Out of contract - options?

Jon12345

I have been out of my initial contract period with Vodaphone for about a year now. Looking to buy a HTC Diamond touch next.

What are my options? Should I get a network free version? If so, what is the benefit of those? Or should I phone Vodaphone to ask for a new contract?

I want to keep the same phone number. Can I?

Also, I want to keep the Stop the Clock facility as you only pay 3 minutes for 60 minutes of chatting off peak. Great feature!

Thanks,

Jon

Cavey

Jon12345 wrote: »

What are my options? Should I get a network free version? If so, what is the benefit of those? Or should I phone Vodaphone to ask for a new contract?

Network free does not have any branding on settings installed on the phone. The down side of this is that it can be a pain in the bum to configure the phone to correctly connect to mobile services. The up side is that, should you decide to move to a new supplier, you can change without having to enter a new contract.

The down side financially is that you have to pay for the handset up front. The networks usually buy the handsets in bulk and get a discount, then add the cost onto your usual monthly tariff. It is therefore initially quite expensive, but buying outside of a tariff also means you are able to select from the sim-only tariffs that are becoming more and more competitive (and only last 30 days at a time, so you can swap whenever you want).

Another option is to take an "upgrade" on your contract with an initial cash back (for example £150) instead of a phone which you can use to buy the handset you want. This doesn't equal the £430 asking price of a Diamond, but it can offset it and is a lot like the usual upgrade route.

Jon12345 wrote: »

I want to keep the same phone number. Can I?

Yes. If you move to a new supplier you will need a PAC code. If you upgrade on Vodafone they should just change your tariff without needing to change your phone number.

Jon12345 wrote: »

Also, I want to keep the Stop the Clock facility as you only pay 3 minutes for 60 minutes of chatting off peak. Great feature!

If you are happy with the tariff you are on you can continue on the same tariff without having to change anything (it effectively becomes the one-month recurring tariff that you currently have). If you want to get a "better" deal (ie money off or new features, more minutes etc...), it may require you to make other sacrifices (either sign up to a new 12 or 18-month deal, lose certain features etc...).

Jon12345

Thank you for that detailed and informative reply.

It seems like I will not go for a sim only phone then, since it seems like the cheaper option. Signing up for another 12 or 18 month deal is not a problem for me and since I want stop the clock, it would probably make sense to continue with Vodaphone.

If I want to stick with Vodaphone, can I ask them for a new phone and choose one of the contracts they offer for new customers? I presume they can still transfer across my existing number?

Should I go through Vodaphone or is it cheaper with companies like Carphone Warehouse or some online vendor?

jimgee

Jon12345 wrote: »

Should I go through Vodaphone or is it cheaper with companies like Carphone Warehouse or some online vendor?

It's always better to sign up over the phone directly with the network. Forget the high street (or upgrades for that matter), it's retentions you will need to speak to for the best deal. Have a read through this thread which explains everything:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=560336

ioksane

Ive found a great site that offers vodafone promotional codes

i think there are alot of discount codes on there for when you sign up to a new contract