T-mobile renewal - am I better to cancel and get a deal from mobiles.co.uk?

CymroDan

Hi all, I've had a HTC Wildfire for two years, and due to it's processor and lack of up-to-date android operating system, I've been eagerly awaiting today. Today is the day I can upgrade/renew with T-mobile.

I spent the last week researching what phones are about, and what prices I can get them for. After having a budget / weak phone, I've decided this time I want a solid phone that'll last (technologically) for the 24 month period, which is on android 4.0 at the moment. A few plausible ones exist, but I settled on the HTC One S.

I excitedly phoned T-mobile, to be heavily disappointed. The best they could offer was £36 a month with the phone free, albeit with a hefty plan. I, however, only need 300 mins, 750 data, 500 texts, and had found deals cheaper online. Carphonewarehouse is £26. Mobiles.co.uk (which I believe is part of CPW) is offering it for £17.88 effective monthly rate with cashback of 15 months half price. Annoyingly, these are both still with t-mobile.

After speaking to the lady in renewals, she said she couldn't do any better, only offering me old phones or budget phones for £26 cheapest. I went on and on, but got no where. When I asked how do I cancel, she said she could do it right there for me. So, it seems that they aren't going to try and offer anything else.

So what are my best options? I can cancel today, and my last date of my phone will be July 5th. My thoughts at the moment are just to cancel my t-mobile contract, and order from mobiles.co.uk today - and my new phone should arrive tomorrow. This will mean doubling up on one month but I'm kind of happy to do that after this long personal wait to upgrade. It will however mean I need to get a new number, since t-mobile can't transfer your number from one tmobile line to another.

Any advice or recommendations on my situation, before I go ahead and do the above?

Thanks very much for taking the time to read this, I appreciate any replies very much.

Dan

liam8282

I had the same problem with T Mobile earlier this year, they were not interested in keeping my as a customer at all.

The upgrade deals offered were no better than what any new customer could get walking in off the street, in some cases the new customer was better off.

I promptly left and got an iphone 4s from mobiles.co.uk, on three, £30 pm, 24 m contract.

GooliesOfFire

T-Mobile do not offer any good deals to existing customers. Luckily my phone is half decent so I don't need to change it.
Just weeks ago I moved to giffgaff and pay £10 a month now (1 goodybag a month with 250minutes/unlimited text/unlimited internet - no contract).

I think you should just leave T-Mobile and look for a better deal somewhere else.

Fifer

You don't have to lose your phone number. You can ask for a PAC code (you must do so before cancelling) then use it to transfer your existing number to a new contract with another network. It's slightly more complicated if you stick with T-Mobile via a third party as you cannot transfer to the same network (daft, I know) but you can transfer to a PAYG sim on another network then back to T-Mobile from that as a two step process.

CymroDan

Thanks for the replies. Diolch i ti quiff.

Regarding keeping the number: as I stated, yes, I can get a PAC code but I can't transfer from t-mobile to t-mobile, unless I transfer to another carrier inbetween. To be honest, for the hassle of that, I'm happy just to get a new number.

Regarding T-mobile, they have been fine if I'm honest with you. They aren't great at offering renewal deals it seems, but their coverage seems fine for me and they've helped me sort any issues I've had over the last few years.

Regarding looking for the best deals - as I said in the initial post, I've looked about and used some of those comparison sites, and the cheapest I can find is the effective £17.88 (I'm fine to do the cashback method, I trust myself to manage this). Unless someone knows of mobiles.co.uk being untrustworthy, I'm going to give them a go. Also I think I can get £50 cashback ontop through quidco.

So at the moment - I want the HTC One S. The cheapest I can get it for with the tariff that suits me is with T-mobile. I will cancel my current t-mobile contract, and order my new one later today after giving a little more time for anyone to voice their opinion here.

Guys_Dad

Fifer wrote: »

You don't have to lose your phone number. You can ask for a PAC code (you must do so before cancelling) then use it to transfer your existing number to a new contract with another network. It's slightly more complicated if you stick with T-Mobile via a third party as you cannot transfer to the same network (daft, I know) but you can transfer to a PAYG sim on another network then back to T-Mobile from that as a two step process.

NO. This is wrong advice. It's an "either / or" situation. If you ask for your PAC code, your cancellation occurs when you transfer the number to another network (within 30 days or the PAC code lapses).

If you ask for your PAC code, don't use it and then, say, 10 days later ring and cancel, you will override the PAC code request and lose your number.

tradecarbon

I'm surprised in this climate that t-mobile aren't bending over backwards for their customers. I joined them many years ago not long after they started with the M300 flipphone.

Everytime my friend and I were due for an upgrade we would ring up and ask to speak to a supervisor and tell them we are leaving unless they matched or beat a deal from a competitor and they always would.

Can't run a company if you are losing existing customers.

CymroDan

Cheers all for the input. I was surprised that they didn't bend at all. How is it that they couldn't even say "Okay we can do it for £26 if you pay X for the phone". They seemed pretty much stuck on £36, full monty package, or nothing.

One thing that's worth noting is she did say "we make money from you receiving calls", and really I don't receive that many calls. So I think you may be more worthy a better deal if you are someone who receives a lot of calls.

Trade Carbon, the thing I struggle with is the competitor seems to be their selves!! Just done through the commission based companies. It's hard to fathom how so much commission can be earned, in this case getting the phone and paying under £18 is quite a saving, surely t-mobile could skip the commission and offer it to me for £23 or something?

I think I will phone and cancel now. Does anyone know if I cancel, can I "uncancel" within that 30 day period if I choose to do so, or there's a problem with the received handset?

Also, does anyone know with mobiles.co.uk what sorta of rights I have, in regards to a cooling down period (meaning, where I can cancel my contract within 7-14 days of starting it if I change my mind).

daindian

op i did the exact same thing, this month, my upgrade was due for upgrade on 20 June, I wanted the galaxy s3 for free £26 600mins 500 texts 250mb net and unlimited t mobile calls. they couldnt match it, and neither could 5 other t mobile upgrde places!!! apprently they make more money getting new customers than exisiting ones. eg buymobilesphones. net tariff i wanted free s3 for new customers, £!50 for existing ones!!!!! so i cancelled and took out new contract with t mobile through mobiles.co.uk, free s3 on the above tariff. I have had to double the last month like you are planning to do. Mobiles.co.uk just rang me 5 mins ago to check how i was getting on with my new product. fantastic cs, plus the phone is unlocked, so no more waiting for software updates from t-mobile

CymroDan

daindian - that's great to hear thanks for sharing your experience.

quiff - thanks kindly for your research. Seems I can't cancel it fullstop, so I need to be 100% sure about the tariff.

My current thoughts is do I go for the:
1) 750MB, 300mins, unlim texts
or
2) 1.5GB, 100 mins, unlim texts

I like to tether on my current phone, but there's some talk that tethering through t-mobile gets blocked on Ice Cream Sandwich - unless you're on their full monty plan? If tethering is blocked, 750MB will be enough for me and my family will appreciate the extra call time.

Anyone got any knowledge on the above? You tethered on your S3 yet, Daindian? just USB into laptop and switch connection type to tether and browse using a browser I mean.

daindian

well, i had the s1 on t-mobile with the old 3gb allowance, i tethered all the time and used it as a wifi hotspot. According to customer service, tethering is allowed, lol, im writing this whilst tethering, to test it on ics, it works perfectly 750mb is more than enough because that limit only covers downloads and streaming