So I get on with cancelling my phone service and talk about making it difficult - dead email address, I send off the web form version of the same message, they rang back in three hours. I think they were surprised that I wasn't demanding freebie after freebie in order for them to get me to stay, the first person said they'd transfer me and I knew it was to Customer retentions, but after asking a couple of times they got the message.

Bit sneaky to say that if you wanted a PUK code to keep your number they'd want extended notice and another month's money if it took longer than your notice period but stuff it, if I'm looking at changing my number over again in six months I don't care about losing this other one.

So there I am thinking it's all done and dusted and then they ring back yet again trying to flog me 3 mobile broadband if I'm not taking their phone anymore and unlike the other two people I spoke to, this person really went for the hard sell, so much so that he was willing to offer £20 and almost cover the first three months of the 18 month contract to get me to sign up to it. It was a brilliant offer at totally the wrong time.

What is it about these bloody companies, I don't know why they think the hard sell approach works because now I can't be arsed to even contemplate 3. At least I'll have a clear six months away from them and it will depend entirely on the deal, but jeez, right now I could happily never use them or their battery-killing handsets ever again.

If you're thinking of mobile broadband though, 3 are doing great deals, and see if you can haggle that credit out of them! 18 month contract at half-price rental (£7.50) - excellent, but just not for me.