Does it have to be a cashback palaver?

bengerjs

Hi - do any companies simply rebate cashback directly into your bank account if you pay by direct debit or do you have to go through the rigmarole of submitting bills etc which seems routinely to lead to registered post, threats of lawyers etc etc. If not, which of the companies to which bills are submitted are most efficient at dealing with them.

Apologies if these are ignorant questions - phones seem to be the worst thing to buy in the world...

Thx.

reelcrazy

Dialaphone have been brilliant for me so far (around 12 successful claims with no refusals etc).

seth

I agree with your comment about cashback, the only options other than cashback are

1) Get Points with Boot the value of the points can be > cost of phone + line
2) Get a gift PSP or iPod

The later was suggested to me by a sales chap at OSPS when they cancelled an order without telling me!

If you don't want the gift you could use it as a gift or ebay it.

I went for a V3 with cashback works out at £53 for the phone an 12 months rental 100 minutes a month XNet.

Look at www.contractdeals.com for deals, I recommend using a retailer that will be in business in 12 months! OSPS is owned by CPW.

I send all the cash backs via recorded and printed address labels etc for all cash backs at the start of the year. A wrote the info on my calendar. Work it all out once at the start of the contract including 30 notice for end of contract, getting a PAC if you want to keep your number, canceling DDebit for free insurance, cancelling free orange world etc. etc..

For OSPS remember times are from DATE OF CONNECTION not #bills! Read the small print, check the forums on MSE and learn from others.

The CPW phone send out contract phones unlocked, so you can resell these (I did this after one years use and got £60 for the phone on Holiday, £3 to unlock) rental was (6X30+6x16)+3=279.

Cashback should be £300 (I've had £200 the last £100 is in progress, I've sent it recorded waiting 3 days before calling on the geographic number on www.saynoto0870.com) add to this the cost of unlocking £3 in my case, some can be unlocked free check the MSE mobile forum).

Reclaimed: Cashback £200 so far and £60 for the handset I sold after one year. Had I used a cash back site would have got more!

Looking at my current contract I think the PSP would net me more on Ebay than the Cash back! You live and learn and certainly less hassle!

Use quidco or topcashback for £20 on new contracts. The later does not take a £5 admin fee.

Oh I did this for 3 phone (myselft, Mrs, and my Dad) so the effort for the other 2 handsets was reduced.

You could really max your savings by selling the handset and using an existing or cheap one for maximum benefit should net you another £100.

charlie12

I've never had a problem with Mobileshop. It is a bit of a hassle to send back cashback claims 2/3/4 times a year, but it isn't too taxing and you'll never forget if you make a note in your diary

IMO, it's well worth the hassle for the savings. I've had two contracts where I will have paid a total of £0 at the end of the term, in fact I made a profit by getting Quidco cashback and a free phone

michaels

There are occasional deals where you pay up front for the year and then make a single cashback claim once you have your second bill showing that the annual line rental hase been received. (scancom, talkworld online)

The link have started doing auto cashback deals but they are less generous

Some people have had success going to real shops with printouts of internet cashback deals and getting the shop to go some way towards matching the deal with an instant cash back

Sometimes the networks have deals with half price line rental and 'recomend a friend' / trade-in line rental credits that are getting on for as good as the cashback deals

Also worth noting as raised in other threads here is that Trading Standards are investigating at least seven retaillers with talk of either tightening up on 'unfair' conditions or even banning the practice.

jumper_2

Buy on T-mobile.co.uk for some really cheap 1/2 price line rental for 6/9 month deals on 18 or 12 month contracts with free phones, and they never take the money, works out a little more but not much and 0 hassle. Apart from any problems you might have with T-Mobile of course!

gk172

Phones 4u gave me cash back of £100 in store on date of purchase and seem to be very good at online cashback too. If going instore they also match online cashback offers within reason i took an offer on a 6630 but they matched it and gave me the 6680:j