Around 30 million people in the UK have contract phones, and I would estimate that 20 million of those have had a gripe with their contract at some point.
I am a passionate money saver, and have spent hours pouring over the brochures and websites of mobile phone retailers and I love finding great deals. There are some fantastic mobile phone offers out there if you go to independent retailers rather than directly to the networks, but you have to be aware of how these companies operate and you have to be prepared to follow their instructions to the letter. They will in most cases offer a discount on line rental which is only paid when you make a claim for it at certain specified months of your contract, usually long enough after you've signed it for you to have forgotten all about it.
The inspiration for this post however was the experience I had with one particular bunch of crooks called The Mobile Outlet, who go beyond the acceptable bounds of customer deception and offer insane deals in the full knowledge that they'll trip you up and not have to pay a penny of it. I have been stretched almost to breaking point but I'm still just about clinging onto what is rightfully mine.
If you're about to take out a mobile phone contract, give this article a read, hopefully you won't have the same trouble I've had!
Make sure you know what you're getting into.
Don't get brainwashed by incredible mobile phone deals. You don't get something for nothing. The reason a mobile phone shop will offer you such a great deal is because they expect not to have to honour all of them. In most cases this is not unreasonable. If you want an easy ride, go to O2 or Vodafone, if you want a good deal, expect to have to work for it.
Go with a reputable company
This should really be the title of the whole lens, highlighted in bold and underlined a hundred times. A reputable company like Dial-a-Phone or Phones4U will not use underhand tactics to defeat your redemption claims. I was initially attracted by Mobile Outlet's deals on O2 mobile phones but I won't make the same mistake again. Beware of The Mobile Outlet, e2save, onestopphoneshone, DialToSave, Mobile Rainbow, CoolNewMobile, Phones2U, and any others that you don't recognise!
Read everything very carefully
That means all the information that's available on the website, including the online terms and conditions. Take a print out of these and compare them with the written ones you receive with your order. In my case, I agreed to the online terms and conditions by checking the box before making the order, unaware that they contained specifications that weren't included in my written ones.
Keep everything
Even if it doesn't seem important, it's better to hold onto it. The Mobile Outlet require you to send it the original dispatch note with your first redemption claim, and void your whole claim if it's not included. Obviously this is the first thing that people chuck away.
Understand the redemption process
Make sure you know what you have to do, including what you have to send in (orignal bills for example), where you have to send it to, and when you have to do it. Put the dates in your diary, in your phone, on your calendar, and tattoo them on your forehead if you have to! Check whether or not you have to send in all the bills up to the redemption date, or just the latest bill.
Don't leave it to the last minute
For two reasons, firstly to leave no doubt as to when the claim arrived - it would be perfectly possible for a letter to arrive then spend a few days sitting around their office before finding the right person. Secondly, because there'll be time to submit a new claim if any problems arise.
Take copies and send by recorded delivery.
You don't want to be left in a situation where its your word against theirs. Make a copy of everything you send before you send it, and take it to the post office and get it sent by recorded delivery. Then there can be no doubt!
Call them to make sure they've got it
Just to be sure - you can also ask them to confirm that everything is in order!
Challenge them if they argue with you
If you've followed the process correctly you have a right to claim the discount they offered. Don't be afraid to threaten to take them to the small claims court if they are being unreasonable. I did, when I challenged the need for an original dispatch note that had not been mentioned in my written terms and conditions, and they backed down.
Make sure they actually pay you!
Its great that they've emailed you to say your claim has been approved, but that's not the same as money in the bank. Having not received anything six weeks after I'd been promised my money I phoned up The Mobile Outlet to find out what was going on, they said, "We've run out of cheques".
Ok, that might all seem a bit long-winded, but we can be talking about serious money here, up to £300 or so off your mobile phone bill. If you're sensible, and organised its not difficult to claim all the money you're entitled to. I myself will never buy again from The Mobile Outlet, or any of the other cowboy mobile stores out there, but I've recently taken out an O2 mobile deal with Dial-a-Phone and have experienced no such problems.
About the Author
Ian Ball is an employee of dialaphone, the mobile phone shop and specialist in O2 mobile phones. Click here for the latest 02 deals.
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