MSE News: Mobile phone apathy costs users £100s

Hammyman

I just switched from Orange to 3. On Orange I was getting 400 minutes, some stupid amount of texts and 500MB internet for £25 a month on a 24 month contract.

Gone SIM only to 3. Now get 600 minutes, 3000 texts and 1GB internet for £15 a month on a 12 month contract. HOWEVER, Quidco had £81 cashback so its only cost me £8.25 a month. So 1/3 of the cost for a 50% increase in calls, about the same texts and double the internet.

Thankyou.

tagq2

What about number porting issues?

Doesn't the number always get charged as if still with the original firm?

Don't some firms refuse to take on existing numbers for particular services (e.g. switching PAYG/contract)?

Isn't there the risk that you choose a bad company which ends up reallocating your number (e.g. if you don't top-up for some short period)?

grumbler

tagq2 wrote: »

What about number porting issues?

What issues?

Doesn't the number always get charged as if still with the original firm?

No

Don't some firms refuse to take on existing numbers for particular services (e.g. switching PAYG/contract)?

Never heard of this.
If you mean staying with the same company, this is not porting. Of course, they can refuse switching to a contract. And they can refuse switching to PAYG if you have not passed the minimum term of your contract .

Isn't there the risk that you choose a bad company which ends up reallocating your number (e.g. if you don't top-up for some short period)?

Good companies do the same. This depends on your definition of "short". You cannot keep the number infinitely without topping up OR making chargeable calls (every 180 days usually).