Free Phone and Line rental, where's the catch?

nazomcg

I have recently discovered two offers from at the MobileShop.com website.
At the following addresses they are offering a free phone with free line rental, does anyone have any experience of these?

http://www.mobileshop.com/mobile-phones/o2/pay-monthly/sony-ericsson-t630.php/PNEWO2T6300003

http://www.mobileshop.com/mobile-phones/o2/pay-monthly/motorola-v220.php/PNEWO2V2200003

:cool:

allthatmularky

The catch - is that's its on cashback - you pay the money and claim it back in stages - the risk is if the retailer reneges on the cashback or goes to the wall in this time - Mobileshop have been around a while and do have a decent reputation. The way it works - is that the retailer is paid a connection fee from the network and this is how they are able to offer such deals.
The deals at present are excellent - you can better these deals with Mobileshop by going through https://www.quidco.com who'll give you a further £30 back by buying through them. They are similiar to Rpoints - a cashback site who receive money from the retailer for the effective introduction to the sale.

charley

Can anyone advise on this please. How does one cancel the insurance which is only free for 3 months or can one sign up without the "free" insurance?

CovMan_2

charley wrote:

Can anyone advise on this please. How does one cancel the insurance which is only free for 3 months or can one sign up without the "free" insurance?

It is a condition that you sign up with the insurance, however when you sign up it gives instructions on how you can cancel.

I quote

Following your three months free insurance, premiums will be collected monthly by Direct Debit at £5.99 per month including any IPT and will continue by periods of one month (up to a maximum period of cover of 5 years) upon receipt of your monthly premiums. You can cancel your Direct Debit at any time.

You have a right to cancel the insurance by giving written notice of cancellation within 14 days of the receipt of confirmation of insurance cover to the Citymain Administrators Limited ("the Administrator") at P O Box 116, Ryde, PO33 2WX quoting your mobile phone number. If you do not exercise this right to cancel then your rights and those of the insurer to cancel this insurance cover thereafter are that you may cancel this insurance at any time by giving notice of cancellation, in writing or by telephone, to the Administrator. Cover will terminate immediately on receipt of your cancellation.

If you need to make a claim under the insurance contact the Administrator at the above address or on 0870 444 1660.

Since it is a condition that you have the free insurance, I am going to wait till after the 14 days to cancel, but soon after.

e_python

Has anyone bought the 630 on this deal. If the cheque back works, ins is cancelled, and no calls over the allownace are made total cost for the whole year is NIL right? It seems like a no-brainer to me. Or am I missing something?

allthatmularky

Its not quite a no brainer - cashback sites have been known to fail - so there is risk involved. However, Mobileshop have been round a few years so have a trading history. Use https://www.quidco.com to get a further £30 back.
This deal might be better again - depends on your use of mins/texts - but a high end phone that virtually negates the cashback risk (you could sell the phone) . However, this would work out at £7.50pcm (£9.99pcm less £30pa from Quidco) - whereas the Sony T630 you get £30 for having the phone.

http://www.mobileshop.com/mobile-phones/bt-mobile/pay-monthly/nokia-6230i.php/PBTMOB623I0002