Phone Contracts

[Ingram85]

But even a nexus 5 over 24 months with a £15 sim would cost £650 ish no?

but why would you keep it for exactly 24 months? How much will it be worth when you do want to sell it? What happens when someone introduces a tariff which suits you better?

No having a go. I just think that committing yourself to 24 months in a market which changes so fast is a bad idea. If you can get a mobile company to give you credit, you can get a zero percent credit card to buy the phone.

No no I get what your saying honestly but I just can't afford anything outright and in my head I'm getting a good phone, a smartwatch (which I can sell) and a good tariff which when all totalled up comes in at £29 a month (£696 in total over 2 years), that's the same as a new iPhone bought outright just on its own. To buy seperately what I'm getting would cost £800+. If I sell the watch for £125 that leaves the cost of the deal at £570. Meaning I've got a brand new s4 for £210;

Sim (500mins (which I don't get near to), unltd data and texts) for £15 x 24 = 360

I haven't seen a cheaper sim personally and I doubt the prices will change too much in a few years.

Its not a bad deal all in all, I don't mind having an s4 for a few years and I dont think its too bad despite the cons that come with being locked into a 2 year contract. One of the better offers out there certainly.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Ingram85

[limpid]

I don't understand "I can't afford anything outright". Get an interest free credit card and use that. Pay it off over whatever the interest free time period is and sooner if you sell the phone.

[Ingram85]

Sounds like a hassle. Id rather not have a credit card too.

[limpid]

Sounds like a hassle. Id rather not have a credit card too.

It is hassle. Until your circumstances change and you're stuck in a 24 month deal.

 

How do you make secure payments on the internet without a credit card?

[shaggy]

Have you got a link to that deal Ingram as I need still need a new phone after being scammed on Ebay? Would appreciate any help you can give me.

All on the tesco mobile website chap.http://phone-shop.tesco.com/pay-monthly-phones/pay-monthly-phones-listing.aspx?manufacturer=Samsung&model=Galaxy%20S4&networkProvider=T-Mobile&contractLength=0&price=30&colour=&group=&ratingScore=0

Many thank you's for that.

[leviramsey]

Shifted my currently month-to-month AT&T contract to the Mobile Share Value plan.

Before I was paying $73/month for 450 anytime minutes (though calls between 7pm and 7am are unmetered and up to 12 months worth of unused minutes roll over; I had about 4600 minutes in the bank), 3 gigs of data (on 2G, 3G, 4G HSPA+, and 4G LTE), and $0.20 per text sent or received. This was a continuation of my 24 month contract terms.

Now it's $65/month for unlimited voice and text and 2GB data (I was only using 1-1.5 GB/month).

For the moment I'm not interested in upgrading my phone, though probably will a few months down the road; I'll probably go AT&T Next, which will knock $15/month off the service plan and allow me to finance a new phone at 0% interest over 26 months. The service would technically still be non-contract (I would only have to pay the remaining balance on the phone). Right now, I could thus go with:

Moto X for $15.38/month (so a net of $0.38/month)

LG Optimus G Pro for $14.23/month (so saving $0.77/month)... this is basically a Nexus 4 with a 5.5" screen (going from AMOLED to LCD is about the only thing I'm leery of) and a microSD slot.

Edited March 26, 2014 by leviramsey

[The_Rev]

LCD is great.  I went from Amoled to LCD when I switched from my Nexus S to Nexus 4 and it's been great. 

 

 

I'd get a Moto X though.  If we had Moto Maker here in the UK then I'd have a claret and blue phone. 

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Need a sim only deal with absolutely everything in.

Unlimited calls, txts, and data and need to be able to transfer my number.

Thoughts?

[Crumpet]

Need a sim only deal with absolutely everything in.

Unlimited calls, txts, and data and need to be able to transfer my number.

Thoughts?

Pricewise have a look at 3 mobile(pretty sure they did a deal lile that for £20 a few years back. They've improved a lot in terms of signal as well but probably worth checking before.

[Seat68]

 

Sounds like a hassle. Id rather not have a credit card too.

It is hassle. Until your circumstances change and you're stuck in a 24 month deal.

 

How do you make secure payments on the internet without a credit card?

 

debit card. I dont have a credit card either.

[limpid]

 

 

Sounds like a hassle. Id rather not have a credit card too.

It is hassle. Until your circumstances change and you're stuck in a 24 month deal.

 

How do you make secure payments on the internet without a credit card?

 

debit card. I dont have a credit card either.

 

You really should use a credit card for online purchases because of all the extra protection they offer.

[Seat68]

I know, thats what my wife says but it took us 15 years to pay the last one off, never again.

[omariqy]

Someone could hack into my debit card if they wanted.  There's nothing in the account for them to defraud me out of.

 

In all seriousness.  I have been looking around for a sim only deal following Limpids advice.  Best I can see is Three for £18.90 on a rolling one month deal.  Anything better out there?  Probably need about 600 mins 600 texts and unlimited data?

[Stevo985]

Giff gaff is cheaper than that

[ismail-villa]

EE did a special offer online which was the iPhone 5C for £23 a month, no upfront cost with 2GB data and I'm not sure with the minutes and texts. It was supposed to be for an hour, but it apparently lasted longer due to some problem. Bargain tbf!

[mykeyb]

Apart from a little more flexibility there really isnt a huge difference when you go sim only or a 24 month contract is there.

 

I bought my Nexus 5 outright for £310.00 and have a £12.90 a month Sim only deal with Three which is a rolling monthly contract so over 24 months the cost is £309.60 + £310 for the phone which if divided over 24 months works out at £25.81 a month.

 

Closest 24 month contract on Three for a Nexus 5 is £26.00 per month with an upfront fee of £19.66 but you would get 3 times the amount of minutes on this compared to what I have now (600 as opposed to the 200 I get) and I would also get free calls to 0800 numbers which Three only offer on 24 month contracts.

Total cost £643.66 which is just about an extra £1.00 per month for not having to buy the phone outright in the first place.

 

I appreciate that I could change my operator at a months notice or can change my phone as often as I like with my current arrangement but if I didnt I cannot say that the extra £24.00 is enough to put me off going down that route next time.

[limpid]

What happens if you change jobs and no longer want the same tariff?

What happens if you change jobs and there is new coverage at the new place?

What happens if you move and there is no coverage?

What happens when they increase your monthly charge (read the contract)?

What happens when they change your bundle (read the contract)?

What happens when someone introduces a much cheaper deal?

 

Personally, I wouldn't accept being charged to be held to ransom for 24 months. If you can overlook that, then it's your call.

[ender4]

What happens if you change jobs and no longer want the same tariff?

What happens if you change jobs and there is new coverage at the new place?

What happens if you move and there is no coverage?

What happens when they increase your monthly charge (read the contract)?

What happens when they change your bundle (read the contract)?

What happens when someone introduces a much cheaper deal?

 

Personally, I wouldn't accept being charged to be held to ransom for 24 months. If you can overlook that, then it's your call.

 

I think 24 months is ok because

 

1) I don't like the yearly hassle of finding a new deal

2) no plans to move house or work anytime soon

 

3) they can only increase bundle by inflation, if they want to increase by more, they have to give you a grace period to cancel the contract

4) If its a good deal to start with, there won't be anything much cheaper within 24 months

 

5) in reality, nothing much changes in 24 months, unless you're an early adopter.

[ender4]

saying that, my current contract is 12 months with T-mobile, for £0.00, minutes, texts, data included, as they made a mistake on their website a few months ago, and i got in quick 

[limpid]

You pay for the convenience of not "having" to shop around and put up with what "deals" they'll let you have (and you really should read the contracts - what they say and what the law says means you paying to bring a civil case). That's up to you of course; I don't understand it myself. Mobile contracts get cheaper (bigger bundles) every 12 months let alone 24. Smart phones are tired after about 12-18 months, particularly the battery.

 

Tying the phone to the service contract seems dumb to me. You wouldn't buy a car which made you use a particular brand of fuel. That's the kind of madness which leads to people sticking with the same football club. Oh wait...