Cashback mobile tariffs - avoid like the plague?

themoffster

Here http://www.moneysupermarket.com/MobilePhones/default.aspx?Source=MS there are plenty of astonishingly cheap mobile deals. However, they are only cheap because they are cashback deals.
It seems that the link shows deals from three or four of the same companies and after much googling, it seems that if you do get your money back from them it is invariably months overdue.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, so I am very unsure about these deals. Are these cashback deals worth the hassle?

nomoneytoday

After the hassle with my last one I would say not.
In the end I had to take them to court.

Now, instead I pay o2 £15 a month on a retention 12 month contract, nice phone, 200 mins x network and 500 sms

themoffster

nomoneytoday wrote:

After the hassle with my last one I would say not.
In the end I had to take them to court.

Now, instead I pay o2 £15 a month on a retention 12 month contract, nice phone, 200 mins x network and 500 sms

Could you provide me a link to that tariff? I am looking for 200x-mins and 200 sms a month - I really don't want to do the cashback thing as I'm fearing the problems that you had.

Cheers!

You

I can only speak from personal experience, but I have never had any problems. I have done a few cashback deals through Carphone Warehouse. The added advantage I find with them is you have 60 days to send in the required bills rather than the 30 with some of the others. It's still quite nerve racking though, especially when you are waiting for a cheque to come.

At the moment I am looking for another deal, and have to say I have been quite tempted by some of the offers direct from 'Three'. There are some half price for the 18months of the contract deals (end up around the £17.50 a month for around 700 mins/ 150 texts a month). The added advantage is there are no bills to send in and the half price is charged on bill. If you go through quidco, £100 cashback as well.

nomoneytoday

themoffster wrote:

Could you provide me a link to that tariff? I am looking for 200x-mins and 200 sms a month - I really don't want to do the cashback thing as I'm fearing the problems that you had.

Cheers!

It's a retention contract - given to customers when they threaten to leave the network

chuckles1066

themoffster wrote:

Here http://www.moneysupermarket.com/MobilePhones/default.aspx?Source=MS there are plenty of astonishingly cheap mobile deals. However, they are only cheap because they are cashback deals.
It seems that the link shows deals from three or four of the same companies and after much googling, it seems that if you do get your money back from them it is invariably months overdue.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, so I am very unsure about these deals. Are these cashback deals worth the hassle?

Most of them have terms and conditions which are difficult for the average man/woman in the street to comprehend.

A few are above board; e2Save have just refunded my third cheque, no hassle whatsoever and I heartily recommend them.

My wife has just taken out a cashback offer through Dial-A-Phone and their terms and conditions couldn't actually be simpler: it tells you to send the bill that's dated between x and y to such-and-such address by such-and-such date.

Nice plain English

themoffster

I've seen people give really bad reviews for both CPW and e2save (involving courts and suing).
I suppose it's all releative, but I really don't want to get stung.

Golfpro_2

Just a quickie! I`m an old hand at Cashbacks , have done them for a 3 years with 3.
During the 12 month of contact the bil usually comes out mid month as usual saying that you have paid in advance for your talk and text 600 say! Well the retentions ring you early in month and offer you 100 mins and 100 texts free for 12 months no tie in as long as you dont cancel number at end of contract.
I said no immediately as I need to port numbers out to a better deal but one of my three lines i have with them is a spare so i thought about it and it seemed an easy way to get a 100 mins spare phone in the glove box!
I went through it with them when they rang me back and thinking i was already well into the 12 month and thus no probs with getting my bill for cashback redemption i said ok on the proviso it was at the end of my contract. YES said my charming foreign friend at the swealtering hot call center.
Within 2 days i had a bill , in fact 3 seperate bills. As usual i open them expecting to see talk and text 600 on each for my redemption and guess what....one of them says talk and text 200 , the new deal.
I tried every trick in the book to get them to put it back as i would now loose about 130 quid cashback. No joy ! I was on that phone talking to idiots for a week about ten lengthy calls in total. After they dragged it out it meant i was out of billing date to get ,my bill corrected whilst showing the correct bill date to match existing cashback bills. So I had to take it on chin as it was poiintless loosing the deal if it would be to no avail. I tried County court summons threat, the nicey nicey, the my office has 15 seperate phones in addition to my 3 seperate lines i held with them...I`ll cancel them all etc etc nout worked. its a well timed con as it seems Mobile rainbow now wait until they get the kickback off Three to pay out anyway so they are vetting the claims really well nowadays...prob why its taking three months to get money out of them. At least i didnt change all three lines eh!
They will lie through there backsides as they did the same con on friend i had warned . He set up a conference call and half way through the guy from three said it will not go through untill end of contract 12 months. I came on phone and said thats strange thats what you said to me. he rang off and guess what after the bill came through correctly for colleague he was not bothered by them for the last 2 weeks of month. AMAZING!!

Having said that these cashback deals, as long as its with someone who`s likely to be in busness still when you claim are fantastic value so it kinda makes putting up with network prat`s a minor inconvenience!
I am so tight on money wasting usually it happens to the best of us. Felt gutted at being had over more so than the Money loss!
You`ve been warned. If they call tell them to ring you on the 1 st day after contract finishes and you`ll be glad to. They are doing it to save them paying kickbacks to likes of Mobile rainbow it would seem.

seth

I've had several cash backs. Every year I get a new phone + contract.

To keep things simple always take a new contract, you can port your number even on the same network, just go via a PAYG from another netwrok or just dump your old number.

Read the advice on this forum.

I tend to sell off my phones to get more cash, I use a cheap unlocked phone for day to day use.

Many of the phones provided are unlocked, this increases resale values.

Cancel the insurance that come with these cash back deals.

Make sure you can afford the offer EVEN WITHOUT CASH BACK, just in case.

Ultimately CASH backs are not risk free. Do what you can to reduce the risk

• Planning, File and print paperwork in the FIRST week you have the phone. Make sure you know which bill (by date) you need to send out with which cashback. Is the cahsback based on months since connections or number of bills. FIND OUT NOW do not leave it until later there is only a 30 or 60 window. Most retailers only allow 14 days you you to report missing or incorrect cashback vouchers! I was sent E2save vouchers for a phone from OSPS I only realised as the address was new, I said to customer services, you have a new address, they said no, then I realised. CHECK EVERYTHING EARLY check with the retailer (use the geographic number) and write down who and when you call CS.
• Be polite, clear, brief and helpful you want the cashback after all!
• Put reminders in calenders, on line and paper
• Clear communications (I always send my items recorded del with a covering letter, copy of my order, and airtime) with plenty of time for omissions to be fixed.
• If you stick with the big players the risk is reduced.
• If you are organised and double check all your paperwork and dates WHEN you get the phones (not 3 months later) you reduce the risk.
• Do not be tempted by offers / renewals I tell them I'm leaving the country at the end of the contract!
• Stick with cheaper handsets and airtime contract if they work for you.
• Remember that a 12month contract is less risky than an 18 month contract
• The free playstation / xbox deals are expensive work out the cost for the term of the contract and a PSP will cost you £600+ (inc phone and airtime)
• Use Quidco to get some money back soon
• Check to see how many cash backs are required, fewer means less risk
• Check to see when the cashbacks are due, early means less risk
• Work out when to cancel the contract when you get the phone and write it down, confirm it with the provider. There is usually a 30 day notice period so do not wait until the end of 12 months
• Check when you need to get a PAC for porting numbers, avoid number porting as this increasing the complexity and opportunity for errors. E.g. OSPS ask you to highlight your original order and original number EVEN AFTER you have ported as their systems track based on the ORIGINAL phone number sent to you.
  
  There is still a risk something will happen that voids the cashback.

Paulee

Blimey Golfpro, I'm glad that's just a quickie!

I posted this message on the thread dealing with The Mobile Outlet last week. This thread seems the more likely home for it.

Over the past two weeks I have sent three emails to TMO, the first was querying a notification from them confirming that a cashback application I had made was successful and that I would be receiving payment within 28 days. The thing is, they had aready confirmed this to me via a similar email over a month earlier! I duly received my cashback money a few days later. I also asked about some of the phones that they have on offer. I already have two 3 contracts through them, I have now cancelled my contract with T Mobile and I need a third contract, preferably with 3 again.

My second email to them was as follows -

"Dear Sirs,

Ref: Order Ref: 16843267

I would like to thank you for the cheque I received from you last week for the first cashback claim on this phone and also for cashback I received on my other phone through you last October.

However, I am confused by the amount received. Would you please be good enough to explain to me how the cashback is calculated? I anticipated that the amount would be for half of the annual line rental that I am paying, which is £210, but I received £183.75.

I also have an identical phone, on the same tariff but with 11 months free line rental, with you. I thank you for the first cashback received from you for this phone, via BACS on 25.10.06. of £140.00. Again I am confused as I would have thought that this should have been half of the 11 months rental which is £192.50.

I have been following your postings on the Money Saving Expert website forum pages. When I first took out my contracts with 3 through you I posted details of your service (all positive thanks) on this forum. I’d like to thank you for being the only supplier to take the trouble to answer queries, and critics, on this site. It is very useful as well as being very reassuring.

I thank you in anticipation of your reply."


Unfortunately I have heard nothing from TMO, even after I re-sent the second email a week later, and I am very concerned and disappointed that they haven't bothered to contact me. I would have thought that being an existing customer, and looking to take out a further contract, would have increased my chances of a reply. Has anyone else had cause to query the amount of the cashback they have received?

Due to my lack of confidence with TMO and coupled with their very complicated cashback system - five applications that demand far too much time, plus look deliberately intended to "help you fail" - I am now on the point of abondoning all future contracts based on cashbacks in favour of the cheapest deal I can find with 3 directly via Quidco. Anyone know of the best deals?

Sorry this post has "gone on a bit".

Since posting this I have also had a call from 3 offering me a deal to renew my contract early with. Thank goodness that I never agreed to accept their offer. Thanks Golfpro for your info.

Paul.

pin

Bit harsh I think. There are many many people (including myself) who have benefited from cashback deals many times over.

Basically choose a reputable company and follow the terms and conditions.