sim Contract ending but FlexPay for another year: EE say I can’t leave

[paulmalone86]

Hello everyone,

hoping for some advice.

I have an iPhone 14 Pro on FlexPay for 36 months but have a 24 month sim plan.

my 24 month sim plan ends next month and I’ve constantly spoke to EE on live chat and phone recently about where this leaves me and have got conflicting advice each time.

currently:

my sim plan ends on 9 April 2025
My flex pay for the device ends on 9 April 2026.

I can get a far better sim only plan outside of EE so I’d like to leave them and go to a cheaper provider that has a much stronger value proposition and cheaper plan.

but I’d like to continue paying off my device FlexPay monthly.

When I’ve spoken to EE they said if I want to leave my EE plan when it ends in a few weeks that I cannot continue to pay off my FlexPay monthly.

instead, they said I would have to pay off the total remaining FlexPay balance in one go (£400).

surely, since the sim and flex pay are two separate contracts I should be able to leave the 24 month plan now that the minimum term is up but continue with the FlexPay agreement until I’ve fully paid off my phone?

it’s a very confusing way to create an agreement, two separate contracts running for different periods of time where the longer one locks me into staying for an extra 12 months for the sim only or else pay a lot to leave? Is that normal?

none of this was specifically explained, my understanding was id a 24 month sim contract that I would honour, a 36 month FlexPay device contract that I’d honour and that if I paid off my 24 month sim contract I was free to find a better deal and still continue paying off my device?

ive googled it and on EE website it says I can continue to pay off my FlexPay and leave my EE sim contract but when I speak to them on live chat and phone calls they all say I have to pay off my device in full to leave.

surely that’s not legal, using one contract to enforce another? 

also, if this is accurate and I can’t leave my sim contract when it expires, doesn’t that mean for the remaining year EE can just decide to charge me whatever they feel like for my sim contract as they know they’ve locked me in until I pay off my FlexPay for device?

as I said, it’s very confusing. I’ve been with EE for about ten years and never had any real issues or complaints but this one just baffles me.

any advice or help from other EE users with experience of this or from EE staff on the forum?

thanks 🙌🏻

[Matt_124 · Accepted solution]

When your Airtime runs out of its minimum term,  text INFO to 85075 and this will inform you via text of your switching information and any charges you may have to pay if you were to end your Airtime Agreement at that point in time.

Then you can request your PAC Code by texting PAC to 65075, however this or the above may request you to call EE in some cases if there is Finance or multiple numbers involved. But their systems should also reflect the same information.

To the best of my knowledge, what you are saying is the gist of it.

But you will have to let the 24 months fully lapse before you use a PAC Code or cancel your Airtime plan. If you try and do this even a day before, it will require you to pay the full amount of device finance back in a lump sum.

[bristolian]

---

@paulmalone86 wrote:

I can get a far better sim only plan outside of EE so I’d like to leave them and go to a cheaper provider that has a much stronger value proposition and cheaper plan.🙌🏻

---

Purely on this specific point, it's no surprise that you can get a cheaper deal elsewhere.

Just make sure you've tested any new network with a PAYG SIM in all the areas you frequent. Better to find coverage issues before leaving, than after,