Cashback on mobile tariffs

[mrsfran]

I'm getting a new phone and the shop (Phones 4 U) offered me a deal whereby I pay out £35 a month but get a cheque back every three months which means that it actually averages at £5 for the first 6 months and then £9.99 a month for the next 6 months. Is this common? Anyone have experience of it?

I'd get 400 mins and 250 texts a month with Three, a free Nokia 6288, £5 worth of music downloads, some video messaging and some other stuff I can't remember.

It sounds like a good deal. Is it?

 

[mrsfran]

PS I'm quite naive about phones, having had my last one for 5 years.

 

[Emerald Toucan]

I currently have a similar deal with OneStopPhone Shop.

They are real fuckers and I have to constantly chase them for my cheques, but get them in the end. Out of 4 cheques they have never just sent me one as they should.

I have had previous deal with other companies and they have gone pretty smoothly.

My advise is if your on the case (ie. send the bills exactly when you should, remember to chase etc) you should be fine. It's sometimes a bit of hassle but by far the best deals around.

I've seen some where you get a phone and free line rental for 12 months including about 200 min free calls to any network.

http://www.contractdeals.com/deals.php

 

[dynamicbaddog]

It sounds like a good deal. Is it?

Sound like a great deal - but read the small print before you commit to anything

 

[girasol]

I think there was something on Watchdog a couple of weeks ago, about how difficult it is to get the cashback, and also that the reason they can offer those deals is because they count on the fact that a certain percentage of customers won't claim their cash back.

e2a: ah I found the report here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/reports/consumer_goods/consumer_20061128.shtml

but it seems the problem was with a particular company: Mobile Solutions Online, not all of them

 

[mrsfran]

I'm pretty good at chasing up bills and stuff, so I think I could manage that okay.

 

[chio]

There's an advert on the radio at present for 3, I haven't listened particularly carefully, but hear them all several times a day, sadly. It sounds like it's £15 a month for life without a silly cash back offer - try getting in touch with them directly rather than through Phones 4 U (who are fairly shocking, for what it's worth)

 

[Jambooboo]

Just spoke about this on another thread.

I got my phone (a Nokia 6280) from Phonebox Direct on the 3 network. My send off the first month of my bill on the 4th/6th/8th/10th/12th with the claim form and they send me a cheque back for the relevant amount (total cost over the year divided by 5).

It helps that me and my gf took out the same deal at the same time, as one of us reminds the other to send the stuff off. Miss sending the claim form/bill off within a month of the bill date and that cashback and all future ones are voided. I always send it recorded/registered delivery (I forget which one it is - so they have to sign for it their end and it is tracked) which costs about 70p.

Oh, and you'll find better deals with internet only retailers than shops IME (reduced overheads/perhaps better economies of scale).

 

[Choc]

I currently have a similar deal with OneStopPhone Shop.

They are real fuckers and I have to constantly chase them for my cheques, but get them in the end. Out of 4 cheques they have never just sent me one as they should.

I have had previous deal with other companies and they have gone pretty smoothly.

what do you mean did you have to ring and hassle them? did you have to do that on top of sending all papers in time?...


re prev deals: can you do some name dropping please. as i find exactly this part difficult to find a company. they all sound a bit dodgy without a recommendation.

ps my prev smooth companie has packed in...they used to be called threemobilephones.co.uk...shame!

 

[Emerald Toucan]

Yes I have to ring and hassle them but I get my cheque in the end.

I'm with OneStopPhoneshop. Avoid at all costs if you do want to behassling them.

My previous deal was with Dialaphone. Again very restrictive with timings etc, but always paid out without hassle.

Always try to get a cheque payment cash-back offer and not a refund to your phone account (I think they're all cheques now anyway) as you have to remain with them past your 12 month contract to get the final cashback.

 

[Choc]

Always try to get a cheque payment cash-back offer and not a refund to your phone account (I think they're all cheques now anyway) as you have to remain with them past your 12 month contract to get the final cashback.

they are cheats aren't they...

thanks for your hints especially this one!

 

[ohmyliver]

erm, you could buy directly from 3, and get 750 cross network minutes, 150 txts and pay 17.50 a month for the entirety of the 18 month contract... and they just charge you that, rather than forcing you to do the sending the bills in (not photocopies, actual bills) thing to get your cash back...

cut out the ponytailed middleman thats what I say

*eta* not sure of what phones get the full half price for 18 months check with website etc

 

[Choc]

really? i will look into it. have been with 3 for over 3 years now and happy

however with a "middleman" you might get the whole 12-18 month for free...!

i have nine days left to decide..?

 

[Choc]

acc to 3 website all the 17.50 offers are not for the full length of the 18 month contract

anyway..off now

 

[Jambooboo]

really? i will look into it. have been with 3 for over 3 years now and happy

however with a "middleman" you might get the whole 12-18 month for free...!

i have nine days left to decide..?

I've not had any cashback problems with the place I linked to above. S'been my second contract with 3 (the first I got through another place and totally forgot about the cashback stuff till it was too late).

 

[ohmyliver]

acc to 3 website all the 17.50 offers are not for the full length of the 18 month contract

anyway..off now

erm apart from the K610i one

 

[Farmer Giles]

Have a chequeback deal with Carmoanwarehouse. 12months free line rental and 300 min/txts. Havent used over that amount, so free phone for year.

 

[Choc]

ohmyliver, yes thanks you were right. i think its a good offer though the sony ericson has a bit small keys (although i actually don't care about the handset really)

however, seeing that i can get it even cheaper...and i love a bargain...i have been recommended as reliable the e2 online phone sellers. as they are apparantly with carphone warehouse...hence will (hopefully) still be around in a years time.

what i find really shite is that that on their site the cheapest deals (by quite a bit) are on 12 month contracts.

..my idea was to get a 18 month contract though to reduce my carbon footprint...hmm?

 

[mrsfran]

I got a straightforward £15 a month 18 month contract with Three in the end, with 75mins talk and 600 texts, which matches my usage. Got a Nokia 6280 free with it.

 

[Choc]

update:

when i was in bristol last week i finally got a recommendation.


so now i have a brandnew sparkly (proud to announce reconditioned) slim silver motorola phone. with 250 minutes and 100 texts.

i pay initially £30 a month but will get a cheque of £81 pounds by the company (without having to claim) after 2 month.

then need to send the 6/8/10/12 bill in. sounds like a bit of a pain. but apparantly it is doable and they are reliable to send you the cheques. so if i manage to claim all of it it should work out at £2.50 a month line rental.

the companies name is e2mobile sth and they are part of carphone warehouse. if you thinking of doing the same thing let me know because there is a recommend a friend option where they give people £20 again..