My change of phone number.

Most readers of this blog probably got a text message from me earlier today about a change to my phone number. Much as I'd love to think that the whole world reads my blog, I suspect it is mostly friends and family, and I already have your phone numbers, so I will already have texted you about the change.

The reason that I had a change of number two weeks before I leave the UK is this: I was under contract with O2. Specifically, I was under contract at £40/month with O2 until December 2008. Understandably, they were unwilling to compromise when I contacted them to say that I wanted to leave my contract early - in fact, they said that the termination fee was more than £520. Ouch!! Of course I emailed them and begged for clemency,but I didn't really expect anyway. In fact, I merely stated my situation, said that I wanted to make things as financially painless as possible, and asked what my options were. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I got an email saying that, as a goodwill gesture, they would waive my termination fee if I sent back my phone within seven days.

I love my phone. I don't love it more than £520 in cold hard cash, but I love it. What was a girl to do? EBay, that's what. I bought a second-hand phone in the same make and model from eBay for £100 and sent that back to O2. The eBay phone came with an O2 pay-as-you-go SIM, which I am now using. My original SIM and the eBay handset are now on their way back to O2. So long as they get the same make and model, why should they care if it's not the same phone? I'm hoping they don't care, anyway. I get a new number and I have to pay as I go, but I get to keep my phone without paying a huge termination fee. Win:win, I hope!