buyer beware it doesnt pay to shop early at mobiles.co.uk

asteroi

recently bought my son a new phone from mobiles.co.uk. I didnt realise that they activated the Orange contract when the phone was purchased ( I had wrongly assumed that I would have the option to delay until Chrismas day) So I have had to pay for the contract in the two weeks that it has been sat under the tree.
the response to my emails was
The airtime contract you purchased with Orange is activated at point of purchase as that is where and when the request and security checks are done. No network, either online or through their stores offers the opportunity to delay connection. The deals and tariffs change on a daily basis and you chose one and purchased the deal. We are not in a position to refund line rental because you are not using the contract you purchased.
Something to take into account when buying on line and weighing up cashback v the high street.

OneADay

Its like that with all retailers - you buy, the retailer tells the network, the network activates the service within 48 hours normally of delivery to customer.

Buzby

A useful warning - they do not care what your plans are, all contracts will go live on the approval date. Here's another; you have taken out a contract for a third party, and will be fully responsible for its use and access to all adult content permitted. If the handset is mislaid (say) you remain fully liable for all costs incurred until the network is notified.

You lose all the protection benefits of PAYG at a stroke, simply to get a discounted handset. You might want to advise the network that the beneficial user is a minor (if that is the case).

DUTR

asteroi wrote: »

recently bought my son a new phone from mobiles.co.uk. I didnt realise that they activated the Orange contract when the phone was purchased ( I had wrongly assumed that I would have the option to delay until Chrismas day) So I have had to pay for the contract in the two weeks that it has been sat under the tree.
the response to my emails was
The airtime contract you purchased with Orange is activated at point of purchase as that is where and when the request and security checks are done. No network, either online or through their stores offers the opportunity to delay connection. The deals and tariffs change on a daily basis and you chose one and purchased the deal. We are not in a position to refund line rental because you are not using the contract you purchased.
Something to take into account when buying on line and weighing up cashback v the high street.

Look on the positive side, there is too weeks less time to see out the minimum term agreement. :cool:

mobilejunkie

The first period will be pro-rata as far as the bundle is concerned. That at least means by the time you start using the phone you'll almost certainly have a full month's bundle and are less likely to over-run a pro rate allowance.

Not ALL dealers do this either; Phones4u don't (or never used to) - but CPW always does.

brick

asteroi wrote: »

I didnt realise that they activated the Orange contract when the phone was purchased <snip> So I have had to pay for the contract in the two weeks that it has been sat under the tree.

Look on the bright side - at least when your son opened your early purchase on Christmas morning the Orange service was in fact activated (I trust).

Not everyone was as fortunate with their equally early pre-Christmas purchase - and a projected early January activation after multiple calls to Orange and mobiles.co.uk hasn't quite delivered the anticipated pressie buzz.

Anyway, was well aware of the risks and potential pitfalls with this mode of purchase, so case of taking it on the chin :-)