mobile contract length

Soldato
Joined
28 Feb 2006
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6,044
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Beds
Just got off the phone to 02 about an upgrade. so to get something similar to what i had last year i need to upgrde to an 18 month contract. Apparently 18 months is the industry standard now.

last year:
500 txts
200 mins
12 months contract
£30 a month - £5 discount

new contract:
400 txts
200 mins
18 month contract
£25 a month

im getting less for a longer contract :mad: Is 02 going backwards :confused:
 
Soldato
OP
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6,044
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Beds
i did mention it to the girl. i dont really use 400 txts 200 mins 90% of the time any way. its not a factor that would make me consider leaving it just seemed a bit strange
 

Maz

Maz

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
7,387
Location
Newcastle.
That's not a very good deal!

I managed to get this deal through retentions @ Orange.

£25 a month
550 Anytime/Network Mins
Unlimited Text
Sony Ericsson W950i
18 Mth.
 
Soldato
OP
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Beds
i was looking at orange as i was with them before i moved to 02 a couple of years ago. it only seems that i have been offered what every new customer gets.
 
Associate
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26 Nov 2006
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Location
Leicester
iv just ordered my first ever 18 month contract. Im happy with this as it comes with the orange 500 mins and unlimited txt's, a new phone and an xbox 360 premium
 
Soldato
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Chatteris
It's because all of the networks are fed up of giving away or selling handsets at a major loss and watching them appear on EBay a few minutes later.
People assume that when they get a free handset it hasn't cost the network anything/much.
However your average handset is still costing well over £100 and the latest models double that.

As always people have bought this on themselves - if you had access to the threads read those from 12-24 months ago and every other one was about "picking the right free phone to EBay".
But people forget this a year or two later when they find the networks are becomming a little more demanding.
 
Soldato
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6 Nov 2004
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5,779
It's to do with the amount of money you spend, £25 isn't much relatively that's why they're probably not offering much either.
 
Associate
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13 Nov 2006
Posts
189
It's because all of the networks are fed up of giving away or selling handsets at a major loss and watching them appear on EBay a few minutes later.
People assume that when they get a free handset it hasn't cost the network anything/much.
However your average handset is still costing well over £100 and the latest models double that.

As always people have bought this on themselves - if you had access to the threads read those from 12-24 months ago and every other one was about "picking the right free phone to EBay".
But people forget this a year or two later when they find the networks are becomming a little more demanding.


No offence but its absolutely nothing to do with that. Do you think O2 etc care what you do with the phone after youve entered into the contract?, because they dont.

The migration to 18month contracts is due to the higher cost of the mobile's themselves -which to be fair you make reference to. In addition it is my belief that there has, conspiracy theory coming up, been a high level meeting of all the company's to move enmasse to 18month contracts as the norm.

Personally i like an 18 month contract that gives me a "decent" phone and a freebie (360 for example) with 500 or so of each.

Just my 2p's worth.
 
Soldato
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Location
Chatteris
Of course they care.
What do you think is the real value of the phone that O2 let you have when you take out a contract?
That free phone you are given is worth a hell of a lot more - people weren't picking which phone they wanted to use, they were picking which phone would make them the biggest profit on EBay.
By moving people to 18 month contracts then people are not entitled to new phones until 18 months pass rather than 12.

Take an average £25 per month contract.
Over 12 months the telco is only guaranteed to make £300.
By the time the true value of the handset is taken away from that £300 there is hardly any profit being made.
However extend that to an 18 month contract, the telco is going to make a minimum of £450 from you.
Even after the removal of the handset price there is more profit (in fact they might actually make money on you rather than lose as in a lot of cases).

I'm not saying this is the only reason for the push towards 18 month contracts but it is certainly one of them.
 
Soldato
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Newcastle upon Tyne
Of course they care.
What do you think is the real value of the phone that O2 let you have when you take out a contract?
That free phone you are given is worth a hell of a lot more - people weren't picking which phone they wanted to use, they were picking which phone would make them the biggest profit on EBay.
By moving people to 18 month contracts then people are not entitled to new phones until 18 months pass rather than 12.

Take an average £25 per month contract.
Over 12 months the telco is only guaranteed to make £300.
By the time the true value of the handset is taken away from that £300 there is hardly any profit being made.
However extend that to an 18 month contract, the telco is going to make a minimum of £450 from you.
Even after the removal of the handset price there is more profit (in fact they might actually make money on you rather than lose as in a lot of cases).

I'm not saying this is the only reason for the push towards 18 month contracts but it is certainly one of them.

It really has nothing to do with eBay. Whether you keep the phone and pay the network £300 or sell the phone and pay the network £300 makes absolutely zero difference to the network. It's not what you do with the phone that matters, it's that they've given you it in the first place. If I'm happy with my current phone, I'm perfectly entitled to sell any free upgrade as I see fit.
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Oct 2003
Posts
5,518
Location
Wiltshire
Just got off the phone to 02 about an upgrade. so to get something similar to what i had last year i need to upgrde to an 18 month contract. Apparently 18 months is the industry standard now.

last year:
500 txts
200 mins
12 months contract
£30 a month - £5 discount

new contract:
400 txts
200 mins
18 month contract
£25 a month

im getting less for a longer contract :mad: Is 02 going backwards :confused:
Could be worse - you could be paying £35 a month for 200 mins/200 texts on an 18 month contract. O2 reserve that particular one for their most gullable customers. :p
 
Associate
Joined
13 Nov 2006
Posts
189
It really has nothing to do with eBay. Whether you keep the phone and pay the network £300 or sell the phone and pay the network £300 makes absolutely zero difference to the network. It's not what you do with the phone that matters, it's that they've given you it in the first place. If I'm happy with my current phone, I'm perfectly entitled to sell any free upgrade as I see fit.

dont bother explaining to him-he doesnt understand our point.

The 18 month contract is in order to make more money - an inescapeable fact (so on that point we agree)

If the person shoves the phone on ebay,puts it in the drawer for 12-18 months or uses it as a paperweight what difference (real world, in terms of profit) does that make to the network? We all realise that the phones actually cost money, as grown adults i think we understand that, and we also realize that the handset is merely a honeytrap to get people to sign for a contract.

So why cant you undestand that the handset - or rather how it is used has absolutely no interest to the network. The reason being that how it is used/misused etc doesnt affect their profits in any way shape or form.

Therefore i dont understand your ebay argument?
 
Soldato
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14 Apr 2003
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4,951
Location
Deepest Yorkshire
You can get them to give you 12 month contract on retentions, you just have to convince them that you WILL leave otherwise, even if you cancel your contract and get your puk code you can ring up again after and cancel it all!

I just got:
12 Month contract
200 xnet anytime mins
400 texts
free Nokia 6300
£20 a month
off O2
Recon I could have got more but it's all I need. (last year was on 500min 900txt 12m £20pm free Sammy E900 but never used it all)
 
Associate
Joined
13 Nov 2006
Posts
189
You can get them to give you 12 month contract on retentions, you just have to convince them that you WILL leave otherwise, even if you cancel your contract and get your puk code you can ring up again after and cancel it all!

I just got:
12 Month contract
200 xnet anytime mins
400 texts
free Nokia 6300
£20 a month
off O2
Recon I could have got more but it's all I need. (last year was on 500min 900txt 12m £20pm free Sammy E900 but never used it all)

Ahhh, the Brentmeister General

classic
 
Associate
Joined
17 Mar 2004
Posts
1,562
Yeah I renewed last month (been with 02 1 year) and got the following:

Free Sony Ericsson K850i
1000 texts
600 mins
1MB WAP
12 month contract
£30 a month (the third time I got through I said they'd previously offered me £10 off any contract and if they did it off the £40 tarrif on their site i'd upgrade).

I was paying £25 a month for 400 texts and 100 mins, so for an extra fiver i'm getting a lot more.

I'm happy with it anyway. :)
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Oct 2002
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9,463
Location
Returning some videotapes
18 Months is only 'industry standard' because people for some reason accept 18 month contracts. I for one will try my best to resist - 18 months is far too long to have the same mobile. 12 is too but bearable.

At any rate, you shouldnt have taken what she said as fact, you could easily have got a better deal, what a pity. - I just noticed this was posed in July!
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
3 Jan 2006
Posts
1,835
Location
South Wales
18 month contracts are crazy. The technology of mobiles moves so quickly. If your on ocuk forums I assume you have at least an above average interest in gadgets and new technology. Could you live with the same phone from now until June 2009!!?
 
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