right away I did have to pay around £270(got a discount) and I agreed to call back 10 days later to check and confirm everything, all was ok and even got a refund via cheque after we left UK. I had an old PAYG vodaphone sim that I cut around to fit into my Galaxay S3, topped up and used when we arrived. Once here went to Vodaphone got a PAYG for $25 with texts, data,minutes and $2 for 60 minutes to UK landline and have used it for last 4 months no problems.

Hubby on the other hand had an iPhone 4 with O2 out of contract, confirmed everything was cleared before he left and was assured all was ok. Was using a PAYG sim back home and then moved to same as me.

A few weeks after arriving checked UK bank account O2 took double what his old payments were. Spoke to Customer service who said the contract was running and the Sim he was using was the one they sent him and that he had gone over his monthly allowances and so was due them money.

Hubby pointed out to them that the Sim he was using was from the £1 shop and also a NZ one and that there must be fraud on the account, he then got cut off.

Went straight to complaints refusing to hang up till it was sorted after an hour they had admitted that they had not done what they needed to there end, his account was 1/2 closed but not fully and this was where the problem was.

They refunded all the money and they also reimbursed him for the time on phone he has never had any problems since, he also will probably never go contract again.

We actually thought if any of us were going to have problems it would have been me but I honestly can't fault how good Orange were, so would definitely recommend sorting before you come out as it can be a nightmare and not really what you want to do when trying to settle in.

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

Thanks, have a PAC code off them already think will just go over to PAYG now. Assume I need to also get the iPhone "unlocked"..?

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

Just try PAYG sim in it, we were both told to request and I had to pay £20.40 for mine from Orange and hubby's was free but can take up to 90 days depending on phone.

We both requested just in case but also tried different sims and both worked fine so we cancelled our request and had no problems once over here.

We both got our contracts through Phone4u.

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

Just try PAYG sim in it, we were both told to request and I had to pay £20.40 for mine from Orange and hubby's was free but can take up to 90 days depending on phone.

We both requested just in case but also tried different sims and both worked fine so we cancelled our request and had no problems once over here.

We both got our contracts through Phone4u.

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

I was tied into an O2 contract that I had to pa out even though I wasn't in the UK for the last 8 months. I gave my SIM card to my dad and he used the freebies associated with the contract till it ended, then kept the number and switched to PAYG.

I brought my iPhone to NZ with me. They are expensive to buy here, even in contract. I had it unlocked before I left, O2 didn't charge me, and i put a non 02 sim in it before I left jus to be sure.

Here I am on PAYG with Vodafone, which when I directly compared it gave the best deal. I use $20 a month, and still use my phone in exactly the same way.

Data is charged and capped here, on 3G and on wifi. And when you reach your cap, you may as well use snail mail! I never run out of data tho even on PAYG. :)

Re: transferring to NZ mobile from UK
 

Request the unlock code from your provider, they are obliged to give it as apple dont like their phones locked to one network, might take a week or two, but will come through