Premier/e communications

orphiel

Hi all

I am currently half way through a 24 month contract with orange, paying £30 a month (affordable and fine, with a deal I'm happy with).

I've been phoned by a company called Premiere Communications who say that they can buy out my contract with Orange (i.e. pay the termination fee for me), and give me a new phone, with essentially the same deal but costing £25 a month.

I said I'd phone them back and I'm gathering a list of questions to see if it's a scam. I also thought I'd phone Orange to see if the whole paying termination fee actually happens.

I know to ask them about whether the tariff is actually that tariff or whether it's cashback, can anyone think of anything else, or is it a massiver scam? I'd quite like a new phone, because mine is all scratched up and one of the knobs has broken off. Still perfectly useable though, and I could sell it off for quite a bit.

Thoughts?

Meg

Silk

Hi Meg,
Do a Google on the phone number they used/gave you

orphiel

Ooh, good plan, cheers. I googled them with no luck, so I'll try that!

SD1_2

I worked in corporate mobile phone sales a few years ago, and we would occasionally buy corporate clients (operating multiple handsets) out of existing contracts to get their business and move them onto a cheaper tariff.

However, we would never have done this for a single domestic customer as the commissions on offer from the operators simply wouldn't justify the outlay.

I seriously doubt that the company you've mentioned would pay £360 to Orange and supply you with a new phone, simply to sign you up to a 2 year deal at £25 per month. It doesn't make commercial sense and simply seems too good to be true.

orphiel

Thanks SD1, that's exactly what I thought, really. I checked the termination thing on the Orange website after I talked to them and saw that it would cost them that much, so makes no sense.

Some googling on the number also states they're scam merchants. Cheers all, really helpful posts

Meg

SD1_2

Chances are that if you'd agreed to the contract, they'd have reneged on the promise to buy you out of your contract and you'd have been left with 2 bills every month.

Well done for checking it out first. I often hear from scam victims who haven't, and by then it's usually too late to help them.

mobilejunkie

This seems to happen quite often. BEWARE; unless you know exactly who you are dealing with and get everything in writing BEFORE you agree to anything - don't!

Guys_Dad

mobilejunkie wrote: »

This seems to happen quite often. BEWARE; unless you know exactly who you are dealing with and get everything in writing BEFORE you agree to anything - don't!

;Afternoon, MJ.

The problem is with these sort of companies, they are often Phoenix companies that rise from the ashes of their previous existences.

You can get what you like in writing from them, but by the time they renege, go through their delaying tactics and you take them to the SCC, they are out of business or up and trading as someone else.

At least mobiles.co.uk et al tend to be there to take action with. :beer:

mobilejunkie

Not entirely the case. I have come across some which appear to stay around long enough to sue (though like Mobiles.co.uk - who are they by the way?) they tend to pay up before they get dragged before a judge. Vodafone aren't likely to vanish any time soon but seem to offer one deal whilst delivering something QUITE different - then denying the real offer was every made. Personally, I always get much better deals than anything anyone calling me could offer but have read enough on here to know that people calling often (maybe even usually) lie and leave people having no proof of what was promised.