T-mobile upgrade questions
Luckyrat
Does anyone know about upgrade policies on T-mobile? I am stuck on
Vodafone through 4U phones (singlepoint) who won't let me upgrade my
phone without changing to a newer (read more expensive) tariff.
If I buy a T-mobile phone now, will I be able to upgrade it in a years
time while still keeping the same tariff and phone number? Or is the
policy related to the shop you buy the phone from rather than the
network?
Has anyone bought a T-mobile phone online and had any experience of
upgrading their phone at a later date? Some phones seem much cheaper
online but I don't want to be trapped with bad terms and conditions in
a year just to save a bit of cash now. It seems impossible to actually
find "hidden" information like this on the web sites I have been to so
far.
How do I know that the company won't mess me around by charging fees
for upgrades or things like that? (Any recommendations for respectable
online companies or offline shops in the Bristol area are gratefully
received!)
Thanks in advance to everyone that feels they can help me with these
questions.
Chris :-)
Peter
>Hi,
>
>Does anyone know about upgrade policies on T-mobile? I am stuck on
>Vodafone through 4U phones (singlepoint) who won't let me upgrade my
>phone without changing to a newer (read more expensive) tariff.
I
If, after 12 months, you're 'sensitive' to a "more expensive" tariff
then the chances are you're not a heavy user. That's the first thing
to establish. If you're a heavy user then the networks are at your
feet in terms of upgrades (and you get better value for the calls you
make). If you're not, then a completely different strategy applies.
>If I buy a T-mobile phone now,
Whoooah a minute! Why are you singling out T-Mobile? We need some more
info here. A lot of your contacts are on T-Mobile? Or what?
> will I be able to upgrade it in a years
>time while still keeping the same tariff and phone number?
Focus on the fact that if (as we may have established above) you're
not a heavy mobile phone user, that it's usually better value to buy a
new phone on a new contract (probably on a different network, if you
want to keep your number) rather than upgrade. Ok, so there are
exceptions to that rule, but it's a pretty safe bet in most cases.
Basically, you can port to another network (if network doesn't matter
to you) and bring your number with you (if that's important) and take
advantage of the 'new contract' deals that the new network
offers.These tend to be a lot better value than upgrading on your
current network, when you're on a cheap tariff.
Having said that, if you're up for a bit of hassle (and you want to
stay with the network you're on; and you want to keep your current
number) then there's the option of 'porting out' (moving your number
to another network) for a month and then 'porting back' to the
original network. Frankly, the money saved isn't worth the
considerable hassle but if you're anorack enough for it then it's an
option.
> Or is the
>policy related to the shop you buy the phone from rather than the
>network?
95% of the time it's related to the network policy and the tariff
you're on.....nothing to do with the guys you bought the phone from.
>Has anyone bought a T-mobile phone online and had any experience of
>upgrading their phone at a later date? Some phones seem much cheaper
>online but I don't want to be trapped with bad terms and conditions in
>a year just to save a bit of cash now. It seems impossible to actually
>find "hidden" information like this on the web sites I have been to so
>far.
When you buy a phone on the net (or on the High St.) your contract is
with the service provider, not the shop you bought it from. Generally
speaking, all the shop is interested in is in getting their commission
for the first year of your contract with the service provider. There
are few absolutes in this business, and this isn't one of them, but
it's a general truth.
>how do I know that the company won't mess me around by charging fees
>for upgrades or things like that?
See above.
>(Any recommendations for respectable
>online companies or offline shops in the Bristol area are gratefully
>received!)
Don't focus on your local area. Get the best deal you can (including
shipping), independent of geography.
You need to identify your usage pattern and establish how important it
is to keep your current number. Always divide the monthly cost of your
contract by the number of free minutes you're getting, to get a
general idea of the cost per minute. (You also have to factor in the
cost of calls when your free minutes run out but that's the
complicated bit!). If keeping your current number is not particularly
important and/or the best deal you can get for a new handset is not
with your current network and/or most of your current contacts are not
on your current network then you should probably consider porting to a
new contract on a different network.
The UK mobile phone market is screwed up by handset subsidies that are
designed to attract new customers; not necessarily to keep old ones.
You can therefore play the system if you move around. The complicating
factor is that the 'deals' available are purposely designed to make
comparison on a 'like for like' basis very difficult. But there are a
few absolute rules:
1) If you're not on PAYG then never let 12 months go by without either
upgrading or getting a new contract and a new phone. Sell the new
phone on Ebay (or whatever) to subsidise your contract cost over the
year.
2) Be aware of your calling pattern. You might be better off sticking
with your old phone, moving to PAYG, and getting out of the upgrade
rat race.
3) Upgrade deals are generally worse value than new contracts if
you're on a low tariff (and sometimes even if you're on a high
tariff).
4) Shop around. There can be huge differences between the overall cost
of the same contract/handset from different vendors.
5) Keep in mind that with a bit of effort it's possible to take
advantage of cheaper calls by using indirect telecom providers (you
ring an 0800 number before calling your contact; and this can be
programmed into your handset phonebook). You need to keep this
possibility in mind when choosing a new contract (i.e are 0800 numbers
free? or out of inclusive minutes? etc. etc)..
Basically the more effort you're prepared to put in, the cheaper your
monthly costs will be. You can potentially go to extreme lengths to
save money if you've got the inclination. The trick is to decide how
much effort you're prepared to expend for how much saving.
Peter
Doki
Luckyrat <luck...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e462d525.04012...@posting.google.com...
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know about upgrade policies on T-mobile? I am stuck on
> Vodafone through 4U phones (singlepoint) who won't let me upgrade my
> phone without changing to a newer (read more expensive) tariff.
>
> If I buy a T-mobile phone now, will I be able to upgrade it in a years
> time while still keeping the same tariff and phone number? Or is the
> policy related to the shop you buy the phone from rather than the
> network?
>
> Has anyone bought a T-mobile phone online and had any experience of
> upgrading their phone at a later date? Some phones seem much cheaper
> online but I don't want to be trapped with bad terms and conditions in
> a year just to save a bit of cash now. It seems impossible to actually
> find "hidden" information like this on the web sites I have been to so
> far.
As the other bloke said, it might depend on what tariff you're on. I'm on
Everyone 200 (£29/month) with T-mobile, and when I wanted to swap networks
(last October I think) they offered me an upgrade of a T610 for free, and
50% extra free minutes, which was better than anyone else could offer. If
you do enough umming and sounding unconvinced they offer you more IME.
I'm going to get them to send me a Z600 and hopefully some extra call time
or texts when they get them in. You should easily be able to get the same
deal as a new customer would. Do some research and find out who is offering
better deals, and tell the people on the end of the phone you'd like to swap
to them. When I rang I was initially just asking about how to cancel my
contract...
Marc
> As the other bloke said, it might depend on what tariff you're on. I'm on
> Everyone 200 (£29/month) with T-mobile, and when I wanted to swap networks
> (last October I think) they offered me an upgrade of a T610 for free, and
> 50% extra free minutes, which was better than anyone else could offer. If
> you do enough umming and sounding unconvinced they offer you more IME.
>
> I'm going to get them to send me a Z600 and hopefully some extra call time
> or texts when they get them in. You should easily be able to get the same
> deal as a new customer would. Do some research and find out who is offering
> better deals, and tell the people on the end of the phone you'd like to swap
> to them. When I rang I was initially just asking about how to cancel my
> contract...
>
>
My t/mobile contract will be a year old in March, what ius the best way
of getting a good deal? go in and ask about porting your number so they
see you're thinking of moving?
Marc
Doki
Marc <marcus....@imarc.co.uk> wrote in message
news:107498480...@demeter.uk.clara.net...
> My t/mobile contract will be a year old in March, what ius the best way
> of getting a good deal? go in and ask about porting your number so they
> see you're thinking of moving?
I rang them up today, and asked them what my options were for an upgrade.
They said I could have a Z600, even if I swapped to Everyone 100. I told
them I wanted the 50% extra free minutes being offered on their website,
they said they could do it, but only if I signed up for 18 months. I said
I'd look at what the other networks were offering, and eventually they gave
me the extra free minutes. They had to put me through to some other bod who
arranged that.
If they think you're going to go to another network they get their skates
on. To get through to a person, ring 150, and hammer all the numbers on your
phone; the computer thinks you're an idiot and puts you through. I wouldn't
bother dealing with a shop, just ring T-mob and they'll have a new phone
sent out.
Luckyrat
Thanks again to everyone who posted in responce to my questions. I've
now got plenty of information on the subject and I'm grateful for it
all.
Thanks,
Chris :-)