Batter down your mobile contract cost

hopefulfooluk

Result! I have just called Orange as I'm at the end of my contract. I asked them what they could offer me as I'd seen some good deals elsewhere and wanted to see what they could do. The plan I am on currently is £55/mo, 400 minutes and 1000 texts.

Very very helpful girl on the end of the phone, went through my bills and had a look what I was using out of my tariff.

Got offered two tariffs - one 18 month one, 500 xnet anytime minutes and 100 texts for £30 a month, with the first six months half price (working out at £25 a month over the 18 months), called "Talk and Text 600" - and the other called "Select 500" which is 12 months, 500 xnet anytime minutes and 30 texts (but only for the first 3 months), for £25 a month.

Decided on the first one - bargain - and even got a Samsung D600e and bluetooth headset thrown in for free too. I think the two tariffs I was offered were secret OVP deals matching "3" tariffs.

Thanks Orange and MSE, I have saved myself £30 a month, £540 over 18 months!

sarbre

I'm a "low-usage" mobile phone user, so I'm not that interested in loads of free minutes. Every year I decide that I will leave my vodafone contract if I'm not offered a cheap deal. At the moment I get 30 free minutes a month and 50 free texts (more than adequate for me) for £5.99 per month. I usually use up about 15-30 minutes a month and about 30 of the texts. Not sure if it would work out cheaper with pay as you go but £5.99 is pretty cheap. I always manage to knock the price down because I'm not desperate to keep the contract going.

Boneman

Ok, so i've read the text, went to Orange (been a customer since 1996), tried to increase my contract to include 200 minutes plus whatever else I could get. I phoned around and surfed the web and eventually found a deal from Vodaphone:

200 minutes / 250 texts / 18 month contract (£25per month) / first 9 months half price (£12.50) and a Motorola V3i phone.

So I went back to Orange and they would'nt even come close to it. So I said goodbye and ported my number.

Did I do the right thing?

nilocmac

Boneman wrote:

Ok, so i've read the text, went to Orange (been a customer since 1996), tried to increase my contract to include 200 minutes plus whatever else I could get. I phoned around and surfed the web and eventually found a deal from Vodaphone:

200 minutes / 250 texts / 18 month contract (£25per month) / first 9 months half price (£12.50) and a Motorola V3i phone.

So I went back to Orange and they would'nt even come close to it. So I said goodbye and ported my number.

Did I do the right thing?

Yes :beer:

[Deleted User]

I am a bit of a novice at this so any help would be much appreciated.

My first ever mobile phone contract is coming to an end on 15th March. Does anyone have any tips or recommendations on

1) What to do next, and when?
2) Decent phones around at the moment?

My current phone is a Motorola C975, purchased on a cash back arrangement from Dial-a-Phone such that it has been virtually free for the year (nominally £30 per month).

It is on the ‘3’ network and the tariff is Talk and Text 600 (500 talk, 100 text), which is too much if anything.

Thanks.

knuckledragger

Deleted_User,
try the 3 retentions route first. When you're out of contract, ask for your PAC. They'll ask why you want to leave. Tell them that you have been unhappy with < insert reasons here > and have found a good deal on another network. Have the details of the deal ready and researched. 3 might match it with their nearest equivalent. They should also give you a free upgrade on your phone- afterall, you'd be getting a free phone with another network's deal.
If 3 don't want to negotiate then you have two options:
Get your PAC and port to a new contract on another network.
or
Get your PAC and port to PAYG on another network. Then get another great deal on 3 and port your original number back from the PAYG.

[Deleted User]

knuckledragger wrote:

When you're out of contract, ask for your PAC.

Do I not have to give them a months notice in advance?

[Deleted User]

knuckledragger wrote:

If 3 don't want to negotiate then you have two options:
Get your PAC and port to a new contract on another network.
or
Get your PAC and port to PAYG on another network. Then get another great deal on 3 and port your original number back from the PAYG.

You've lost me!

knuckledragger

Deleted_User,
If you are out of contract then you don't have to give a month's notice- you just get your PAC and port your number out. The day of the port is the termination of your 3 contract.

Re "You've lost me!"

I don't know how to explain this any simpler. If 3 won't give you a free upgrade and a good deal to keep you with them, then adopt one of the other two strategies...

BroughtonPete

My mobile usage has dropped somewhat, now that I am semi-retired.
I used to be on T-Mobile Anytime 75 at £15/mth +VAT - included 75mins/mth free calls + free texts.
Contact T-Mobile and asked to change to Pay-as-you-go.
They said the only way would require me to take out a new number, which I did not want to do. They suggested I changed to UFIX15 giving 50mins/mth free + some free texts. I said that this was no better than I was now paying them, and if I had to change numbers, then might as well switch suppliers, as loyalty didn't seem to count for much with T-Mobile! Short pause and was then asked if I would like to talk to the contracts manager. I said I didn't think it would help, but put me thru anyway.
Contacts manager when through same story as before! I went through my same story as before! Impass? Not quite, he then said how about a loyalty bonus of £10/ month (recuring) for UFIX15. I have now finished up with same tele number, monthly charge of £5/mth (inc VAT) 50 mins/mth free calls + free texts, only need to top up if I exceed 50mins at 10p/call