transferring existing O2 contract UK

[martinrcooper]

I plan to buy an iphone (i'm in the UK) for my wife for Christmas. The man in the O2 shop said you can transfer an existing O2 contract to use for the iphone. He said you connect the new iphone to itunes, enter the relevant details and "in a couple of days" the old simcard stops working and the iphone springs into life.
1. Is this correct? My wife has an existing O2 contract and I would like to transfer it to the iphone I'm going to buy for her.
2. In practice how long have people found it takes between registering and the iphone working? I would like to secretly transfer her contract, so the iphone works on Chrismas day, but if her current phone stops working to early she will phone O2 to find out what's going on ...
3. What functionality (if any) will the iphone have after registering but before the transfer happens ?
4. What info will I need to do the transfer? After a quick search I can't find her paperwork and I doubt O2 can give me the info as it's my wife's contract.

 

[martinrcooper]

Answered my own question

Rats ! The minute I post this I find the answers to my own questions:

http://www.o2.co.uk/iphone/frequentlyaskedquestions/prepurchase

 

[Barry Scott]

I am an existing customer and upgraded to iPhone. In reality the phone number / sim transfer took about 10 minutes. I was astonished. It might take a heck of a lot longer if done on Christmas Day though!

Now my wife want's one for Christmas as well!

There is one gotcha to look out for though - the existing customer must have taken a contract (or an upgrade) before a certain date - which I think was 18th September this year.

Luckily, we fell into this category. If you don't you'll have to buy out of the current contract. Bargain at about £230. Not.

 

[SAFC2403]

I transferred from an old o2 contract and the transfer from old to new sim took about 5-10 minutes!

Quite impressed with the whole process - 5 mins in the o2 store to buy the thing and then maybe 5-10 to input all the details and then 5-10 to activate. Whole process from start to finish about 30 mins.

The quickest i've ever bought a mobile!!!