The CashBack Scene

urban_fox

In the last 24 hours, you will have noted the 12 months contract deals with cashbacks, free minutes,etc., have rapidly disappeared from the websites of the big players like e2save & OSPS. Does anyone who has been monitoring trends know when we are likely to get another spate of them back again?
This time last year, I felt sure it was towards the back end of January when the deals began appearing.
By the way, have you noticed that mobileshop.com has been rather quiet of late?

rash.m2k

mobileshop are probably about to got bankrupt seems that alot of peoples cashback is taking time to be processed.

virgo17

urban_fox wrote:

In the last 24 hours, you will have noted the 12 months contract deals with cashbacks, free minutes,etc., have rapidly disappeared from the websites of the big players like e2save & OSPS. Does anyone who has been monitoring trends know when we are likely to get another spate of them back again?
This time last year, I felt sure it was towards the back end of January when the deals began appearing.
By the way, have you noticed that mobileshop.com has been rather quiet of late?

It's more than 24 hours.

For two months now I have been looking for a new cashback offer, preferably with O2 as they still include 0845 and 0870 in their minutes. Most contracts I have found have been 18 month with only 12 months free. It has become much harder to find the type of deals that were about at this time last year.

I even looked at the CPW clearance deals but they don't seem as good either. I am not looking at any of the new players on the block though as I prefer to stick to the firms I know generally pay out, eventually.

Another poster has speculated that Mobileshop are in financial difficulties because cashbacks are taking longer than promised and their deals are not as good now. I think this is a dangerous conclusion to make. Perhaps the real reason is that they have had to tighten their belt to remain in business? Delaying cashbacks, although not good for customer relations, may be a means of slowing outgoings.

Certainly, it has been reported elsewhere that the mobile networks are unhappy with the amount of cashback given by some dealers which encourages more churn every year. And before someone says it, yes I know that some networks offer very poor incentives to retain customers at the end of their initial contract period.

V.

drpbalaji1960

It looks like even the e2save.com is also in financial difficulties, even though e2save.com gets run under the banner of carphonewarehouse.

BexTech

Maybe because mobile phone companies don't actively support cash back deals and they are against their terms and conditions (T-Mobile Spokeswomen) they are stating to the likes of CPW if they offer cashback deals they won't allow them to sign people up to their network.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=336221

Browntoa

the Networks are actively opening new shops at a great rate (O2 and 3 split the shops from the link between them, phones4u sold to a private equity group who may carve up the business to maximise their profit) to offer deals directly

think you are seeing the end of that cashback trend

mega123man123

ive noticed this trend too! I was looking at an O2 contract with dialaphone (been round a while)

with all the networks not happy with the cashback scheme - do you guys think its risky to sign up to something new?

my current contract ends 4th jan and ill hold out for around a month b4 needing a contract.

rash.m2k

cashback will never go down. The networks know that.

There is far too much demand for them! i mean how many of you could afford to pay £35 a month?

Or even more if you've got a few of them! I'm payn £130 a month but the only reason is because of the cashback!

quidsinquentin

Agree entirely.

My cashback is about to expire and I'm looking for a new deal. 3 are trying to tie me into a £35/month deal and they have no chance.

There's no way I'm ever going to be prepared to pay above £10 per month at max.

rash.m2k

quidsinquentin wrote:

Agree entirely.

My cashback is about to expire and I'm looking for a new deal. 3 are trying to tie me into a £35/month deal and they have no chance.

There's no way I'm ever going to be prepared to pay above £10 per month at max.

Even £10 a month is too much!!!

BargainHunter_2

drpbalaji1960 wrote:

It looks like even the e2save.com is also in financial difficulties, even though e2save.com gets run under the banner of carphonewarehouse.

Where did this info come from?