Orange iPhone - want me to 'buy out' existing contract??

babygirl87

Hi,

I've decided tonight I'd like to swap my Blackberry Curve 8900 for an iPhone 3gs so I looked it up on the Orange website (who im currently with), uhhmmed an ahhed for a while & decided to pay the £89 and move to a 24mth contract. It then occured to me that as my existing contract still has a year left (im on an 18 mth) whether they would add 24mths on to what I already have or just change my contract to 24mths from say todays date. Well, the answer is neither! They want me to buy out whats left of my contract (I pay around £35mth), pay the £89 for a 24mth contract or £189 for an 18mth contract and then pay a further £35 a mth line rental!!! I then had a row with the bloke on the phone & have decided I now want to move to O2 anyway!!

Anyway, the reason for my post is does anyone know a way around Oranges pathetic rule or a way to get some sort of cashback deal etc???

Thanks!

baxgttdi

Er...that's not Orange's pathetic rule, tha'ts the rule of that and I'd put a small wager on any phone contract. That's what you signed for and they'll obviously hold you to it otherwise they've given you an expensive phone for free which is unlikely to say the least.

As for switching to O2, that's all well and good but, you'd still be liable to pay the existing contract as well as much as I'm sure that's not what you''d like to hear, sorry.

BunifahLatifah

What do you mean "move" to a new contract? If you still have a year left in your existing one, you can't just "move" it to a new contract and get yourself a shiny new phone. You can only "upgrade" if you're in your last 3 months. If you think you can just "move" your contract as and when you like, you might as well keep "moving" it every month and keep getting a shiny new phone.

What you essentially did was buy a new separate contract with a separate number so now you currently have one 18 month contract (with a year left) and another new 24 month contract.

babygirl87

Well I wouldnt be getting a 'shiny new phone' for free as I'd be paying for the iphone (£89 - £189) plus entering another 24mth contract (£35pm) and I've been paying for the Blackberry since May 09 ( at £39pm)so thats well & truely paid for as I went for an early upgrade 3mths before it was due & paid £100 for the luxury so really & truely Orange would be getting a much better deal, not me!!

All I wanted to know was if I could either start the 24mths as of now (so effectively Orange get over 30mths from me) seeing as I would be paying for the iPhone or if they would add 24mths onto the exisyting contract (over 40mths guarenteed custom).

BunifahLatifah

No that can't happen because your phones (both Blackberry and iPhone) are subsidised and the line rental actually pays for a portion of your total phone cost. You have to keep paying your 18 month rental to pay the rest of your Blackberry (as you paid a portion upfront) and the same goes for your 24 month iPhone contract. You can't possibly think that you can get a new iPhone for 89 pounds when the sim-free iPhone costs 400 pounds upwards can you? They will lose money if you only pay one line rental now.

baxgttdi

Well I wouldnt be getting a 'shiny new phone' for free as I'd be paying for the iphone (£89 - £189) <--are you serious!? when a sim free iphone is nearly £500

babygirl87

Corrr some people are a tad rude on this site for me, christ! Ask a question & just get made to feel stupid instead, think I'll try a different forum ta!

Ive just spoke to a mate at phones4u whos sorting me out a deal, hopefully I'll get better luck with him!!

Thanks for your replies anyway....

BunifahLatifah

If you only bought the iPhone contract last night online then you can cancel it within 14 days due to distance selling regulation (I think). Or sell your Blackberry to pay off your remaining 18 month contract. Good luck.

prowla

Why not just run the existing contract through to completion?

maxtweenie

babygirl87 wrote: »

Corrr some people are a tad rude on this site for me, christ! Ask a question & just get made to feel stupid instead, think I'll try a different forum ta!

Ive just spoke to a mate at phones4u whos sorting me out a deal, hopefully I'll get better luck with him!!

Thanks for your replies anyway....

I don't think people were particularly rude. It's just that there are an awful lot of people who think they can sign up for an 18 month contract, get a phone worth around £400 0 £500 and the six months later swap that phone for a newer shinier model at no cost to themselves, but at considerable cost to the mobile phone companies who've subsidised the cost of your 'free' phone.

All I can say is, if you've got a 'mate' at phones4u to sort you out a deal, you're still going to have the problem of an 18 month contract with 12 months left on it.

spiro

The key thing to remember here is '18 month contract', that means you have to remain with the suuplier for 18 months and the only upgrade you get before the end of the contract will be at their discresion and that will normally only be in the last couple of months.

All UK contract phone are subsidised in price that is why the phone costs less the longer the contract, that is why handsets here are cheaper. Go to places like the States or Cyprus were you pay full price for the phone but you get cheaper calls which as has already been said means you would pay over £500 for an iPhone compared to say free if you pay Vodafone £75 a month or £239 if you pay them £30 pm.