Batter down your mobile contract cost

Fergal_3

Hi I have about 3 months left on my contract, is this any use to me ?

Fergal

sly_dog_jonah

If you're a high spender, you can try asking to change your tarriff to one matching three. They'll then put you through to retentions who will decide whether to give you an early upgrade (without early upgrade fee).

richi

So I just called Orange retentions. They offered me 120 anytime x-net minutes and 30 texts for £15/month, plus a free phone, plus (get this) £185 immediate cashback.

So they're effectively paying me £105 to stay (£185, less 12 x £15, plus the £100 I'll make on ebay)!

I've been paying £25/month for 120 any/any + 250 texts for the last year. Plus I bought my phone for £120 (an early Treo 600). The guy said that makes me worth keeping as a customer. Crazy if you ask me, but I'm not complaining.


richi.

matt_moore

i've just come off the phone to orange and told them i wanted to disconnect from their network, i was paying £35 a month for 400 minutes orange and landlines and 60 text a month told them i've seen a better deal and eneded up with 500 crossnet minutes and 90 texts for £29 and a new phone to boot all for a 5 minute call
the operator also said don't bother going to the orange shop as their all franchises and as such are independant so can't offer anywhere near as much as orange customer services (as i found out when i went to the one in the trafford centre and got no where unless a new customer)

Agent_C

I've been paying £25/month for 120 any/any + 250 texts for the last year. Plus I bought my phone for £120 (an early Treo 600). The guy said that makes me worth keeping as a customer. Crazy if you ask me, but I'm not complaining.


richi.

Were you ever spending over £25 a month? I was on a similar tariff to yours with less texts, but my bill was never more than £26 a month and they wouldn't offer me any better deal They said it wasn't worth it to them because I didn't spend very much...

richi

Were you ever spending over £25 a month?

There were a few months when I had some roaming charges or a pund or two of GPRS, but I don't think I ever used up my "free" minutes and texts. Perhaps it was the initial phone purchase that swung it?

It's worth trying again -- the first operator I spoke to didn't seem to care that I was leaving either.

BTW, unlike some on this board, I didn't threaten to go to 3, I was planning to go to Vodafone, on a SIM-only contract from Forward Cellular. That which would have cost me £25 for the year for 200 anytime/x-net mins, plus perhaps £30 in an add-on text bundle.


r.

Agent_C

Perhaps it was the initial phone purchase that swung it?

It's worth trying again -- the first operator I spoke to didn't seem to care that I was leaving either.

Could have been - my phone came free. I'm going to call them and ask for my PAC code and see if that has the desired effect!

Axeman_2

I hate a lot of these confusing 'bundles'.

I like a nice simple

£8.00 per month line rental.

8p per min anytime to any mobile.
7p per text
8p anytime to landline.

I get charged for what I use, no more.
And a free box to divert landline calls to a cheaper service.

Can't post link, give me a shout and I'll pass it on.

zakony

I tried the trick (t-mobile, i'm on my 14th month)
they let me go and gave me the pac code right away

waterstar

On the same general theme, do any of the mobile companies have any restrictions, in "terms and conditions" or in practice, as to when you can return to them once one contract has ended .

For example, I have a Orange contract where the 12 months minimum contract is up in December. I was originally on £25 pm 120 minute anytime, then downgraded to a £15 OVP T-Mobile equivalent 200 mins off-peak. So clearly I would not score highly on Orange's customer retention criteria.

So let's say I terminate in December and get my PAC code if I wish to retain the number (which I would then park on a Virgin PAYG SIM).

Then, assume I see a great deal on an Orange contract in February 2005, probably some great cash back etc, the question which is the main issue in my posting.... is at that point "how do Orange react to taking me on again as a customer"? Obviously Orange could decline me on "Credit scoring" but do the mobile companies ever decline a customer on a "profitibailty scoring" based on previous relationship with that customer? Is there any experience of "Deal Tarts" being declined for future contracts?