Bargain basement T-Mobile plans

martyp

Hi all,
I'm really indecisive about my options as my contract is coming to an end. I've decided not to go for a new mobile as the N96 which I'd like is over £300 on upgrade for me.
The last year I stayed on my Freetime 750 price plan which with loyalty discount works out £12.20 a month and includes 750 off peak minutes (after 6pm) and at weekends to T-Mobile phones and landlines, also 1GB of internet usage and free voicemail and calls to customer services. Down side is that calls to other networks and any calls during peak times are 40p/50p a minute...
Alternatively, there's the Solo 20 (30 day contract) which gives 600 minutes anytime, any network, unlimited texts and 1GB internet. Downside is calls to voicemail are 12p/min and calls to customer services are 25p. That plan is £20 a month...
I'm wondering if it's worth the extra £7.80 a month as I'm on a really tight budget. I currently have a VOIP app which I use to make calls in peak times at 7p/min. I don't make any peak calls except in an emergency because of the cost...
I thought of two workarounds possible...
Avoiding the 25p customer services charge, either e-mailing them (and getting them to call you) or calling from a landline (maybe BT to save on 0845).
Avoiding the voicemail charge, either just switching it off or can you divert to a different voicemail service which would be included in free minutes? I wondered about if you called your own mobile number as technically calling a T-mobile phone would be free? Is there a trick to avoid voicemail charges?
I know I'm a super miser but I'm aiming for bills with no call charges if I can and minimal line rental, so far I've almost succeeded with my landline by using a PAYG VOIP service...

sporedude

Diverting your voicemail to another service/number will charge you. There used to be a trick where if you phoned your own number it meant the voicemail was free, Dont know if this still works or not. Theres new Flext plans coming out where VM/Certain 0800 will be coming out of your allowance

martyp

Excellent, do you know how soon the new Flext plans are coming out? My upgrade time is the 28th. The plan I'm looking at is Solo 20, seemed to be by far best value for money for the amount I use my phone...

sporedude

Dunno when

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/services/uk/flext-refresh/

All the info ya need

martyp

I've just had a look at plans from other providers and wonder if it's even the brightest idea staying with T-Mobile and just switching to the £20 a month plan when there's similar mobile plans which work out free or nearly free with cashback?
I'm a very low user of my mobile apart from my allowance, rarely making calls outside of my allowance...
Not sure if one of the deals with a different provider might be a far better deal than adding £240 to T-Mobile's bank balance for a year....?

sporedude

If your a very low user then a £35 a month Flext plan may be far too much

martyp

sporedude wrote: »

If your a very low user then a £35 a month Flext plan may be far too much

I think it might be, at the moment paying just £12.22 a month I get 750 off peak minutes and 50 free texts and 1GB data. I rarely make any calls outside of my allowance, at the most about £1 or so...
I'd like to be able to make calls during peak times as at the moment I'm really reluctant to use my phone at peak times and might be sitting in traffic on my way home from work wishing I could make a call. I'm just worried that although £20 sounds like great value, I'm throwing my money away when there are cash back deals that work out free or £2 a month etc. and give you much the same allowance.
T-Mobile won't allow any loyalty discount on the Solo 20 because it's only a 30 day contract.

martyp

I can't find any comparable Orange plan, they're £14 at the cheapest but O2 have a plan that's very similar, 30 day contract, 600 minutes and 1200 texts, much the same price (around £20) and it includes free voicemail and calls to customer services and you can have a web bolt on included so it's essentially the same except the texts aren't 'unlimited' and voicemail and customer service calls are free...

atlantis187

martyp wrote: »

Hi all,
I'm really indecisive about my options as my contract is coming to an end. I've decided not to go for a new mobile as the N96 which I'd like is over £300 on upgrade for me.
The last year I stayed on my Freetime 750 price plan which with loyalty discount works out £12.20 a month and includes 750 off peak minutes (after 6pm) and at weekends to T-Mobile phones and landlines, also 1GB of internet usage and free voicemail and calls to customer services. Down side is that calls to other networks and any calls during peak times are 40p/50p a minute...

When I used to be with T-mobile a few years ago I was also on this plan and after loyalty discount each year I was only paying £3.99 a month.
I think u can push them to knock alot more of the line rental then they are doing at the minute.

martyp

atlantis187 wrote: »

When I used to be with T-mobile a few years ago I was also on this plan and after loyalty discount each year I was only paying £3.99 a month.
I think u can push them to knock alot more of the line rental then they are doing at the minute.

I wondered that. I got the feeling I needed to be a bit more forceful but also thought they might not worry if I left them due to my very minimal usage. I get the feeling you get a better phone at upgrade or bigger loyalty discount if you make a lot of chargeable calls.
They told me I only get a £9 month loyalty discount. Mind you, I think without the £7.50 a month for internet my basic plan would be about £4.75.

atlantis187

martyp wrote: »

I wondered that. I got the feeling I needed to be a bit more forceful but also thought they might not worry if I left them due to my very minimal usage. I get the feeling you get a better phone at upgrade or bigger loyalty discount if you make a lot of chargeable calls.
They told me I only get a £9 month loyalty discount. Mind you, I think without the £7.50 a month for internet my basic plan would be about £4.75.

I used to think like u mate but loyalty to one company doesnt get u very far nowadays.

Basically I think u need to get off this price plan mate and have a good shop around there are alot better price plans out there. I was on this tariff for about 3 years till I got fed up with not being able to call people on other networks and only having a measely 50txt per month. I found a really good cashback deal with e2save on o2 network which worked for me at £2 a month for 12 months 200mins 200text. Now this deal is finishin end of this month and o2 have offered me 400mins 1000txt unlimited o2-o2 calls and unlimited internet for only £6.67 a month.

So moral of the story is mate look hard enough and u will find a good deal.