Nokia N95 - best deals?

Yurg

Hi, I would be interested to know if any of you have managed to negotiate this deal as an existing Vodafone customer? The problem I'm having is that all these deals seem to only be available to new customers - I need to keep my number for work so cannot simply re-apply (unless I'm unaware of some loophole). It winds me up no end that mobile companies will offer significantly better deals to new customers than those that have been with them for years :mad:

My only ammunition that I could think of would be if a competitor offered a better deal that I could ask them to match but I've yet to find one.

I did phone and try some fairly hard bargaining - their best final offer was £60 for the phone, £25 a month for 18 months for 125mins and 1000 texts. Not a bad offer but just not as good as what a lot of people here have managed! Plus a friend of mine walked into a Vodafone store a few days back and got the phone for nothing, 12 months at £30 a month for 500 mins and 300 texts - a good £150 cheaper than my best offer over the course of the contract.

Basically - any ideas how I can squeeze that bit extra out of Vodafone or any competitors offers I can shake them up with?

Thanks all.

emweaver

Have you tried upgrading at your local store?

I know if you go to another network u can keep ur number, not sure how it works if u stay with same network but cant see why they wont let you

Yurg

You'd think so but I was told 'my number can't be in two places at once'. I did try and argue the point but the rep I was speaking to wasn't having any of it. I don't really know if he was telling the truth or if it was more sales talk.

Not tried my local store properly yet (ie haggling) but did pop in a couple of weeks back and they quoted me £230 for the handset!

emweaver

When you cancel you get a pac code, you quote this when you get a new contract and it tranfers ur number across. I know when u buy on vodafone.co.uk it asks for this code.

Kerr_Avon_2

I suppose in theory you could buy the cheapest non-Vodafone PAYG you can find, transfer your number over, then get the Vodafone deal you want and transfer the number back again and sell the PAYG handset... Don't know if the PAYG network would play ball on that though. In any case, it's all a bit of a palaver.

I'd keep phoning Vodafone and talk to different people to try to get a deal you like.

voyager7

Zheka wrote: »

I received my N95 today.
Its new, with extra in-car charger. Just spoke to support and they are unlocking it for free as well

How did you get them to unlock the N95 for free?

Yurg

Thanks for the suggestions - I reckon I'm going to try cancelling my contract and asking them to make my handset PAYG and then approach them as a new customer.
A shame I have to jump through quite so many hoops but the cost difference really does make it worth doing!

emweaver

my sister took out this tariff with 6 mth 1/2 price after reading this thread she rang them up and said she wanted to cancel unless they offered her a better deal so they said she could have 9mths 1/2 price. she didnt have the n95 though she got ak800i plus a free paygo phone.

rachelandgromit

I've taken the N95 back and cancelled my contract on 02, mainly because I didn't think it was a good deal. After hearing me moaning about wantint this phone someone who gets part his contract paid for him at work and is on quite an expensive contract with T-mobile said he was due for an upgrade and he'd let me buy the phone off him (he hates technology). He's been offered the N95 with 512mb card with maps on it, all cables and in-car charger/mount. He's also said he will pay the 3 year subscription for me for the sat nav. Said he will let me have it for £300. I know if I'd have been quicker I'd have got the whole vodaphone deal for less than this on a contract, but what does everyone think of this.

Also, any advice on if I can unlock the phone if its on T-mobile, I dont think I want to go with T-mobile as o2 offer me alot more for my PAYG when I only top up £10.

Kerr_Avon_2

rachelandgromit wrote: »

...
...but what does everyone think of this.

Also, any advice on if I can unlock the phone if its on T-mobile, I dont think I want to go with T-mobile as o2 offer me alot more for my PAYG when I only top up £10.

If you're happy with it, any deal is a is a good deal! Whether it's any better than a contract deal (I assume you plan to just use a PAYG sim in the phone) is up to you to work out by figuring out how much you are likely to spend on it over the course of 12/18 months.

As for unlocking it, you (or the person you are buying it from) may be able to pay T-mobile to do it. I don't know what their policy is, but I believe, for example, Vodafone usually charge £20 in the early days of a contract.

As far as I know, there's currently no other way to unlock the N95 than having the issuing network do it.