WARNING! Carphone Warehouse "SwapIt" deal. Don't do it

Ricciardetto

Hi all.

I've been lurking on these boards for sometime now and pickedup the odd bargin here and there, and avoided possible problem which you guys have pointed out. So I would now like to add my own bit of help for this sites users.

You may have seen Carphone Warehouse as doing a new deal. Basically after 9 months on your mobile contract you pop along to them and you can "SWAP" your old mobile phone for a brand spanking new one. You think "GREAT" new phone and it costs nothing!!! But you would be wrong!!!

I asked one of the guys in my local CPW and this is what he said.

After 9 months come to us and we will give you a new phone for free. But it all depends on your tariff. The more you pay on your tariff the better that handset. You swap your phone for the new one and sign a new contract. We then take your old phone off you.

Now...

Anyone can see CPW are misslieading you into taking out a second contract, and are saying we'll swap you your old phone for a new one.

The original contract isn't stopped, you are basically paying for 2 contracts and you will have 1 phone.

But here is the bit most people don't know, when you do a credit check at any phone shop you will see that you can already take out 2 mobile phone contract, still pay nothing for the phone and get a good deal.

If your tempted to try and have a second contract please don't go to CPW but do the following.

1) After 9 months contact your provider, and ask them to drop you down to the lowest tarif they have. i.e. Vodafone have £15.00 as there lowest tariff.

2) Go to Phones 4U or any other mobile shop (not CPw as they charge you a diposite for the contract phone now anything up to £200.00 depending on the phone model)

3) Choose your handset (Away go for Sony Ericsson they are the best :T ) and make sure it is simfree and unbranded.

4) Choose your tariff

You will now have basically the same deal that CPW are doing but with the added bonus of that you now have to phones and 2 contract instead of 1 phone and 2 contracts.

I hope you have understood what I am going on about. Hopefully CPW will stop this bad deal, CPW are now not one of the 1st shops I go to, to get a new phone, even though I get a 30% discount from them!!!!

patwa_2

A comment about your point 1) above, many operators, '3' and O2 included won't allow you to drop right down to the base tariff. You need to step down. So if on month 8 you're on £35, you would have to drop down 4 steps, one month at a time to get to £15, which defeats the purpose, as your contract would be up by the time you got to £20 assuming you were on a 12 months contract.

Maybe the other networks allow bulk stepdowns, but '3' and O2 are the one's I'm certain about.

rainbowtrout

Vodafone will allow bulk step down.

Ricciardetto

I know on Vodafone when you reach the 9th month you can dorp down to the £15.00 tariff. Providers are now starting to do more and more 18 month contract, I would rather have a 12 month contract than an 18 month but I couldn't find a good deal on either Vodafone or Orange and get the phone I wanted. But it maybe worth just checking up on it.

Pengranger

I totally agree. I think CPW are misleading the customer. I was shocked to hear that they make you take out a second contract! I was led to believe that the choice of handset selection was also limited.

I've just purchased a phone from Phones 4u, and I did discuss this deal with them. I'm sure I've got a better deal...

I've taken out a 12 month contract which costs £40pm and a swanky new handset. This is the same price as the "Swap It" deal. After my contract has run for 10 months (only one month more than CPW), I can go back in, they will pay off the remaining 2 months of my contract, and I can take out another contract with another swanky new phone. No limitations!

Deal done!

:money:

rjm2k1

Their terms and conditions for this offer make no mention of starting a new contract, they do say you return your existing phone but keep the sim, presumably to put in the new handset under the existing contract.

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/commerce/servlet/gben-server-AssetServer?article=MAIN.UK.INTERNET.DEPARTMENT.SPECIAL_OFFERS.PRODUCTPOPUPS.POPUPSWAPIT&asset=CONTENT

Perhaps the guy in your local shop was confused by the offer?

mcmanlyn

That really isn't how it works!

You have 1 contract take out a phone at the beginning as normal, then halfway through (9mths) you go in take your old phone and get a brand new one, they keep the old one and your contract stays as normal!

There are 3 bandings based on your line rental - gold, silver & bronze. The banding relates to what phones you can get for free. Which is kinda how it works now anyway, the more you pay the better the phone you can get for free.

rjm2k1

Oh dear, we have OP with 4 posts and a 1 post person backing them up
Wonder if either of them work for Phones 4u ?

richyrichuk

hi man, cheers for the heads up im with O2 carphone warehouse and there insurance states that they will buy u out the contract u are in, if u have financial problems or u wanna upgrade. but if u do that u lose ur phone number........

rjm2k1

richyrichuk wrote: »

hi man, cheers for the heads up im with O2 carphone warehouse and there insurance states that they will buy u out the contract u are in, if u have financial problems or u wanna upgrade. but if u do that u lose ur phone number........

Insurance that pays out if you want to upgrade? Doubt it!

richyrichuk

rjm2k1 wrote: »

Insurance that pays out if you want to upgrade? Doubt it!

well i've worked in phones for years and years, and when i heard bout it was like !!!!!!?!?!

but i have gone in spoke to several managers of CFWH and get a very simlar answer off them all. saying they'll pay u out, but u get ur new contract still through CFWH just new phone an new contract. its called life line or something CFWH standard insurance policy