This has been mentioned here before.

However, legally I think you have a point and you should refuse to pay
the bill, or demand a refund if you paid by automatic electronic
means.  If you've paid by direct debit I suggest you contact your bank
and request a refund under the Direct Debit guarantee scheme.

I think the fact that you wrote to CPW canceling your account
demonstrates that you wanted to end the contract between you and them.

For them to inform you by text message AFTER your conversation that if
you didn't use the PAC your account would remain open is very
underhanded, and in doing so it appears they have unilaterally
extended the contract.  Contracts don't work like that.  Both sides
have be aware of what they're doing.

HOWEVER, they may have covered their slight of hand in your contract's
original terms and conditions.

How long did it take for you to realise the accout hadn't closed? Sounds
lot a lot of money...

David

Hardly specific to them, it would be the same with any mobile
operator, in order for you to use a PAC code the old account has to
stay active, if the account is closed before a PAC is used it won't
work and you lose the number.

Maybe they weren't clear but they were doing the right thing to make
your life easier.  I suspect they were refering to the PAC being Valid
a month, and you didn't realise and thought it meant the account.  As
you wated a PAC you agreed to not closing the account (so the PAC
could work)

Here's an excellent scam that's earning this company a lot of money,
I'm sure. They managed to rip me off £125, and I'm just warning
others.

I wrote to this company to cancel my account at the end of 1 year.

The operator confirmed my account wsa closed, but asked if I'd like a
PAC code, saying it would cancel after 1 month. I said that would be
fine, I was thinking of keeping the number.

What she didn't tell me, and what this company didn't tell me was that
my account would be kept open even if I didn't use the PAC code and my
account would still be debited every month. Even thoug I'd confirmed
with them that it would close.

So here's the scam.

They told me it would remain open, but only in a text message, hidden
under Pac code information.

Of course I didn't realise there was information changing my account
in this text, and they made an easy £125 by tricking me into keeping
my account open when I'd asked for it to be closed.

This nice little earner probably makes lots of money for CPW.

They're leagally covered, because techinally they did tell me, but
they did it in such a dishonest, sneaky, difficult way, that I (and
I'm sure lots of others) did not realise.

Its pure dishonesty and I'm sure illegal, but who's going to go to
court over a small amount.

They even charged me for insurance I hadn't asked for.. a bunch of
theiving w.nkers.

Not sure you have a  case here.  They told you the account would stay open
in the the text they sent you.  This is what they would aregue if you went
to court.  I agree it is under-handed, but they did inform you your accoutn
would stay open.

so conversely, if they had cancelled the contract this topic would now
be "O2 stole my number even though I told them I wanted to keep it"

Aha, that's your problem.  Ofcom states that requesting a PAC will
supercede and cancel all other requests to terminate an account.

Yes, that's perfectly normal.  A PAC is valid for 30 days, after which
if it hasn't been used to tranfer the number it just expires and
everything returns to normal - no transfer, no cancellation.

Incidentally, how did they provide you with the PAC?  Sounds like they
texted it to you?  They're also required to provide written confirmation
of the PAC, and how it works, to be sent within 2 days of the PAC being
requested.  I expect you would have received that letter.

If they texted it to you, seems a bit strange that in the same medium
they sent the PAC (possibly same message) they explained how the PAC
worked, and the side effects of not using it.  If delivering a PAC is
valid via text, then surely the T&C's regardin that PAC is also valid.

As I said, you should also have received a written copy of the PAC and
other details.

£125 - either you were on a very high value tarrif (couple of months),
or you fail to monitor your bank accounts sufficiently (quite a few
months).  Either way, you should have noticed things earlier.  Lets just
hope you're not claiming Child Benefit ;)

Legally covered - so they did nothing illegal then.

Oh, now it's illegal.  What changed in those 2 lines?

I very much doubt they started insurance at the point of asking for a
PAC, so I suspect you're complaining that the £125 included insurance
payments that continued.

D

Have you complained to them?

I've found OSPS and CPW willing to correct mistakes.