Deceased's contract

Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased accounts?
If someone passed away and they were three months into a twelve months
contract, would they insist on the contract being paid in full from the
deceased's estate, i.e. the full 12 months line rental?

Can't find an answer to this anywhere.

Thanks.

BC

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› See More: Deceased's contract

"Bacillus Cereus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased accounts?
> If someone passed away and they were three months into a twelve months
> contract, would they insist on the contract being paid in full from the
> deceased's estate, i.e. the full 12 months line rental?
>
> Can't find an answer to this anywhere.
>
> Thanks.
>
> BC
You can find the answer if you phone the company concerned - or will they
not tell you?

"Bacillus Cereus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased accounts?
> If someone passed away and they were three months into a twelve months
> contract, would they insist on the contract being paid in full from the
> deceased's estate, i.e. the full 12 months line rental?
>
> Can't find an answer to this anywhere.
>
> Thanks.
>
> BC

Call the company, they'll ask you for a copy of the death cert, the acc will
be closed.

john wrote:
> "Bacillus Cereus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased accounts?
>>If someone passed away and they were three months into a twelve months
>>contract, would they insist on the contract being paid in full from the
>>deceased's estate, i.e. the full 12 months line rental?
>>
>>Can't find an answer to this anywhere.
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>BC
>
> You can find the answer if you phone the company concerned - or will they
> not tell you?
>
>

sorry, it was something we were discussing at work, wondered if anyone
had experience of dealing with a deceased's account and could advise.

Bacillus Cereus wrote:
> john wrote:
>
>> "Bacillus Cereus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>> Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased
>>> accounts? If someone passed away and they were three months into a
>>> twelve months contract, would they insist on the contract being paid
>>> in full from the deceased's estate, i.e. the full 12 months line rental?
>>>
>>> Can't find an answer to this anywhere.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> BC
>>
>>
>> You can find the answer if you phone the company concerned - or will
>> they not tell you?
>>
>>
>
> sorry, it was something we were discussing at work, wondered if anyone
> had experience of dealing with a deceased's account and could advise.

Actually...I had to deal with my dad's estate not that long ago and the
interesting thing was that only companies that dealt with CREDIT
insisted on documentary evidence. Those that dealt with DEBT (e.g.
credit card companies, utility companies) were happy to transfer the
account into another name or cancel the account upon payment from anyone
with no documentary proof of death requested. I assume this must have
been because only a fool would want to steal someone else's debt! <grin>

On the above basis I would have hypothesised that a death cert would NOT
have been required to cancel a mobile contract. However, if this were
true, there would be a mad rush of people obtaining free mobile handsets
by lying about their own death soon after signing a contract.

Just a few random thoughts on this subject that went through my mind...

RM

Ben wrote:

> > Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased accounts?
> > If someone passed away and they were three months into a twelve months
> > contract, would they insist on the contract being paid in full from the
> > deceased's estate, i.e. the full 12 months line rental?

> Call the company, they'll ask you for a copy of the death cert, the acc will
> be closed.

This is certainly Orange's policy, probably the same for the others
too.

Tariq

Bacillus Cereus wrote:
> john wrote:
>
>> "Bacillus Cereus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>> Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased
>>> accounts? If someone passed away and they were three months into a
>>> twelve months contract, would they insist on the contract being paid
>>> in full from the deceased's estate, i.e. the full 12 months line rental?
>>>
>>> Can't find an answer to this anywhere.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> BC
>>
>>
>> You can find the answer if you phone the company concerned - or will
>> they not tell you?
>>
>>
>
> sorry, it was something we were discussing at work, wondered if anyone
> had experience of dealing with a deceased's account and could advise.

Slighly off topic - but I know some mortgage companies will actually
enforce early redemption penalties when someone dies and their life
insurance pays out. Not all life insurances include cover for this and
therefore some partners can be out of pocket in these situations.

Just goes to show that sometimes common sense, compassion and large
businesses rarely go together - so don't assume a mobile company will
treat you nicely.

D

"Bacillus Cereus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased accounts?
> If someone passed away and they were three months into a twelve months
> contract, would they insist on the contract being paid in full from the
> deceased's estate, i.e. the full 12 months line rental?
>
> Can't find an answer to this anywhere.
>
> Thanks.
>
I think they would be happy to close the account down on receipt of the
phone back to them?

When you're dead you're dead and that's it. I hear that e.g. some
credit-card companies do actually have the crass insensitivity to phone the
survivor and "suggest" that they might see fit to pay off the deceased's
account. But when you're dead you're dead and your debts die too.

"Joe Harrison" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When you're dead you're dead and that's it. I hear that e.g. some
> credit-card companies do actually have the crass insensitivity to phone
the
> survivor and "suggest" that they might see fit to pay off the deceased's
> account.

>But when you're dead you're dead and your debts die too.
Do they? Really?

Joe Harrison wrote:

<SNIP!>

>
> When you're dead you're dead and your debts die too.
>

<SARCASM>
Oh...so the questions on the probate forms about the debts of the
deceased's estate are not compulsory then?...Sheesh, I wish I'd known!!!
</SARCASM>

RM
--
www.reestitmutton.co.uk

Bringing you the best-value mobile phone contract deals in the UK
Presented the way it should be...in plain English

[email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
> Can anyone tell me how the mobile companies deal with deceased accounts?

They would normally terminate the account without any fuss, on faxing a
copy of the death certificate.

--
Regards
Jon

Joe,

>When you're dead you're dead and that's it. I hear that e.g. some
>credit-card companies do actually have the crass insensitivity to phone the
>survivor and "suggest" that they might see fit to pay off the deceased's
>account. But when you're dead you're dead and your debts die too.
That, as others have pointed out is utter nonsense - debts are paid from
the estate.

If the estate has insufficient assets to pay off all the debts and
liabilities then (I believe) the debtors have little or no recourse.
Some may try to recover them from close relatives - especially spouses.

The question here is a contractual liability. I /suspect/ that most
contract agreements /could/ be enforced but most phone companies would
swallow hard and write off the loss of income to goodwill.

Para 1 is kosher; paras 2 & 3 are my opinion and may be totally wrong.
--
Peter

"Stephen (Sausagefans.com)" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <DP%[email protected]>, "Simon"
> <If u think this accounts fast you should see the other [email protected]>
> says...
> > I think they would be happy to close the account down on receipt of the
> > phone back to them?
>
> Why?
>
> The phone is not theirs.

Well depends on the contract. Don't a lot of contracts state the phone is
yours after the minimum stated contract time?

"Simon" <If u think this accounts fast you should c the
other [email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> "Stephen (Sausagefans.com)" <[email protected]>
> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article
> > <DP%[email protected]>,
> > "Simon" <If u think this accounts fast you should see
> > the other [email protected]> says...
> > > I think they would be happy to close the account down
> > > on receipt of the phone back to them?
> >
> > Why?
> >
> > The phone is not theirs.
>
> Well depends on the contract. Don't a lot of contracts
> state the phone is yours after the minimum stated
> contract time?

Not on any I've ever seen. The phone doesn't form part of the contract,
it's yours from day 1.

Ivor