Help! - does anyone know how Airtime Contract Protection works

pinktights

Hi everyone

This is my first time on a forum but i hope you can help me - because i need some advice!!

I have always had a pay as you go phone buts i have been looking at the iphone and i can only have it on a contract - i think the shortest one was 18 months! to be honest it scares me a little tying myself into a contract for so long, just from being able to afford it

but i spoke to a guy in carphone and he told me about a product called Airtime Contract Protection which is only £2 and it lets me cancel whenever and i don't have to pay the line rental.

It sounds good to me but wondered if anyone has it? or knows how this Airtime Contract Protection works?

LeeSouthEast

Basically it's insurance. You pay a premium, and if you cancel, they (the insurance provider) foot the early termination fee and so forth. BUT, It doesn't appear to be that simple (funny that).

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=7474847

pinktights

Thankyou!

thats what is confusing me - just seems too good to be true. i just don't get how the network knows that i am not longer liable for the payments after i cancel ??!

but maybe if i get to keep the phone then can i cancel and put another sim card into it??

just not sure whether to take it or not? Has anyone on here got this or ever used it?

thanks to everyone in advance for your help!

LeeSouthEast

My sample of evidence is pretty small (just that one thread above), but I'd consider it way too much of a gamble, personally. You remain liable for the debt until it is paid, so it seems a huge huge gamble to me, unless the insurance is specifically offered by the same network as your airtime contract and written into said contract.

It seems to be a "too good to be true" thing, and therefore my considered advice is avoid like the plague.

Jon_01

pinktights wrote: »

Thankyou!


but maybe if i get to keep the phone then can i cancel and put another sim card into it??

thanks to everyone in advance for your help!

You don't get to keep the phone (well not if the T&C's are right !).

Section 1g
"To effect your ACP feature, you must advise a sales consultant in a Carphone
Warehouse store that you want to end your Airtime Contract and provide them
with your equipment in full working order. You must allow us to take over your
rights and responsibilities under the Airtime Contract and provide us with all the
information, documents and help we need from you in order for us to do so."

Full T&C's pdf here; http://media.phonehouse.com/cpw-sales/static/pdf/lifeline_complete_tcs_03.pdf