should i stay or should i go OSPS

merseyscouse

coming to the end of my cashback scheme with OSPS, had no problems, just had a call offering me to renew my cashback for a 18 month scheme, no phone (happy with existing)
18 MONTHS AT £30, 5 CASHBACKS OF £96 WHICH MEANS I END UP PAYING EQUIVILENT OF £3.33 PER MONTH ON 400mins AND 500texts

Any thoughts

Guys_Dad

You need to weigh up the following.



1 Mobile networks are getting tougher on companies such as OSPS - witness the number that have gone bust.



2 In turn, as you will see from the threads, those that are left are getting slippier and tardy on cashbacks. They try to wriggle out.



3 Consumers are following the threads here and going to court through MCOL which, in turn, costs the mobile suppliers even more cash. The word that the mobile companies are relying on customers cocking up their cashbacks is getting round and the public are getting the word that if you follow the LBA/MCOL route after adhering to the terms 100%, you will get judgment and all of your cashback on the first claim. Not good for the old cashflow, as Charlie will be finding out.



4 Do you believe that OSPS will be around in 18 months time? Why has CPW merged OSPS/E2Save yet they still trade separately although technically the companies appear to have been wound up for rationalisation? (I know that they are still trading and this may be a complete red herring.)



5 If things did go wrong, would £30 per month for 400mins AND 500texts with no phone on an 18 month contract be a good deal? (You know the answer to that.) If the worst came to the worst, would you be able to afford the full payments to the network?



6 What deal will the network offer you? They are biting people's hands off currently to retain their custom.



7 If you are really confident you can get all your cashback claims in on time, that OSPS will be around for the period of your cashback, then the offer is a stonking deal.



8 Just stop and think for a minute. How can a network survive financially if all they get for 400 minutes per month and 500 texts is less than £3.33 per month? They can't. So if your £3.33 per month goes to OSPS, and you get your cashbacks, then that leaves the networks and OSPS picking the carcass of your £3.33 to run their businesses. It's the belief of something for nothing.



9 The regulators are slowly turning to unfair practices and unsustainable cashbacks are right in their sights. Cashback firms can only survive if the bulk of their customers don't get their cashbacks or the network commission is very high. The latter is, I believe, much less than it used to be.



Cashbacks of this order are on borrowed time. The question is when they stop or, as has already happened elsewhere (think MobileRainbow and others), they default.

agsnu

Guys_Dad wrote: »

4 Do you believe that OSPS will be around in 18 months time? Why has CPW merged OSPS/E2Save yet they still trade separately although technically the companies appear to have been wound up for rationalisation? (I know that they are still trading and this may be a complete red herring.)

This is disinegenuous. The question should be: Do you believe CPW will be around in 18 months time? (since the sale and cashback agreement are with the legal entity The Carphone Warehouse Limited)

Quentin

merseyscouse wrote: »

coming to the end of my cashback scheme with OSPS, had no problems, just had a call offering me to renew my cashback for a 18 month scheme, no phone (happy with existing)
18 MONTHS AT £30, 5 CASHBACKS OF £96 WHICH MEANS I END UP PAYING EQUIVILENT OF £3.33 PER MONTH ON 400mins AND 500texts

If you tell them you aren't happy about cashbacks, and that you have heard others are having problems getting cashback out of osps, then the salesman will agree, and tell you about the other retention options they have with similar deals, but that don't require cashback claims.

As always, if you decide to accept any offer over the phone from them, tell them it must first be confirmed to you in writing.

Guys_Dad

agsnu wrote: »

This is disinegenuous. The question should be: Do you believe CPW will be around in 18 months time? (since the sale and cashback agreement are with the legal entity The Carphone Warehouse Limited)

Not really. Loss making divisions can be sold on. Think Rover's break up and what went to BMW and what has gone to China. Could CPW's healthy shop business be sold on to a 3rd party or management buy out leaving CPW Ltd as only E2Save and OSPS?

Not that I am suggesting this is on the cards, of course, merely asking if it could happen

FunkyFeet

Guys Dad your advice has been so helpful, i have now made my decision based on it, i am going to steer well clear of these companies!

I have been stung twice on these Cash Back deals making a loss of over £600/- yet i was still getting enticed back due to offers they keep sending me!

Thanks again Guys Dad.

merseyscouse

ah well, when he rang me back i played hard he gave me another £30 off the deal and it now works out at the equivelent of £1.66 per month, 400mins and 500 texts, on the T&Cs the cashback claim period has gone up to 60 days.