Three - advice needed on getting a good renewal deal

[gyzmo]

Hi All,

I'm with 3 at the mo with two 18 month contracts - one for me and one for my flatmate. due for renewal in july and I have already had a call offering an "upgrade" i.e - change this contract two months early for another one.

Now I am very happy with 3, and the renewal tarrif is very suitable (mix and match 500 at £18/month) for my needs, so I would liek to stay BUT.....

I want a better phone! They have offered the Nokia 6500 slide on both contracts, which has good features (and flatmate has said he wouldn't mind it as he's not that bothered on what he gets), but I don't like it - it's ugly!

I want a Nokia N95 8gb. But they want me to pay extra for it (a deal not really worth it). Now in the past sales staff have slobbered at the chance of getting two contracts in one go, and I have always managed to get the phone I want (within reason) or at least a few extra goodies thrown in.

But 3 won't budge! I've always managed to negotiate a better deal on renewals, but al they are offering is what you can get as a new customer anyway.

Am I being ureasonable or are mobile retailers clamping down on making deals now? Flattery, stong hints at leaving etc have all failed. If anyone has any suggestions they are welcome!

[PrettyPaula]

hiya!!

the short answer.. yes!

basically its a bit longwinded to explain but i'll try to do it in the easiest way i can

with an upgrade, the discount available usually goes on the last 3 months bills and usage. if you dont have many people calling YOU or texsting YOU then 3 arent making much money from you. whether you use your phone to call out or text alot or not. thats not where a network makes money.

It sounds like they are offering a kind of web match of a new customers deal.

My best advice.. shop around with other networks.. see what you can get.

you will not get an N95 8gb for free for £18 a month.. sorry but it would leave 3 or any other network with a loss on your contract. Remember these companies are businesses...

you can take your current numbers with you and bottom line is if you arent happy with your provider you should move to another.

one last thing to remember which is VERY true.

you buy cheap, you buy twice. the cheapest deal may seem good but where are the company skimping? customer service? after sales? technical team? repair service?

sometimes its worth an extra couple of quid to KNOW that you are going to get the best service for the whole 18 months. not just while you sign the paper work

hope that helps.

[gni03349]

I was going to leave 3 when my last contract finished, and phoned to cancel. As I was technically out of contract, they immediately offered what was effectively a half-price deal. I was on the maximum deal at the time £60/month. They reduced this to £0 for the first month of a new contract, £10 for the second month, and then 10 months at £35 (works out to £30/month over 12 months).

In my experience, it seems its better to wait until the contract is at an end (after which time, it's just a months notice, but it continues until you say so), and then just say you have a better deal elsewhere... dont tell them any details though. I'm sure they will come back with a great deal for you, but push for 12 months.

The only thing I didn't get was a new phone, but not bothered, because the phone I have, I think is great(K880i). If you are happy with your current phone, then great.

Basically, don't do anything to renew, until the current 18 months has expired. You are in the driving seat then.

I'm thinking of going to Orange (unless people slag them off in reply lol) when the current contract is up.

Good luck with it.

Regards

[barracad]

Agree with the above, if you want to renew before the contract has expired then you basically get what you're given. Speak to them about a week before it ends, and before you contact them find out what deal you can get elsewhere, and let them know this. Then if they don't match it, you can go elsewhere and get the other deal.

3 weren't budging with me, but I could get the phone I wanted on T Mobile and the T Mobile Flext tariff was a lot better than what 3 were offering - in the end I got the phone with 3, and they basically copied the T Mobile Flext tariff, and gave me a slight discount off the line rental. I only managed to get this because I told them I was going to go elsewhere, and I would have been happy to do so.

[PrettyPaula]

such a shame when networks have to copy other networks tariffs though isnt it... youd think they could come up with something themselves wouldnt you?





and as for orange, check the coverage, its only 85% of the uk

vodafone/o2/t mobile are all 99.6%

[gyzmo]

Thanks guys - lots of info there.

Have been with T mobile and orange in the past and to be honest I wasn't impressed with their customer service - something which Three, in my view seem to be pretty good at (and believe me, I am harsh when it comes to these things). when things have gone wrong, Three have been pretty good.

In fact today, one of the mobiles got lost. Three's response was brilliant - checked calls made since last known usage - cancelled costs on calls I didn't recognise since last usage (two in total which turned out to be the local cop shop and a friend's number which I didn't remember by the number - the finder was trying to contact with me), checked any insurance and offered advice (stuff I knew already but they volunteered it) - very fast and efficient.

It's just that when I hear the word "upgrade" I expect something better than I already have and better than something I could get as a new customer. In short, they are only offering what they would offer anyone else anyway.

Have done T Mobile in the past who were great in offering to match other price plans, but their customer service is diabolical. It is possible I wold switch to them (and woe betide them if they tried anything with me now) depending on whether they would give me the phone I want on the price plan I want.

Never had a problem with 3's coverage. and as for Orange - they have the worst customer service I have experience as a customer. Vodaphone have the worst customer service I have ever had to deal with (there is a post by me somewhere on my brothers lost phone saga). I wouldn't touch them again with a bargepole.

I think I will wait towards the end, get an offer of T Mobile (hopfeully as barracad says better than 3's current efforts) and see if 3 will match.

Shame though. 3 said firstly the N95 8gb is rubbish (well Which? testing and several other reviewers hold it in high regard and it has everything i want) and another person said that because it is expensive they charge a higher price for it. Well, after my university education which focusses on pricing law, practice and "cons", I know better.

Perhaps some persuading of two contracts at the last second being lost might change their mind.

And GNI03349 especially- thank you for the constructive advice. You know what I mean and many others could learn, myself included.

[gni03349]

Originally Posted by PrettyPaula

check the coverage, its only 85% of the uk

vodafone/o2/t mobile are all 99.6%

I just won't go to the other 15% then

[installspark]

The subsidy on a N95 8Gb is high for any network, and if you are on a low monthly tariff or have a low average bill spend then you will be expected to pay for it.

This phone is only at no cost on £35 and above 18 month contracts to new customers, and for existing customers the price will be dependant upon the network's retention budget allocated to your account. If your budget is less than the cost of the phone, you will be expected to pay for it.

On a personal note the N95 8Gb is not as good as it's made out to be, from system issues to memory access time all being reasons for high return rates on this phone.

[PrettyPaula]

indeed installspark fully agree!

seriously go see t-mobile.. the customer service is one the most highly regarded in the industry now and going into store is the best way to do it.. we're all lovely

[barracad]

Why do you specifically want the N95 8gb anyway? You could just get the 'normal' N95 on a better tariff, and put an 8GB MicroSD card in it.

...or get the LG Viewty instead - Nokia phones aren't all they're made out to be.

[Hobbie]

Originally Posted by gni03349

I'm thinking of going to Orange (unless people slag them off in reply lol) when the current contract is up.

I've just left Orange last week after been a customer for almost 11 years, and having 3 phones all on over £35 per month. plus only took 2 upgrades in the total time with them (easier to buy an unlocked and unbranded handsets)

These are my opinions only, after Oranged closed and relocated one of the UK contact centres to Mumbai, it all went down hill

Customer Service became usless, billing problems started after speaking with someone in Mumbai, phone got disconnected due to this person making a mistake, reconnected but a different number (eventually got the original number back no sooner than 6 days later!)

Only good thing I can say about Orange is the technical support is still first class, everything else went down hill.

When we requested the Porting Authorisation Code from Orange, we got offered almost everything including the kitchen sink i think, but it wasn't enough, got a much much much better deal else where.

[gni03349]

Originally Posted by Hobbie

.....got a much much much better deal else where.

... which was with who...?

I'm almost persuaded not to go to Orange now, and I have to admit that 3 do some good deals (especially for existing customers... and you happen to be out of contract - not near the end, but out of...).

[Hobbie]

Originally Posted by gni03349

... which was with who...?

I'm almost persuaded not to go to Orange now, and I have to admit that 3 do some good deals (especially for existing customers... and you happen to be out of contract - not near the end, but out of...).

O2

[gyzmo]

Well the N95 GB has good reviews on all websites I've seen, especially the official Which? review. It's predecessor received a very bad score and review, whilst other reviews were equally uncharitable towards it.

It doesn't HAVE to be the n95 - something as good will do.
I just expect that, with two contracts in one go, both 18 months, previous custom and the fact that i was paying way over the odds for the current contract (my own fault) would lend themselves to a bit of give. And like I said, "upgrade" means getting something better. I'm not getting taht.

[gyzmo]

Well good news. The guys at Phones 4 U (shudder) got me upgraded onto the tarriff I wanted and also gave me the phones I wanted for both contracts. Just hope I haven't been given a pile of tat...