Where have all the cheap deals gone? Any cheap unlimited minutes deals out there?

swift1_2

For many years now there used to be lots of deals available via cashback redemption that would give you lots of minutes (+crap phone), the net cost per month would be a few quid.

Have all these dried up?
Only last september, bought 2 contracts 600mins, unlimited txt, 100MB data, net cost £2.45 p/m.

Currently trying to find an unlimited minutes deals, not having much luck. Not bothered about phone, txt or data. Cheapest I've managed to get it is £12.39.

Anybody else having much luck?

Swift,
PS: I have no problem doing cashback, have been doing it for over 5yrs with no probs + topcashback!

mobilejunkie

I do cashback deals whenever good ones are around. Now they aren't totally free - similar to last year when some very good deals appeared in late Spring and ran until the Autumn. However, there is no pattern to it - or predictability.

As for unlimited minutes - I've never seen a good cashback deal with that included. 600 minutes and free is about the best I've come across - and that is long gone.

bengalknights

There are still some left but with networks wanting to have more control over customers they are starting to disappear

swift1_2

Have any of you guys had dealings with affordable mobiles in terms of their cashback. I know their are threads on here prob moaning about them as their are threads moaning about mobiles.co.uk and the like. I've tend to stick with mobiles/e2save (Carphone warehouse companies) for more years I can remember.

I've been on this all day, the best I could find are 2 pretty good deals with them offerring LG Optimus L3 or Samsung Galaxy mini with unlimited minutes coming in at around £6 p/m after all cashback.

Their cashback process seems to a faff as well, have to send in every months bill and by post! (thought the days of sending stuff by recorded delivery were long gone!) much prefer mobiles.co.uk online submission saves time and money.

Next up, vodafone are doing a sim only 12month deal, unlimited minutes for £20.50 p/m - however there is £121.40 cashback via topcashback which works out £10.38 p/m. Quite tempting as no scheduled cashback claims process involved.

The other option I've found with mobiles.co.uk htc windows 8s or htc desire X phone, unlimited minutes, 24 months after all cashback works out £13 p/m

think thats about as it good as its gonna get for now.

spannerzone

There's a superb compilation of current deals listed over at HotUKdeals. although the page was started a year ago it is updated every week and lists many phone/sim deals with Deal Of The Week etc

mobilejunkie

swift1 wrote: »

Have any of you guys had dealings with affordable mobiles in terms of their cashback. I know their are threads on here prob moaning about them as their are threads moaning about mobiles.co.uk and the like. I've tend to stick with mobiles/e2save (Carphone warehouse companies) for more years I can remember.

I've been on this all day, the best I could find are 2 pretty good deals with them offerring LG Optimus L3 or Samsung Galaxy mini with unlimited minutes coming in at around £6 p/m after all cashback.

Their cashback process seems to a faff as well, have to send in every months bill and by post! (thought the days of sending stuff by recorded delivery were long gone!) much prefer mobiles.co.uk online submission saves time and money.

Next up, vodafone are doing a sim only 12month deal, unlimited minutes for £20.50 p/m - however there is £121.40 cashback via topcashback which works out £10.38 p/m. Quite tempting as no scheduled cashback claims process involved.

The other option I've found with mobiles.co.uk htc windows 8s or htc desire X phone, unlimited minutes, 24 months after all cashback works out £13 p/m

think thats about as it good as its gonna get for now.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/558661

Affordable is now part of the same (amateurish) group as buymobilephones. Before that they were extremely slippery (yes, i have used them - twice). Now I would expect them to be similar as their new owner; since I have always regarded Buymobile[phones as higher risk and recently they seem to take even longer than before to cough up (and have been late a few times in the last 18 months to the point of issuing a LBA) you must make your own assessment of the risk.

I have found recently that Mobiles.co is now rather more reliable than E2Save - but since most contracts are 24 months it's rather irrelevant how they are acting TODAY. CPW clones regularly change their spots - but are somewhat safer than the alternatives around at present.

As regard Topcashback offers; they are now little better than Quidco. They constantly promote merchants who they know full well may renage on cashback (especially those paying higher cashback) and do absolutely nothing about it. I would say they are now higher risk than CPW - at least (provided you follow the ground rules) you can sue CPW. It is not so easy to hold TCB to account.

swift1_2

@spannerzone - thanks for that link, I hadn't seen that before, really good list.

@mobilejunkie - thx for the info re: affordable. Very apt categorising companies into higher and lower risk re: cashback. I will avoid affordable for my own sanity. Mobiles is my preferred retailer when it comes to cashback (currently have 4 contracts out with them) and most I have to do is do send an email chasing every other claim or so which they then soon sort out. I can't really fault topcashback, all my cashbacks have tracked well, one problem I did have, emailed them, they looked into and eventually credited my account. That was a few years ago when they were a lot smaller. Now that they are a lot bigger with tv adverts, perhaps service levels have dropped.

mobilejunkie

With TCB it's about the merchants. Those who deliberately fail to cough up face absolutely no snaction from TCB - quite the reverse, in fact, as TCB actively promotes them despite knowing full well they don't pay.

Whilst I've rarely had any problems with CPW clones, the likes of Vodafone may be a different kettle of fish.

Guys_Dad

mobilejunkie wrote: »

With TCB it's about the merchants. Those who deliberately fail to cough up face absolutely no snaction from TCB - quite the reverse, in fact, as TCB actively promotes them despite knowing full well they don't pay..

That's why a couple of years ago - with advice from this forum - I moved from Quidco to TCB. But it now seems that the business model that these cashback sites have does not make it worth their while penalising merchants who renege.

Where they do have the power, however, is when they detect or have it pointed out to them that a merchant is seen to be reneging regularly, to report this to their members so that they have the information to make a choice as whether or not to use that merchant.

I currently have over £55 on one transaction outstanding from a bank that I transferred my current account to and who has, for 5 months now, not paid the cashback although ironically, the credit card I took out at the same time (great cashback from the credit card monthly spends!) did get paid.

Sorry to digress.

SavingSteve

I'll often look at https://www.lotsofmobiles.co.uk for redemption deals. Not many great offers around though