Haggling?

sb12

Currently in the process of looking for the best deal possible as it's end of contract time. Browsed all comparison sites and found a few good deals but wondered - is the internet price always the best price or is it worth dealing directly with networks/3rd party companies and negotiating over the phone?

latecomer

best deals are generally from retention departments when you are leaving your current network, provided they want to keep you of course. Always worth exploring this option and then going for a web deal (with cashback of course) as second choice

sb12

Had a chat with them this afternoon. Currently on a £15 p/m plan which covers all that I need. 300mins, 300texts, unlimited landline and has 'unlimited' internet (up to 2Gb, which is plenty).

Started off with a budget smartphone handset which is struggling on power, so was looking at something a little more powerful - the HTC One X.

They've offered to keep me on my current plan for an upfront price of £170 for the handset.

Do you think they've room to manouver a little bit more on handset price or would you go for it?

mobilejunkie

latecomer wrote: »

best deals are generally from retention departments when you are leaving your current network, provided they want to keep you of course. Always worth exploring this option and then going for a web deal (with cashback of course) as second choice

I've never had a retention deal because (unless you're looking for a high end phone or bundle) they are always worse than cashback deals. I always have far more minutes, texts and data allowances than I need, a variety of phones and they're all free. I even got a very high end phone last year with a decent bundle on a free cashback deal - though that one was actually a mistake and it was gone immediately afterwards!

thegoodman

mobilejunkie wrote: »

I've never had a retention deal because (unless you're looking for a high end phone or bundle) they are always worse than cashback deals. I always have far more minutes, texts and data allowances than I need, a variety of phones and they're all free. I even got a very high end phone last year with a decent bundle on a free cashback deal - though that one was actually a mistake and it was gone immediately afterwards!

Check cashback deals out from mobiles.co.uk, e2save and many others. However make sure you understand how cashback works. You will need to send number of bills at the right time. If you miss them you might end up paying more.

buscape

What about this deal? Will cost you £449 over 24 months, what you got offered will cost £530 over 24 months (assuming yours is a 24 month contract).

sb12

thegoodman wrote: »

Check cashback deals out from mobiles.co.uk, e2save and many others. However make sure you understand how cashback works. You will need to send number of bills at the right time. If you miss them you might end up paying more.

Last time around I went for an autocashback deal. A family member had trouble in the past with a redemption one, so I'm always a bit unsure of these.

Basically, the plan that I'm on is fantastic. And the bonus is, at the end of 2 years I'd still only be paying £15 a month - a similar plan would be about £12 more at the moment. Whereas with these cashback deals, I'm constantly watching £30+ a month going out of my account. I like the feeling of knowing I'm just on £15 and not spending £30+ and fussing to get that money back with claims.

T-Mobile say with the loyalty points I've accumulated, I only need to contribute £170 for the handset - is this likely to change in the space of 2-3 weeks? Would love to see it come down to £125 as this would mean an actual cost of £21 p/m over 2 years - but am I waiting for something that won't happen?

3 mobile have a deal - Ultimate 300 plan, £25 p/m, with £30 cashback. Real cost over 2 years - £23.75 p/m. This is my alternative at the moment.

buscape

Have a look at this. 300 minutes, unlimited texts and 1.5Gb internet for £18.73 after cashback with T-Mobile. You will have to do the double porting malarkey if you want to keep your number, but I think it's worth it.

thegoodman

mobilejunkie wrote: »

I've never had a retention deal because (unless you're looking for a high end phone or bundle) they are always worse than cashback deals. I always have far more minutes, texts and data allowances than I need, a variety of phones and they're all free. I even got a very high end phone last year with a decent bundle on a free cashback deal - though that one was actually a mistake and it was gone immediately afterwards!

Junkie,
I can't see the point of your post.
Have you read what op s asking?
If you think you can get a better deal why not help the why?
Apart from you going on and on about I got this and that, no help at all.
Don't post if you can't help, no point in showing off.