Do free phone & line rental cash back deals still exist?

themissingdigit

been looking around as im coming to the end of my latest deal & cant seem to find any this time. thanks to forumistas from here i havent paid for a call or a phone since 2004. its been a great run, but i thought i would ask the experts before i start paying.

thanks paul

grumbler

Keep your phone and use Ovivo for free airtime.

mobilejunkie

Yes, they exist - just. But there haven't been any which end up free for months - hence why I'm down to just six contracts and resorting to ordering lesser deals for others than we are used to.

It depends what you require, but they are always better than the alternatives - provided you know what you're doing.

Jaxer

I'm in the same boat with 2 contracts (Vodafone and T Mobile) ending in April. The retention/upgrade offers when I asked for the PAC codes were pretty crap. So far, the cheapest cashback I've seen is on Talk Mobile through e2Save - 450 mins / 5000 texts / 500mb data for £7.99 x 24 mths after cashback with the usual low-end handsets. If you factor in Topcashback and flogging the handset on eBay, then it probably gets down to under a £5/mth. The good old days of 99p/mth offers have all disappeared!

mobilejunkie

That's much dearer than the cheapest; however, it has a better bundle than the cheapest and bundles are now at a premium on these deals.

redux

Wholesale termination rates to call to mobiles have been dropping and are about to do so again, which means they can't hope for as much income from receiving calls to their contract holders.

But work with that. Now that it's possible to use separate products, albeit a bit of effort to use, to make mobile calls for a penny or two a minute, is it a problem that these contract deals aren't as good as they used to be?

Guys_Dad

It all depends upon the reason you want a cheap deal. If you feel you can make a profit on the deal and are not bothered about the contract details, then that's one thing.

If you actually want a contract with decent minutes, texts and data but have your own smartphone, then there are a couple of contracts that could outdo sim-only.

Here's one I saw and might actually tempt me back into a contract. (I would keep the handset if I went for it.)
http://!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/samsung-galaxy-s3-mini-white.html

Cost, including Cashback £306
Less Topcashback if you are lucky! £27
that brings it down to £279
Ebay value of handset say, £190

Cost over 12 months £89

or less than £4 per month for 300 minutes, 500 mb, & unlimited texts on O2

Not up to MJ's in-profit deals of the past, but not too bad in today's claimate,

mobilejunkie

Hmmmm... profit is difficult at present; there is just one lingering deal where it is still possble to break even and end up with a reasonable bundle. Then again - same thing happened this time last year; then some excellent (profitable) deals with decent bundles and better phones appeared for about five months.

You catch them when they're there - not when you need them. Although I'm well down on my usual fleet for personal use, I have thus managed to still have 6 contracts running. Just waiting to grab as many deals as I can when they reappear (and they will).

SnowTiger

themissingdigit wrote: »

been looking around as im coming to the end of my latest deal & cant seem to find any this time. thanks to forumistas from here i havent paid for a call or a phone since 2004. its been a great run, but i thought i would ask the experts before i start paying.

There are some 'deals' listed here: http://www.free-line-rental-mobile.co.uk/.

But none of them seem to come with entirely free line rental.

The phones are extremely basic (although that's probably not important if you only want the contract). And they come with tiny call and text allowances and often no inclusive Internet use at all.

Coolhandluke

Guys_Dad wrote: »

It all depends upon the reason you want a cheap deal. If you feel you can make a profit on the deal and are not bothered about the contract details, then that's one thing.

If you actually want a contract with decent minutes, texts and data but have your own smartphone, then there are a couple of contracts that could outdo sim-only.

Here's one I saw and might actually tempt me back into a contract. (I would keep the handset if I went for it.)
http://!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!/samsung-galaxy-s3-mini-white.html

Cost, including Cashback £306
Less Topcashback if you are lucky! £27

that brings it down to £279
Ebay value of handset say, £190

Cost over 12 months £89

or less than £4 per month for 300 minutes, 500 mb, & unlimited texts on O2

Not up to MJ's in-profit deals of the past, but not too bad in today's claimate,

Broken link,can you fix it or repost it again as would be interested in looking into deal.

Quentin

It's not a broken link.

Mse doesn't allow links to that company and uses software to censor out attempts to post links to it.