12 months up on Singlepoint... but they don't want to keep me?

Umer

I just received my 12th bill on my Vodafone singlepoint contract. For the first 10 months of the contract I had an average monthly bill of about £80, and on the 10th month I downgraded to the cheapest tariff and so have had two bills of around £15 (I have 2 contracts so made most my calls with the other one for those months).

I was planning on leaving singlepoint as they are the worst network (for CS esp) of the 3 I have been with (t-mobile and orange being the others). However I only discovered recently that they will charge me £20 for my PAC number, and I have no intention of losing my number. Because of this I thought it might be a good idea to see if they could offer me a good deal to stay.

I phoned up on Friday but was told the department I needed was too busy to take my call. I called on Saturday, and after saying I was considering a 3 contract or a deal with no line rental (OSPS or fwdcellular), the man told me that 3 was not considered a network by themselves or any other major operator, and that if I wanted to try one of the “dodgy online back street cashback deals” then I am doing so at my own risk. To be short he made no attempt to keep me, and after requesting my PAC code he said I had to call back 5 days before my contract month ended (and no sooner) despite having paid for the months line rental in advanced.

I was quite shocked about how little he cared that I could be leaving. So I immediately tried again, without mentioning 3, but just saying I wanted a better deal. This time the lady on the other end said I had 2 choices (NB I’m not sure if she only offered me these because I am currently on the lowest package). 1) Have 6 months half price line rental with NO NEW PHONE or 2) Receive a new phone – but after asking the prices they were basically the same as buying a SIM FREE phone! No discount what so ever.

So I was wondering what people thought... is this the best they are likely to offer me? Are they allowed to not let me take my PAC until 5 days before my contract ends despite me already paying the line rental for the month? I considered myself a high user, as even with the last 2 months, my average monthly bill for the year is about £60 still, am I wrong? Or do they only look at your recent bills?

Thanks for any help guys.

Suggs

Hi

I just dealt with Singlepoint, just recently for a contract renewal.

I have been with them for just under two years, I have had a Nokia 3650 and a Nokia 6600 for free in that time.

In the current year I probably averaged £80 - £100 per month with a peak of £400 (I was drunk in Prague, but thats another story! )

Well I was called up a few weeks ago by Sarah, very nice girl, I said the usual blah, 3 network, costs, etc and I just kept it freindly I did stress that I liked the service and with one exception I had no complaints. Anyway I managed to get the following deal. 500 minutes x-network and 1000 texts for £55 a month, previously I got 500 minutes x-network and 500 texts for £75. I also had my phone upgraded to a Nokia 7610 for Free!! I even refused to agree to a 18 month contract extension and she was more than happy to renew at 12 months for me. Finally I also got the very same deal for my partner although her average monthly spend is lower than mine.

In short I think you were hard done by and possibly you got through to the first level of customer services, they can only offer you so much! I called the singlepoint number type "MOBILE" on your mobile. when I had to call Sarah back. Push a little harder if you can, it would have been helpful if stayed on the higher traiff until you renewed your traiff.

Good Luck

bamberbamboo

I tried last week to change from my 600 mins off peak an 250 free texts with data bundle, to a smaller anytime and keep my text, I was told no chance that many texts/data where no longer allowed all they could offer was 6 months or new phone, thinking now of getting another 3 contract for the 500 mins anytime cheapie deal an keeping this contract as it's £15.99 per month so not to bad for 600 off peak but it's the texts that I mostly use. Think singlepoint have lost the plot in customer service.

Towner_2

I cancelled my contract with Singlepoint (after 15 months) and was not offered anything amazing to entice me to stay. They said I too could have half price line rental for 6 months (but with no new phone), apart from that they were not bothered I was leaving, basically it was see you later!!!! I did manage to get them not to charge me £20 for the PAC code by telling them no other phone company did (might have been a lie.....!!). In fact the only person who offered a decent level of service was the lady trying to find out where my ported number had got to!! Never again.

binary0110

Nowadays, some providers are more concerned about keeping their customers than others. With the advent of ridiculously cheap tariffs from 3, service providers such as Orange have begun to match other provider's tariffs in an attempt to keep customers.

However, I don't really think Singlepoint are as concerned about keeping as they are gaining new customers. Even with networks who do attempt to provide incentives to keep their customers, the level of service provided by most of the network providers in the UK means that there is only one incentive to remain with the same service provider after a contract has reached its minimum term - cost.

If you can find a better deal (most of which include cashback to effectively reduce line rental to close to nothing) then you should switch to a different network (and there is nothing stopping you from transferring your number - bar any charges which your current service provider levies). Don't worry too much if Singlepoint doesn't seem concerned about you leaving. Nowadays, customer loyalty doesn't necessarily count for anything in the mobile phone industry.

Umer

Thanks for the replies. It makes interesting reading, and I guess that as I reduced my contract for 2 months, I shouldn’t be expecting anything special. If anyone else has any stories, would be interesting to hear them too. I guess I just hoped that by spending so much money with them, I’d get something back in return.

I want to get my PAC as soon as possible. I’ve paid for this months line rental (as you always pay a month in advance). Are they correct in telling me telling me that I cannot have my PAC until 5 days before my 12th month ends? (NB which is the 15th Feb). I’m not really bothered about losing a months line rental as it had 30 mins of xnet calls.

I’m going to make one more attempt this week to see if they can give me a good deal. I’m not expecting anything more than what was previously offered, but is there any good way to try and avoid paying for my PAC code? For some reason it feels even more annoying that I had ported my number from orange, and now have to pay for the privilege to take it back to them!

mjenn5

Hi

This sounds like me last July.

They didn't seam to be interested at all unlike previous years where they have always been so keen to help.

In the end I wrote them a letter, as they advised, stating that I was cancelling due to better offers elsewhere.

The letter must have got there 12 hours after posting as the very next morning I got a phone call from an ever so polite and happy young man.

He so wanted me to stay with them. I told him that I didn't need the contract anymore other than as a spare and was not prepared to pay over the odds.

After a long conversation I had managed to get a Nokia 6230 (at that time new on market) for £20 instead of the origional offer of £100 and 9 months free of rental followed by 3 months at £12.99 for 30mins a month free calls.

Well I sold the phone and have used my free calls every month and I am happy.

So if they don't seam interested when you call. Write to themand cancel.

djrobmac

You need to ask for a pro-forma invoice then they will dish out the PAC once that has been paid. You dont have to wait for it to come through the post, just phone a couple of days after you request the Pro-forma and they will let you pay over the phone (then request your PAC)

I have always been v.happy with what Singlepoint offer in terms of upgrades.

Had a 12 Months line advance deal that I took out in Jan 2004 which I think was £99 for a whole year or something (It was for my Mum but in my name) She never used more than the included mins so never paid any more money to Singlepoint thoughtout the year. However dispite this I got her as way of an Upgrade........

100 X Net mins for £19.99 a month
6 Months half price line rental (£9.98 a month)
Brand New Nokia 6230 for £14.99
Just a 12 Month contract

Not bad for such a low user!

Always check out the competition and dont give up on them until you get what you want! If one person wont help you then call back and speak to the next one and so on. I think it took me 3 or 4 calls before I found a generous one. Find a competitors offer and get them to match it!

HOWEVER!

My personal contract:

I have now decided to leave Singlepoint after several years because the offer of 10 months free line rental with 400 X net mins (200 of those in the evenings) - the last 2 months will only cost me £30 each, onestopphoneshop DEAL! (The free line rental is by cashback but I have never had a bad experience with them, follow the rules to the letter and its always been sweet)

Onestophoneshop also give you a K500i with the deal but I am just using the new sim in my old 6230 (free upgrade with singlepoint) so I have just sold the K500i for £86 on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5745331141&ssPageName=STRK:MESO:IT
This of cousre means that for the whole year it will cost me nothing for all those mins and a decent network (not this 3 rubbish) In fact I will have £26 in my pocket at the end of my contract :-)

Sadly Singlepoint wont offer me anywhere near this deal so it's bye bye Singlepoint and their generous upgrades and hello Orange.

chris73

Singlepoint - Don't Bother :mad:

I've been a customer of theirs for years, and not just months. Recently it was obvious that my old Vodaphone tariff was not competitive. I contacted Singlepoint by telephone in order to get a PAC code to change provider but their lines were always busy, so I sent a enquiry from their website.

Several days later I got the PAC code in the post. Since I had been using Singlepoint for quite a number of years I decided to give them the opportunity to retain my business before I moved it away. I emailed details of the competitors tariff and invited them to match it.

Several more days passed, and finally an email arrived stating that one of their operatives would ring and discuss. I never received the promised call. I emailed again and no reply.

Ultimately I've been strung along waiting for the promised call, to the point where the PAC (Valid for 1 month) has now expired and I need to contact them again to obtain another :mad: . Whether this is a clever marketing ploy to keep you hanging around until the PAC Expires, or whether it is pure incompetence on their part is anybodies guess but suffice to say that Singlepoint do not want to retain business, and neither do they want to match prices - in short they don't value your custom!.

Singlepoint also levy a £20 charge if the PAC is used to port your number to another network so beware, however since you don't have to look far to find a better deal from another provider which will save you more than £20 ina very short space of time, so think of it as a loss leader

fatboyonadiet

Similar situation for me as with mjenn25

phoned a few times and no joy, so wrote a letter and within 24 hours phone call and managed to get the V3 (when they first came out) off them for free and 3 months half price line rental on an 18month contract, and managed to double my minutes too! Took some seriously hard work but I was prepared to walk away as there are much better deals on the net and worth telling them that and quoting sites and there offers.

JasonW_2

Good old singlepoint!

Seems they tell everyone different things, cos reading the posts I recognise some of the things I was told, but some of it is contradictory.

Called up at the start of the week as I was thinking of changing to PAYG, only been with them for just under a year and wanted to see what deals they could do for me. They seemed pretty good and obviously tried to get me to stay. He asked why I wanted to change to PAYG and I said I have a work mobile I tend to use more for long calls or x-network since I dont pay for them, but I like having a decent phone for myself. He increased the value and spec of the phone offered right up to any I had seen for £180 I could get for free if I took another 12mth contract, but at the same time suggested ways to lower my monthly bill by ditching a text pack I wasnt using, and going for a lower tarrif. Im still tempted by this, as I called them half-serious I was changing to PAYG to see what offer they could give me to stay. He also said I could choose either 3 months free or 6months half price rental on top of all the other offers.

I got a free 6230 off them last year with £75 cashback but had to go onto a £30/mth contract to get the phone. Got the first lot of £37.50 cashback no probs, but after that I went to the lowest tarrif (forgot about the text bundle!), but was saving £16/month so that more than covered the £37.50 I would have got from them with the 2nd lot of cashback, which I would have had to stay on the same £30/mth contract.

He said there was a £20 charge for the PAC if staying with vodafone, but was free if I was going to another network. Of course, all he said means nothing until I try and take them up on their offers, but this is what he told me.

JW