What should we include in our new mobile article?

Former_MSE_Archna

Hi all,

We're about to re-research and re-vamp our Cheap Mobiles guide. We want to know what you think we should include eg how to downgrade your contract, sim only mobiles, how to get the cheapest PAYG phones..

Click reply to add your ideas.

Thanks!

karatedragon

My Buyers Guide???

ALWAYS remember you are saddled with the liability for the contract term
ALWAY pluck for the SHORTEST contract length. You may pay more but it's over with faster.
Credit the bill with the contract value and then sit back. You then owe nothing (as long as you are within your limits) Use a combination of own money, cashback deals and the price of your old handset.
NEVER be in a rush to get the latest handset. Wait to see what experience others have had.
Work out the cancellation fee after four months usage should it not come up to par (useful if you don't pay all the contract upfront).
Check handset reviews on YouTube
Research the network and check all 2G & 3G coverage in areas where you go on vacation and work and where you live
Check the deals and see if you can get cash back like the Quidco Vodafone offer. I wouldn't even have taken a contract if it wasn't for the £150 they are offering.
Ask about handset subsidy tariffs. You can still get 12 Month contracts with Vodafone if you pay some towards your handset. Also more minutes or cheaper costs if you pay towards your handset on longer terms. If subsidy deals are not on the operators website phone and ask.
Take a "couldn't care less" attitude towards any sales spiel. The handset you crave and the unbeatable deal is always available next month despite what they say. If they want your business they will repeat or better the offer. If they don't another network will always want you. Remember to remind them of that.
Get your handset unlocked from the outset. Some operators charge but during pre-sales demand that it is done else you will go elsewhere. Often they will waive the fee. When I was searching for my deal O2 offered me 1 month's £30 line rental credit in exchange for the £20 fee for unlock the handset. So I would actually have made £10 through unlocking. You can then use overseas PAYG SIMs when abroad to save a bundle on roaming. Also if you dump the operator you have an open phone.

bubblesmoney

if witha mobile company for a few years and you dont agree with the upgrade offers then obviouslyt ask for the pac code. The three outbound customer team offered me recently 300 mix and match with free Sony erickson C903 for free on 18m contract for £5 a month. which was a good deal but i wasnt interested in the phone or the minutes offered as it didnt suit my needs.

One can be a new customer but ask successfully to be matched to other peoples upgrade offers. I have succeeded doing that with two of my phones. When i was with vodafone some years ago I didnt get an upgrade offer on the phone that i wanted. But my cousin had got the same phone and a good usuage plan with three network on an upgrade offer. So I asked him to call up three customer services and ask them since he had recently got the upgrade whether they would be willing under the same offer for same pricing to offer me as a new customer the upgrade offer.

Three agreed to match my cousins upgrade offer with three and give me the same offer even though I was a new customer. So it is possible to match someone elses upgrade offer on another network if one is moving networks.

More over once i had used the PAC code and ordered the three phones, vodafone called me back and agreed to match the three offer but i didnt agree and told them they should have offered me the deal before i left them. They wanted me to cancel and use the 14day cool off period and return three networks phones and come back to vodafone which i wasnt prepared to do.

in_the_Cotswolds

Sim only contracts?

DarkConvict

Remember sign up in store, and you cannot cancel,

Sign up over phone or online, and you get 7 days from date of delivery.

If you are going to move house, check if there is coverage in the new area first, no signal after moving home is not grounds to cancel!

fiish

I believe it is a lot easier to end a pay monthly contract deal using a PAC to transfer to a PAYG SIM card, than it is to give cancellation notice. The former is usually doable over the phone but some operators and shops (notable Carphone) demand cancellation notices in writing, which usually leaves you paying line rental for an extra week.

Another useful tip is that if you are getting to the end of your contract term and do not want or need a new phone immediately (e.g. if you know a new handset is coming out in a month or two and want to wait), switch to SIM only straightaway. For the same benefits a SIM only tariff is usually £10-15 per month cheaper, and the 30 day minimum term gives you the flexibility to do the upgrade at a time you choose.

PotatoPotato

I think its important that people check their network coverage before they sign up.
1. a contract is a binding deal, you cannot just leave because of no network signal. (and no you cant say you use the map coverage because that is inaccurate)
2. a link of the free pay as you go sim cards that take roughly 5 days to arrive.
3.Test all the ones you are interested in for a day or 2, especially if you are at 2 places. eg: work and home.
4. base your decision on your network coverage.

-Just because 3 is the cheapest doesnt mean you will get the best network signal.
-Arguably: o2 have the best sim only deal (judging by the suggestions of people recommending 12 month deals) but whats the point if you cant get a good signal for 12 months?

Important: when you phone up for an upgrade, never speak to upgrades, reject their offers and speak to retentions department. :rotfl: (not offence if you work in upgrades)

Finally: whatever deal you get, please get a written confirmation cos if its not on paper or e-mail, you dont have a leg to stand on!!! (therefore they can charge you anything when you cant return it!)

P.s: please be aware of things attached to phone contracts: eg:
1.auto added INSURANCE :mad:
2. freebies for x amount a month. Eg: Orange's free internet for 2 months, if you dont cancel it will still continue if you dont cancel. (extra £5 at the time)
3. other stuff like.. the geek squad for X amount a month, unless you cancel!!

This is only from the top of my head, if i think of anymore...... I will post it :T

DarkConvict

I dont see it mentioned yet, but this recieved priase on the forum before when i posted it.

Do not sign up to a cashback deal if you cannot afford the contract without cashback. Cashback is not guaranteed from cashback websites, and cashback from places like phones4u, is a contract with phones4u not the operator. Cashback disputes must be raised with them, not the operator, cease paying the operator and your contract will be ended with a big bill. Never sign upto cashback until you understand the cashback procedure ensuring what happens if you miss the deadlines, remember there profits come from you forgetting to claim!

Work out the price of the contract, do not just look at monthly figures. IPhone at £50 over 24 months is £1200!

Add in about renewing contracts, decline a 3 month upgrade wait till the end for the best deal, both on price and that an upgrade means you have a new contract + remaining length, people often forget they are added together.
Discuss the use of PAC, how it works, how it can help you get a better deal. Note some operators like vodafone force you to PAC at the start when signing up so if you want to keep your number be aware of the procedure.
Watch out on upgrades/renewals, if your contract was £10 a month, you move to £30, and renew/upgrade then £30 is the basic price meaning you cant lower it back to £10!

A final thing to look at is, can you afford it if you lost your job. As if you lose the job and cant pay the contract is ended so you cannot use it and you owe the full amount in full. So debts and defaults follow if you poorly plan out for when things go wrong, if not sure, always go for the smaller contracts like £20 a month.


**Something worth researching here**
If you are unsure of circumstances but need a contract, we all know it is hard to downgrade on several operators due to phone price, so can you get a low value contract and pay more for the phone. But then are you able increase your tariff to suit your needs (in the 2nd month) and more importantly lower it back to the original contract price if needed, rather than starting out on a high tariff. Also check if you sign up to £10 a month, move to a £30 a month tariff, if you cancel are you charged at £10 or £30 * months remaining (should be £10).

nickmack

When negotiating a new deal, consider very carefully incentives such as:

- Being able to downgrade your tariff after X months (tariffs can be changed by the network. The next tariff level may work out costing you more because of decreased minutes/texts or other exclusions that you enjoy on your contracted tariff)

- Ability to upgrade X days early (this can change during your contract. Vodafone and 3 have done this recently. Strictly speaking this should be honoured for existing customers, as so often it is pitched during the sales spiel, but it's difficult as it usually doesn't form part of the written contract)

Sometimes the Sales Adviser will factor these into the overall cost to try and make it seem cheaper, but there's no guarantee you will be able to take advantage of either of the above.

elfen

Don't just get a handset because you like the look of it, or it's the one the Sales Advisor is trying to force you to buy. Ask to try the phones you like and then make a decision. Also read reviews online of the phones you like and the features that are important to you, not important as they make a contract higher.

Former_MSE_Archna

Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone. Anything not already in the article will definitely get a mention.

DarkConvict you make a very good point about contracts and cashback - it's one of the main focus points of our existing article.