Martins tip for a mobile upgrade...

Reestit_Mutton

Hello again, I phoned O2 online and requested my PAC code and they said they'd be happy to give it to me...once I'd paid the remainder of my contract off, which was £192!

Hi Natasha,

I did say that porting out is only a cost-effective option AFTER the minimum term of the contract has passed.

cheers
RM

natasha79_2

I was probably too excited to read your post correctly, sorry!

I'm really sick of O2 though, I've had endless problems with them. For nearly 4 months I couldn't pay my bill due to a problem with their computer system which meant I existed only in name, number and overdue account, so they cut me off, despite me phoning nearly everyday to try and sort the problem out and pay my bill.

Then the gold upgrade (which should be simple) took WEEKS to sort out. In fact they never even sent me the vouchers, they had to email me a letter of authority which I had to fax to my local store, and even then I had to go back 2 weeks later!

I wrote and complained to them, and they basically told me to get lost, though they did offer to reimburse me for the phone calls I had to keep making. But they refused my request of suitable compensation.

So I'm hardly surprised that they're not bothered about keeping their customers sweet with good deals. Any O2 Online staff reading this care to get in touch...please?!

grayoo

Just a point of note.


I have two phones with vodaphone on pay monthly(one my daughter uses full time).
Nearing the end of my contract on the first phone last month, I upgraded free to a Samsung E810 - very nice ;D

Phoned to upgrade the other phone today, Vodafone said that as of Nov 1st they do not do any free upgrades at all.

I was told by them to give a months notice and cancel the contract. This will mean losing the number, then to take out a new contract on a similar tariff, except the cost, its an extra £7 a month.

Bye bye Vodafone me thinks >:( >:(

cerbera

I tried this before and had no luck, but thought I'd give it another go !
I was on oranges 120 mins for £25/month tariff with extra texts and gprs bundle.
I firstly spoke to customer services who couldn't help me at all.. the phone I wanted (P910i) would be £250 to upgrade !! No chance.... so I said could you match the 3 tariff of 500 mins for £25 ?? She said no, only retentions can ... so I gave them a call !
He agreed straight away to match the tariff so I asked about handsets.. and he said the cheapest he could do would be £199... unless I took a non 3 tariff.. so he offered me a match to O2's 200 mins and 50 texts for £30 and I can have the handset for £89 !! So I said yes... (I never use more than that amount of minutes and I no longer pay extra for texts !! Bonus !
So all is well, I have saved money and got the phone I wanted for a lot less !! Thanks for the advice Martin.... Keep it up !!

boots_babe

My Singlepoint/Vodafone contract is up this week, so a month ago I called and gave notice. They put me through to disconnections who tried (a bit) to get me to stay, but couldn't touch the deal I had found by Orange.

Contract runs out on 22nd November, and then today Singlepoint called again to try and persuade me to stay. Again, they could only offer a contract which cost considerably more (£20 pm instead of £12 pm) and gave me less so I had to say no.

Then tonight, Vodafone (as in Vodafone billing not Singlepoint) called to say that I used to be with them (contract ended Oct 2003) and they would like me back. I explained what offer I had from Orange, and they proceeded to better it! :-)

Orange : £12.50pm, 240 any network minutes, no texts, Motorola V500.

Vodafone : £12.50, 200 any network mins, 50 texts, PLUS 3000 weekend mins, any phone I liked.

I obviously went for the Vodafone deal and now await arrival of my shiny new phone! Also, they do a £25 refer a friend scheme and I know at least 3 if not 4 people who would be interested so even more money saving potential ;D

Agent_C

I gave the tip a go but no cigar.

I've been on the YourPlan 120 for 14 months, £25pm for 120 x-net minutes, plus I got 1000 texts a year for the first year, after this year was up I got a text from Orange saying they would continue my free texts for the next 6 months. I hardly ever spent over the £25 and when I did it was never more than £1 or so.

Recently my phone broke so I've had to put my sim into my Avon mobile, a Nokia 3310, well after a few days I was missing my camera phone and friends were pointing and laughing at the 3310... looking at what was available I became transfixed by the Orange SPV C500 smartphone, which was available free for new customers on my current tariff, but with a load of extras - free evening texts and minutes, cashback, bluetooth headset...

So I called Orange and said I wanted to disconnect, they asked why and I said I'd seen a better deal with 3, and quoted a deal with a free smartphone, more minutes and texts than Orange for the same price I'm on now - but he said they couldn't match it. I asked what they could match, and he had a look at my spending and said that 'with respect' I didn't spend enough for them to justify giving me any better deals. He said they could give me a free phone if I signed up for another 12 months but on the same tariff as I'm on now, no extras.

I'm going to cancel my contract and then reconnect to Orange again with the better deal - they're one of only two providers that I can get a signal on when I'm staying at my parents' house out in the sticks, and I want that smartphone - but it's left me feeling a bit bitter, after all £25 a month is a lot of money to me, even if it isn't to them.

One infuriating thing is that I couldn't get him to reduce the 30 days notice I have to give, though I'd read on Martin's previous thread that someone only had to give 14 days. I explained that my phone was broken and as they weren't prepared to offer me a better deal, could they not reduce the notice, but no.

I'm concerned that some of the special offers I've seen with the smartphone might run out by next month. So I'm going to try the trick with the PAC code as posted by Reestit Mutton earlier - can anyone confirm that if I port my number across to a PAYG sim, that as soon as this goes through my contract with Orange will end and I won't have to pay till the end of the 30 days? Also, does anyone have any experience as to which PAYG provider would be quickest at porting my number over (and back again to Orange once I'm on my new contract)? I don't mind paying eg. £10 top up for a PAYG sim, but I'd rather not be stuck with it in my Nokia for a time while my number is ported back...

Thanks in advance!

Smartasss

can anyone confirm that if I port my number across to a PAYG sim, that as soon as this goes through my contract with Orange will end and I won't have to pay till the end of the 30 days?

If your contract requires a month's notice to quit (outside of the minimum contract period) then even if you find the number has been transferred before the month is up they will still charge you the full month's rent - and be entitled to.

natasha79_2

It seems this upgrade thing is a bit hiss and miss. But I'm glad some Jack's are alright!

O2 still haven't phoned me back so I have no idea what they wanted. But I know what I want, and that's a new phone as I don't like the screen on this one, and I want more texts and more minutes and I want it all now...with a cherry on top.

millport

Hi

I am with Singlepoint/Vodafone, for a phone I pay for my daughter. I wanted a new specific phone and my contract was up in 2 months time. I told them "three" had offered me the phone I wanted and a better deal.

They offered me the Nokia for £100, I told them I wanted to cancel , so they transfered me thro to her supervisor who as reported above could do better deals and I ended up getting the phone for free.

My monthly bills were about £30.00. I changed also to another package which should keep the bills more settled - 500 texts and 30 anytime mins for £30.00 and a free phone.

falcon21

Port out to a PAYG like Virgin, and port back into Orange 30days later to the phone & tariff deal that you wanted.

Don't they keep records on who they've had as a customers? Well, actually I know they do because Orange phoned me up almost a year to the day after I left them - cheeky bug*ers!

With the credit card companies you normally have to leave it for 6 months before they'll treat you as a new customer. Nationwide seem to keep the records longer and won't give you an introductory deal twice at all!

Has anyone succesfully done what resstit mutton has suggested? I'm just hoping I can still do it in a year with 3!!! The networks may not be as sophisticated as banks yet, but they will be!