Batter down your annual mobile costs article Discussion Area

Chrisi

I switched contract about eight months ago and was utterly shocked by the deal they gave me.

I rang up three to cancel my contract as I was finding the internet too slow. I was utterly determined that I did not want the hassle of explaining myself but those people they chose for the disconnections departments are very determined too!

The man I spoke to told me that it was my device that was causing the internet to be so slow and that I needed a better phone.
He then proceeded to offer me the S3 on a special customer deal of £34/month for 2000 anytime minutes, 5000 3 to 3 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data.

At this point I was wavering in my resolve but seeing as my previous contract had been £25/month I was reluctant to pay so much more whatever they offered and said as much. I still just wanted to leave, but he then said he could possibly do the contract for £28/month, after consulting with his manager, and added 2000 landline minutes and £10 of free international calling credit at which point I changed my mind about leaving.

I got the confirmation letter through in about a week which said £34/month! I was not impressed so I rang them up and the man told me it was definitely £28/month and the letter was wrong so I thanked him and said goodbye.

The same man rang me about five minutes later to say that actually the contract had been put through for me at £25/month, even he sounded surprised, the same as my old rubbish phone and inadequate allowance!
:rotfl:

The Deal:
£25/month
2000 anytime minutes
2000 landline minutes
5000 three to three minutes
£10 international calling credit
Unlimited Data
Unlimited Texts
WHO CAN USE THAT MANY MINUTES?

I couldn't believe it! Really it just goes to show what they CAN hand out to you if you really are determined to leave, I went into that conversation never dreaming that I would stay with three, let alone come out with the latest phone on the market and that deal. I've looked at loads of other deals and there's nothing out there even approaching what I got!

The only thing he couldn't move on was the length of contract which is two years but even with that said, the entire contract cost is less than the pay as you go value of the phone if you bought it upfront at the time. Also it is two years of a deal that means I never have to worry about going over my limits as I simply cannot ever reach them.

Okay so mine was an unintentional haggle, but guys, it is definitely worth telling them what's wrong and what you want and want to pay.

A TIP FOR THOSE ON UNLIMITED DATA PLANS: Skype charges are much lower for premium rate phone numbers that you can't avoid calling during working hours. So when you need to call the doctors or council etc... Definitely worth getting some Skype credit to save on mobile bills, it has been a total Godsend for me!

Anyway, I hope you guys end up saving loads of money on your next mobile contract.

Chrisi

Sounds good to me!

Chrisi

Carper82 wrote: »

Maybe posting in wrong place, But i`m 12months into a 2 year contract and asked to downgrade my tariff they said i can only upgrade, they offered me a higher upgrade but was £6 a month cheaper.
When i asked why they said new tariffs for 2013.

Sounds good to me!!

Chrisi

J-Greens wrote: »

Evening people!

I'm currently with Virgin ending the end of my contract - had a look at the bills and recalculated that I'm using less than I thought! Had a look at deals for newer handsets to replace the one I've had for 18 mths or so, found myself drawn to the S3...anyway to cut to the point:

Virgin's contracts for the S3 are almost double what I can get if I switch, so is it really worth haggling?

I'd definitely try, quoting the other contracts you've seen. If they say,
"Okay then leave, we won't give you better.", then you can go for the switch with no worries anyway.;)

Chrisi

rappius wrote: »

I have a 50 minutes a day off peak free with Orange which costs £14.99 pm but I have been unable to find a better deal. Orange would love me to change to another tariff and I need a new phone as the one I have has a damaged front. When I talk to other service providers they cannot compete with the 50mins a day. We make loads of calls after 7pm and only a few during the peak period. Anyone got any ideas please?

Look for a reasonably priced PAYG phone to replace your damaged one. You do not want to give up that tariff! That is saving you a large amount of money which is why they want you to switch. Alternatively you could get a parallel contract with any network with a good phone, data plan and not much else. Have the phone unlocked and use your old tariff sim except for the internet.

stefano

Chrisi wrote: »

A TIP FOR THOSE ON UNLIMITED DATA PLANS: Skype charges are much lower for premium rate phone numbers that you can't avoid calling during working hours. So when you need to call the doctors or council etc... Definitely worth getting some Skype credit to save on mobile bills, it has been a total Godsend for me!

What do you mean? Latching onto skype through 3G and calling the premium rate through skype?
BTW: If your doctor has a 0845/0870 number, complain, as it is illegal.

mobilejunkie

It may break codes of practice, but it isn't "illegal".

J-Greens

Chrisi wrote: »

I'd definitely try, quoting the other contracts you've seen. If they say,
"Okay then leave, we won't give you better.", then you can go for the switch with no worries anyway.;)

That's a good plan.

Just checking the T&C's because without the cashback and until it returns the amount to my bank account, the actual cost is actually about £8 per month more than my current contract. So the whole "Is this really saving £££" is coming into question.

karendacat

I phoned virgin near the end of my contract and told them I was leaving. To cut a long story short I now have a 30 day rolling contract for 800 minutes 1GB data and unlimited texts for £7.43 a month!:T

J-Greens

karendacat wrote: »

I phoned virgin near the end of my contract and told them I was leaving. To cut a long story short I now have a 30 day rolling contract for 800 minutes 1GB data and unlimited texts for £7.43 a month!:T

Was that with a contract phone?
I'm hoping to at least match this offer - Orange, unlimited texts & talk, 250mb internet on an S3 for a net £16pm (After cashback and yes those pesky T&C's are worrying!)

...well let's hear what they offer!
edit:
It's the bank holiday weekend! D'oh!