Am I ok to sell my phone while in a contract?

[PotatoSalad]

Hi,

I got an Oppo Find X2 Pro on an EE contract last year when it first came out and, to be honest, I'm pretty sick of it. 

I'd be keen to sell it on ebay and buy another handset outright to use. Would this be ok? Obviously I appreciate the fact that I'm in contract with EE so would need to use the existing SIM and keep the payments going until the end of the 24 month period. 

Is there any problem with doing this? Could there be any problems for the person buying the phone from me?

Thanks!

[Christopher_G]

Hi @PotatoSalad

Welcome to the community.

How long into the contract are you?
 

Chris

[lexushall1991]

Hello @PotatoSalad

When you take out a contract you're agreeing to pay for the phone on a monthly basis, they work out how much it's worth and then offer contracts to suit. In order to sell the phone you would first have to pay off your remaining bill as a cancellation fee, this in turn will turn your handset into a PAYG and your account will be closed.

Once this is done, you can then proceed with the sale. If you wish to proceed in buying a phone outright, I'd recommend getting a sim only deal once you are all set, there are a few great deals that EE have to offer for existing customers as I have recently done something similar myself.

I found it cheaper paying a cancellation fee than the last 3 months of my contract and then getting a sim only deal, you won't even have to change your number.

Hope this helps.

[Chris_B]

@lexushall1991  You don’t have to pay off the contract to sell the device.  You can sell and use the cash to pay off or use the cash towards any handset you choose and continue with the contract in a device of your choosing.  Paying off or the termination of the contract doesn’t make it a PAYG unless you request it.  And no handset is a PAYG handset it’s the sim and you can use handset you choose.  

[lexushall1991]

@Chris_B

Ah I see, I've had a few contracts over the years and always believed that you would either have to give the phone back to the provider or pay it off before selling it, didn't realise you could do that since the phone is attached to the contract. Guess I've been too careful, never knew you could use the money earned from the sale to pay off the rest. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.

[lexushall1991 · Accepted solution]

Hello @PotatoSalad,

So I've done a little digging, get some more info not only others but also myself could benefit from. That way I can get a better idea on the terms and conditions.

I've looked into it and you can sell the phone as long as it's over 6 months old. As long as you've paid the cost of the phone whilst you've had the contract, you can sell it and continue to pay for the contract until the 24 month period ends. Since you've already had the phone for at least a year it should be fine. You may need to check the terms and conditions stated in the contract that you signed but it should be fine.

There might be a 2year minimum where you might not be eligible for an early upgrade but that won't effect whether or not the phone itself can be sold or not, just the contract you've agreed to.

[PotatoSalad]

Thanks so much @lexushall1991  - that's perfect 🙂