Batter down your annual mobile costs article Discussion Area

Alex.wynn

Iv been with orange for over 4 years and I'm just 6 months I to a new 24 month contract. In April I stupidly ran up a massive bill, no contact was made with myself until the day they called me to say if I don't pay £173 within 24 hours I'd be disconnected. Payment made within 2 hours, 1 hour later disconnected!!! Thats disconnection number 1. Two days still not reconnected.

Finally got reconnected and called orange and they were very helpfully in dealing with my massive bill, using minute bundles they cut my bill down to just over £100, very happy, well for the time being.

One week later disconnection number two happened. Spoke to orange and they said its because the credit hadn't been applied, reconnected as it is their fault.

2 weeks on disconnected number 3. Called orange they tell me it's because there is an outstanding bill, tell them what's happened I'm then told the credit has been put on my account but not done right!!!!
Their fault yet again!!!!

In between all of this I have asked on more than 3 occasions for someone to call me back as explain why this has happened, do you think they called me.....???

I then decided to write a letter and revived a reply about 4 weeks later offering me 1 months free line rental, which will be a credit onto my account, you can see what I'm expecting to happen here!!'

Due to compete disregard for their loyal customers I'm going to leave orange and go with a new company.

Can anyone give me some advice on how I go about loosing the orange contract, surely they are in breach of their side of the agreement????

Alex

buscape

Alex.wynn wrote: »

Due to compete disregard for their loyal customers I'm going to leave orange and go with a new company.

Can anyone give me some advice on how I go about loosing the orange contract, surely they are in breach of their side of the agreement????

Firstly, loyalty means nothing, they don't care if you've been with them for 6 months or 6 years, it's your money they care about, not you.

Secondly, the only way out is to pay off the remaining 18 months, they haven't breached the contract.

Firemunchkin

Hi all - question re haggling for a better deal with O2.

I'm up for an upgrade/contract renewal this month and I want a new phone and a cheaper tariff.

I'm currently paying £41 a month (incl VAT) for unltd texts, 750mg data and 900 mins. I only need 500mg data and around 400 mins. Based on their in-store brochures I could get a contract for £32 a month on the Bonus Tariff. But that only includes certain handsets.

Fortunately for me, the handset I want is the HTC One X and it is included for that tariff but they want me to fork out £59.99 for it.

I've researched online and found the same (if not slightly better) contract for £28.50 with Orange and 3 and with the phone for free. I've spoken to the in-store guys and to the phone guys at O2 and all of them say there's zero wiggle room on either the contract or the price of the phone. Absolutely no negotiation whatsoever. They simply refused to price match. I'll pay for the more expensive contract if I can get the phone for free but they refused to even entertain discussions about it, saying that it is a computer generated response that they cannot change.

I am really surprised by this - especially given all the 'haggle and threaten to leave and they'll negotiate' advised about on here. I told them how crazy it is to ask me to pay £3.50 extra a month for 3 years (so an additional £84 plus VAT) as well as £59.99 for the phone. The phone won't even be the latest model soon as HTC are rumoured to be releasing a new one. They were steadfast in not negotiating.

What else can I do?!

I really don't want to move from O2, I am happy with their service and I really like O2 Priority Moments. Plus, I've just lost my job and am concerned I won't get another contract elsewhere. Is it a credit check for a mobile phone contract?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

grumbler

HTC One X with 500-600minutes and 500-1000Mb is available for 'free' on £27 ('3') and £28.50 (Orange) tariffs.

For 24x£26 it is availabe on T-mobile with 250Mb, but this allowance is for downloading only while browsing is unlimited. And if you suscessfully claim cashback from mobiles.co.uk or buymobiles.net, the effective cost will be 24x£22.75.

http://www.omio .com/phones/htc/one-x/deals

Vote with your feet and don't forget about quidco/TCB.

buscape

Firemunchkin wrote: »

I am really surprised by this - especially given all the 'haggle and threaten to leave and they'll negotiate' advised about on here. I told them how crazy it is to ask me to pay £3.50 extra a month for 3 years (so an additional £84 plus VAT) as well as £59.99 for the phone. They were steadfast in not negotiating.

You have to get your PAC if you want to get better offers.

The phone won't even be the latest model soon as HTC are rumoured to be releasing a new one.

HTC (and all the other phone companies) are always releasing new phones, what's brand new and the latest now won't be in 6 months time, so that doesn't make a difference to your negotiations now when it is still the latest.

What else can I do?!

Leave. You can have the One X free for £26 per month (£18.42 if you claim the cashback) with 600 minutes, unlimited texts and a 250MB downloading/streaming limit with T-Mobile.

edwhow

chrisross693 wrote: »

Vodafone contract expired 10 days after O2 one for personal phone. Was on a 30 day rolling sim for £10.50pm 300 mins, unlimited texts, 500mb data.

I called them initially, they refused to budge, not even one little bit. They did the standard, "every other network is crap" speech, but in the end I left the conversation with nothing extra other than PAC code.

7 days later, got a call from Vodafone and I ended up with 600mins, unlimited texts, 1GB data and 100 MMS for £10.50pm. It would seem that Vodafone have a slightly different strategy to retaining their customers.

Voda-fone Upgrade department are the ones who give you the PAC code. Surely you wouldn't leave us after x years...

Voda-fone Loyalty department phone you a few days later asking why you are planning to leave... You are a good customer so we can do something for you.

I'd seen a good offer with smartphone I had ordered, from talktalk for £10
So they upped it with a better phone and free Vodafone to Vodafone calls, presumably to match talktalk's free calls to the home phone.

Herongull

Firemunchkin wrote: »

Hi all - question re haggling for a better deal with O2.

I'm up for an upgrade/contract renewal this month and I want a new phone and a cheaper tariff.

I'm currently paying £41 a month (incl VAT) for unltd texts, 750mg data and 900 mins. I only need 500mg data and around 400 mins. Based on their in-store brochures I could get a contract for £32 a month on the Bonus Tariff. But that only includes certain handsets.

Fortunately for me, the handset I want is the HTC One X and it is included for that tariff but they want me to fork out £59.99 for it.

I've researched online and found the same (if not slightly better) contract for £28.50 with Orange and 3 and with the phone for free. I've spoken to the in-store guys and to the phone guys at O2 and all of them say there's zero wiggle room on either the contract or the price of the phone. Absolutely no negotiation whatsoever. They simply refused to price match. I'll pay for the more expensive contract if I can get the phone for free but they refused to even entertain discussions about it, saying that it is a computer generated response that they cannot change.

I am really surprised by this - especially given all the 'haggle and threaten to leave and they'll negotiate' advised about on here. I told them how crazy it is to ask me to pay £3.50 extra a month for 3 years (so an additional £84 plus VAT) as well as £59.99 for the phone. The phone won't even be the latest model soon as HTC are rumoured to be releasing a new one. They were steadfast in not negotiating.

What else can I do?!

I really don't want to move from O2, I am happy with their service and I really like O2 Priority Moments. Plus, I've just lost my job and am concerned I won't get another contract elsewhere. Is it a credit check for a mobile phone contract?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Don't even think of paying £32 for 3 years even if the phone was "free"! This adds up to £1152 :eek:

If you shop around you can get it "free" for £25 per month for 2 years (=£600) with 300 minutes, 5,000 texts and unlimited data.

Or you can just buy it as PAYG (just over £400) and spend £10 per month with Giffgaff (250 minutes, unlimited calls and data) = approx £650 all in after 2 years.

Or consider a cheaper phone given you've just lost your job? You can get quite nice smart phones for around £50 and then pay £10 per month with Giffgaff = approx £300 all in after 2 years.

Firemunchkin

All this is precisely what I said to them - that I can get it cheaper elsewhere, but they say they don't care and they're not going to price match.

The thing is - I've just lost my job, so I'm worried I won't get a new contract elsewhere - does anyone have any advice on getting mobile contract when you don't have a job?

grumbler

Firemunchkin wrote: »

... does anyone have any advice on getting mobile contract when you don't have a job?

Why does it have to be a contract with a top phone? Can't you keep using the old one? Buy a cheaper alternative sim-free or on PAYG?
I think if you don't have a job you can survive without HTC One X and there are good PAYG or sim-only options for the airtime.

Firemunchkin

I won't be jobless for two years, only for a few weeks. Unfortunately, the few weeks that fall on my upgrade period. When I get a new job I will be both working full time and studying a degree and I need to have a phone that can keep up with everything I need to do. The problems with my current phone are immense, it is simply too old and too outdated now to manage supporting me with my life and my needs. I have done extensive research into the other phones on the market and this phone is the one I actually do need. Particularly if it is going to last me the next two years. And it isn't a question of want rather than need - it really is need.

So, back to my question - will I be able to get a new contract with another provider whilst I do not have a job? Is it a credit check? Can anyone shed any light on the process please?