Switching phone networks is a pain, but these people are out to change that
Less chat, more PAC
We suspect most of you only have to hear the dreaded "PAC" word to get that icy chill down your spine; we all know how much of a faff jumping from one phone's network contract to another can be.
But Three and TalkTalk have formed an unusual alliance in the hope of changing things. The duo have come together and penned an open letter to Ofcom, asking for a shakeup to the rules that would make switching networks much more straightforward.
The aim is to get rid of the furore of dealing with salespeople trying to keep you hooked by offering you better deals based on a number of conditions, which is time consuming and, in many cases, just plain annoying.
PAC man
"At present there are several different processes dependant on which supplier you are leaving and which you are moving to, which causes confusion among consumers and leads to lower switching rates than other sectors," reads the letter, signed by the Chief Executives of Three, TalkTalk and the Federation of Communications Services, and LetsSaveMoney.com founder Sarah Willingham.
As it explains, providers are currently able to hide their best deals until a customer threatens to leave, so only a minority of people actually end up getting the best contracts.
"We welcome Ofcom's programme of work on switching, but ask that Ofcom delivers reform for the entire market, as soon as possible, rather than leaving whole sectors subject to further delays. It is time we delivered a switching system that puts the interests of all communications consumers first."
New measures would make for a more honest system, but who knows if Three's and TalkTalk's approach will prove to be successful.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
- Upgrading could soon be easier than ever - here are the 10 best phones in the world right now
Via Gizmodo
Hugh Langley is the ex-News Editor of TechRadar. He had written for many magazines and websites including Business Insider, The Telegraph, IGN, Gizmodo, Entrepreneur Magazine, WIRED (UK), TrustedReviews, Business Insider Australia, Business Insider India, Business Insider Singapore, Wareable, The Ambient and more.
Hugh is now a correspondent at Business Insider covering Google and Alphabet, and has the unfortunate distinction of accidentally linking the TechRadar homepage to a rival publication.