Cashback Guide for Dummies

Lynsey

I understand why you don't "advertise" the great deals MJ, some of them barely last a day and a few only a few hours.
I've cut back on cashback deals of late, but still have 5, shortly to become 4.
Deals had been scarce (great ones with top end phones) and only recently have some returned. I check on a daily basis when I'm coming to the end of a cashback deal and act fast when I find a suitable offer.
Plenty of free deals with lower end phones if it's just the sim needed, but not too many free/free'ish deals with higher end phones.
The difference between a low end phone and a higher end phone can be the difference in how much profit can be made if you decide to sell the phone.

Keep up the good work MJ and thanks for all previous help - much appreciated.

Lynsey

Guys_Dad

Lynsey wrote: »

I understand why you don't "advertise" the great deals MJ, some of them barely last a day and a few only a few hours.

Lynsey

Still can't see how it hurts if you have got your orders in and confirmed to alert others to a good deal. Surely that is in the spirit of this site and the whole raison d'etre for the "Quick Grab it while you can" forum? (Not suggesting that mobile deals should be posted there necessarily).

Even if a deal quickly disappears, then is it not better to have some MSE members on this forum getting in on the act rather than the stock going to the public at large? If not "better" then is it worse?

mobilejunkie

For starters, one of my people will need a suitable deal in the next three months. I haven't been able to talk with them direct because they have been ill. Second, new people do join my little group and if there is a deal which is quite rare I prefer to keep that to myself. With great deals so scarce, the numerous people you think would benefit would be reduced to a handful within hours if advertised on here. I actually do provide as much information as I can on various things I know about without harming my own interests of myself or those I watch over. I repeat, anyone could find these deals if put in all the legwork that I do - why should I give away what is a hard-earned and valuable resource for us to save everyone else the bother?

Another example where I will give limited information; of my last three cashback claims with CPW companies - all in the VERY recent past - all three have been administered incorrectly and I have needed to get them corrected or I would have lost out. I am keeping an extra close eye on the others I order for in case similar problems happen to them. One of the problems is quite new (already placed on here recently) but I will not go into more detail; it is quite sufficient to throw up a warning for others to be aware of and avoid blindly following whatever CPW tell you at any point as a few on here persistently instruct.

mobilejunkie

People may be interested to know that with Mobiles.co you can now "remove" the insurance and the tmti at the point of ordering. Of course, this won't be of much help to the (apparently) many who order without even noticing it's on there in the first place...!

I also have reason to fear that the current and (this year) rare decent cashback deals are about to disappear (though it's impossible to know what may replace them, if anything). You should also take care if/when ordering that the deal you click through to is the same one you actually order once it's in your basket - I was about to confirm an order for one of my people tonight when I noticed the deal was different to the one advertised. Another error on their website, no doubt (though I grabbed the same deal yesterday and it was the same at the point of order).

countryman_2

Yes, that confirms I didn't miss the option to remove TMTI the first time then. I ordered a "refurbished" Samsung Galaxy Y for my wife on 24th July on Talkmobile SmartPlan 250 for the princly sum of 62p/month (after cashback) I was able to remove the insurance with a tick box but had to go with the TMTI which I duly cancelled via the link on their own website, I HAVE received the cancellation confirmation from them.

We are so pleased with the phone that I have (yestreday) ordered another one on the same deal and noticed the option to remove both insurance and TMTI at the point of order. This second phone should arrive tomorrow.

Just the cashback hoops to jump through now.....I'll keep you informed.

mobilejunkie

Lucky to get two in a week unless it's in different names (though they do have some flexibility).

The deal has now gone; tomorrow the line rental will double and the cashback won't be the same (it isn't now, even though the website still suggests it is!). Looks like we got in just in time...!

I now suspect we will return for a while to the large part of this year where there were no decent cashback deals - free deals from CPW are very rare in recent times and it was good to see some on the same tariff (albeit with VERY basic phones) which were totally free. Back up to ten contracts (one ended yesterday but this will take me back up again). Three more ending by September close. Getting hungry for more again... but my own policy is to grab the deals when they are there and keep extending the guaranteed timeline of free bundles continuously rather than waiting until a contract is due to expire.

Other benefits are appearing once more; T-Mobile contracts now include 08 numbers (even 0871s!) in their bundles - so I've been enjoying that a lot the last two weeks. Vodafone has free voicemail - so I use one of those as my main number. T-Mobile tends to offer more generous internet allowances (at least, sometimes). Orange charge for message reports - so switch off that facility on the phone. Maybe a network will start including picture messaging in its bundle as O2 used to do. Over the years of doing cashback deals I've found all sorts of extra (and very worthwhile) benefits which I never envisaged at the time.

I sold the last Y on the same deal for £60 plus postage; this one will also be despatched in a similar manner, since I got an even better phone towards the end of last year which serves my mobile internet needs very well.

abchrvis

My deal's gone sour and I wonder if you think I've a chance winning thisit somehow. (Or if I've just lost a load of cash...) When I changed my mobile no. over to the new contract, T-Mobile made a mistake, and they fixed it by cancelling the whole contract and creating a new one. The cashback company now won't pay out anything, despite the fact that I told them about this when it happened, and also despite the fact that I've got an apology letter from T-Mobile. The terms of the cashback deal say that I'm not due anything "if the contract is cancelled", so that seems to rule me out if it's read literally.

Money down the drain?

mobilejunkie

My first port of call would be T-Mobile. Their mistake has cost you all the remaining cashback because of their "fix". I think that is your best bet for compensation - though it depends on the fact that T-Mobile really did make the mistake which led to a cancelled contract (anything you do with the network can jeopardize the cashback from the dealer). If they cancelled the contract without just cause (other than to correct their own unknown (here) mistake I think you may have a legal claim against them for the loss that has caused you (though I wouldn't threaten them with legal proceedings unless they don't compensate you as a "gesture of goodwill" - a laughable term companies generally use when they've made the mistake in the first place.). You may still have a case against the dealer, if what has happened was not instigated or agreed to by you as the strict implementation of the terms may be unreasonable in the circumstances. Many people have free legal advice along with insurnaces or other products; check and if you have you can get better legal advice on these points from a solicitor.

thegoodman

If the Contract is cancelled by the network which was taken via 3rd party, the cashback company. I am sure the new contract would be with t-mobile direct, not 3rd party.

Has t-mobile informed you at the time to confirm this is the case?

abchrvis

It's a plan. I'll (politely) follow up with T-Mobile. I dropped the phrase 'small claims court' into my dealings with the cashback firm and got met by...no reply.

The mistake t-mobile made was to transfer my phone number onto a account I previously had had with them, instead of onto the new account I'd made with them. After a little fuss I have obtained a written apology letter.

thegoodman -- to clarify -- both mobile contracts are with t-mobile; the problem is that the first contract with t-mobile was cancelled and replaced with a whole new one, and the cashback co. say that if my contract with t-mobile is cancelled, then I'm not entitled to any cashback from them.