Hello and Help Please....

macman

Even if I had a well paid job and no possibility of losing it, I wouldn't want to commit to paying £1,080 over 24 months just for a phone and airtime contract. You can get a perfectly functional smartphone on contract for a tenner a month.
By all means ask the supplier, but there is frankly zero possibility of them reducing your tariff just because you are in debt. And the only way to void early without penalty is death or bankruptcy, which I doubt are options you'd want to consider. Not the news you wanted to hear, but the reality nonetheless.
As I said earlier, the handset must be expensive, so downgrade and sell it to raise some cash.

19lottie82

NicsWriter1 wrote: »

On a side note, wouldn't it be far better (especially these days) to go back to 12 month contracts?

I think all mobile contracts (or at least most) come with a 12 month option. However the majority of people choose the 24 month contracts as they are "cheaper" in terms of their cost per month, or they don't require an upfront payment at the start of the contract.

NicsWriter1

DCFC79 wrote: »

OP in future look at sim only contracts eg three do sims with all you can eat data for less than what your paying now, there's texts and calls included.

No you can't know if your life will be the same in 2 years time but you certainly don't need to spend £45pm on a phone contract and get yourself a sim only plan and buy a sim free phone.

I'd look at selling the phone to be honest and get yourself 1 of the motorola phones you can get from Tesco for less than a hundred.

Thanks kindly, that is my plan. I had been thinking about it for a few months now, but obviously was hoping to wait things out.

Thanks also, Augustus. This is the first time on ANY forum that I have been bullied into feeling like I am to blame for the whole world and its problems! I know I should have been smarter with my money and debts, but I guess when you get comfy in a position you don't always worry or plan ahead as much as you should. But it was a surprise that someone like Martin Lewis (who seems like a decent sort of chap) would or could allow people on his page/forum to make others feel discriminated against.
But hey ho, you live and learn right?
Also, on a side note; some do offer 12 months - even 18 months - but few advertise the fact. All mobile companies used to offer 12 month, then 18 month contracts; but now all they seem to offer is 24 months... Which would be great if you could be 100% sure your life and circumstances would not change.
It is/was a brand spanking new Nokia 935 Macman... Which went wrong and I had to sell because they couldn't fix it. It has now turned into a contract I'm paying over the odds for and a "sim free" phone my awesome Dad brought which is now also not playing ball...
Returning it was not an option when it could not be fixed, sending this one off is not an option either as it isn't the contract phone and sadly (well for my pocket I guess) I doubt I shall make enough on it to buy myself out of the last 12 months...
(See, it's not ALL my fault...)
But I agree it would have been better to think more about it before taking the contract out, next time... Well I doubt there will be a next time... Of course I am still in need of a phone, just not like this one!
Will certainly be looking at the rolling sim free thingy - and pay as you go too. Am still doing some figure checking to see if I can squeeze myself and get rid of the contact. But I guess, sort of; thanks in some part for listening.... 😳

mobilejunkie

I'd have thought that not paying it off is a better option. It wouldn't save you much if anything, would enable you to pay it off gradually and leave you with having to pay for lesser a bundle which will cost you more again if you didn't have it. It's almost certainly better to pay for the existing bundle which outweighs your needs than end up paying for two.

19lottie82

NicsWriter1 wrote: »

It is/was a brand spanking new Nokia 935 Macman... Which went wrong and I had to sell because they couldn't fix it. It has now turned into a contract I'm paying over the odds for and a "sim free" phone my awesome Dad brought which is now also not playing ball...
Returning it was not an option when it could not be fixed, sending this one off is not an option either as it isn't the contract phone and sadly (well for my pocket I guess) I doubt I shall make enough on it to buy myself out of the last 12 months...

Nicky - I'm a bit confused as to why your original phone could not be fixed. Did you break it, or was it faulty? You say you are a year into your contract and on a second phone that "isn't playing ball" (again, broken, or faulty?)

As you are on your second phone in a year, I'm presuming both were under 12 months old when you started having problems, so they should be under warranty. (again, unless they were broken by yourself, rather than faulty)

macman

The sole reason for 24m contracts is that people want (or are led to believe that they want) a shiny new handset every time they renew their contract. With these now costing up to £600, that would cost £50 per month on a 12m contract, before airtime on top, just for the provider to break even That is not affordable for most, hence the move to 24m contracts, which reduces that to £25 per month.
Go SIM-only, provide your own phone, and you can have a one month contract if you want.

OP, PS: this is not a heavily moderated forum, and if you choose to post on a public forum, you can expect some people to disagree with you: it's entirely up to you if you take their advice or ignore it. Some feel that you have been foolish in taking out this contract and have said so. If that's telling you what you don't want to hear, then so be it-that's how open forums work. But quite how you think this advice is 'discrimination' is baffling.
The bottom line is that you are bound by the contract you agreed, for the minimum term you agreed, and a change in your financial situation will not release you from that contract.

gycraig_2

NicsWriter1 wrote: »

Thanks kindly, that is my plan. I had been thinking about it for a few months now, but obviously was hoping to wait things out.

Thanks also, Augustus. This is the first time on ANY forum that I have been bullied into feeling like I am to blame for the whole world and its problems! I know I should have been smarter with my money and debts, but I guess when you get comfy in a position you don't always worry or plan ahead as much as you should. But it was a surprise that someone like Martin Lewis (who seems like a decent sort of chap) would or could allow people on his page/forum to make others feel discriminated against.
But hey ho, you live and learn right?
Also, on a side note; some do offer 12 months - even 18 months - but few advertise the fact. All mobile companies used to offer 12 month, then 18 month contracts; but now all they seem to offer is 24 months... Which would be great if you could be 100% sure your life and circumstances would not change.
It is/was a brand spanking new Nokia 935 Macman... Which went wrong and I had to sell because they couldn't fix it. It has now turned into a contract I'm paying over the odds for and a "sim free" phone my awesome Dad brought which is now also not playing ball...
Returning it was not an option when it could not be fixed, sending this one off is not an option either as it isn't the contract phone and sadly (well for my pocket I guess) I doubt I shall make enough on it to buy myself out of the last 12 months...
(See, it's not ALL my fault...)
But I agree it would have been better to think more about it before taking the contract out, next time... Well I doubt there will be a next time... Of course I am still in need of a phone, just not like this one!
Will certainly be looking at the rolling sim free thingy - and pay as you go too. Am still doing some figure checking to see if I can squeeze myself and get rid of the contact. But I guess, sort of; thanks in some part for listening.... ��

No one is having a go at you as such but you chose the phone. You chose the contract length you chose the minutes and data.

Believe me iv done it myself 50 quid a month for a iPhone 5 got a year in thinking "what a waste of money" currently have a s5 at 22 quid a month.

Your blaming everyone but yourself because you took out an expensive contract on a none essential item

May be worth ringing them regarding the data. We gave me 20 gig from 50p meg for an extra 7 quid a month.

Regarding the contract Nokia if you haven't personally broke it and it's hardware related Nokia should fix it free under there warrantee which I believe is 2 years ?

NicsWriter1

19lottie82 wrote: »

Nicky - I'm a bit confused as to why your original phone could not be fixed. Did you break it, or was it faulty? You say you are a year into your contract and on a second phone that "isn't playing ball" (again, broken, or faulty?)

As you are on your second phone in a year, I'm presuming both were under 12 months old when you started having problems, so they should be under warranty. (again, unless they were broken by yourself, rather than faulty)

It was a case of they couldn't fix rather than didn't want to fix, it was nothing (I think) I did as such - with both actually - it just seems to hate me now. Everything was fine and then it just froze on me, did that a few times (both now, but it started on the 935) and after it had done it two nights on the trot, I felt I wanted it sorted.
O2 (through CPW) tried to fix it, thankfully for free; but they couldn't find enough wrong with it. Sent the same one (I think/am almost sure) back, which did the freezing thing again a few weeks later. CPW/O2 said there was nothing else they could do to help, so I replaced it myself... This one is starting to struggle with basic and limited use, far less than I used to do anyways. Hasn't frozen yet, but I feel that will come soon.
I don't think I break them, I take good care of all the phones I have usually having cases/covers on them and screen protectors as well as almost always using a little pouch thingy too. Rarely if ever do I drop them, if the do fall it is never from hight etc. (technology just hates me)

I'm not blaming everyone else, nor do I mind taking some of the blame for taking out a contract of my own free will etc. I understand how it all works and that I should have been more sensible when it comes to money - my folks will say much the same. It just seems to me that no matter what phone I get, (especially now) they either don't last the full 24 months of a contract - which makes no sense as if you have taken a contract out, shouldn't the phone last you as long as the contract? (On a quick side note, my very first iPhone was on O2 and through CPW. It was one of the first ones ages ago now. Three months in and the screen just died on me, it went black completely... I had not dropped it and it had been taken great care of, but it just went belly up on me... Since then I have ALWAYS had trouble with iPhones - so much so that I am sure I shall never be able to own one!)
Anyways, I appreciate the advice and pointers. I Understand that forums are public and what have you, it just has never happened where I have been made to feel like it is all my fault - especially when that wasn't actually what I was getting at in the first place... My point was simply wondering what could be done to help me, seeing as I had got myself into a mess and was looking for help to see what my options were. And yes, I can totally see why they have such long contracts now; another thing to look at in the future right...

macman

You misunderstand the nature of a mobile contract I think. The phone is not leased, it is yours from day one to do what you want with, and so the contract provider does not have to maintain it for the duration of the contract, or indeed for any time at all. The manufacturer's warranty on some phones is 24m, but most are only 12. After that, it's down to the owner.

NicsWriter1

macman wrote: »

You misunderstand the nature of a mobile contract I think. The phone is not leased, it is yours from day one to do what you want with, and so the contract provider does not have to maintain it for the duration of the contract, or indeed for any time at all. The manufacturer's warranty on some phones is 24m, but most are only 12. After that, it's down to the owner.

In honesty Macman, I think you could be right there.
I have always assumed you are "buying off" the phone during the contracts term, hence why I have seemingly always accepted whatever the charges etc are.
You seem to understand far more than I do, do you have a few moments to help me understand please? PM me if it is easier than doing it via this thread. I'd really appreciate that, because if it is the case that I don't have to "worry" as it were about holding on to the phone I don't have now; I am more willing to contact them and try sort things.

If things change, as they do with life; and I no longer need as much text/calls etc. would o2 not be able to put down my tariff seeing as I have almost paid off the phone that's no longer... or whatever ~ if any of that makes sense?