Negotiating over iPhones

[Taita]

I clearly have the negotiating skill of a banana as all I am getting (despite ultimately asking for PAC code in the post) from all 3 big carriers is a 'these are the tariffs, don't like them, jog on'. I'm currently with Orange.

I have phoned all 3 companies and I can't get anything added on or knocked off the plan. My mate walked into Chester Orange and an hour later walked out with 16GB 3GS for £30 (instead of £89), unlimited texts and 600 minutes for £30pcm! Yet I can't get anything at all!

Any tricks I am missing? I thought I was on to them with the 'we will keep your line rental discount on your plan' and I was on the Dolphin £30pcm deal for £25 - apparently that £5 discount doesn't count as it was a web offer!

[Tycho]

IIRC, Apple set the tariffs and the networks can't budge on them.

[Taita]

I heard that, but they can do 'extra free texts' or bolt ons for free....?

[Tycho]

I thought most networks do unlimited texts etc as standard. I just got an N900 on Vodafone with 1000 minutes, 500Mb data, unlimited texts and land line calls for £40 pm.

[off_again]

Just renewed with Voda the other day and upgraded to the 3GS as part of this. I have tried with Orange, O2 and Voda to get a good deal on the iPhone but its limited at best. They all have the same story about Apple setting the prices and they cannot discount them, though I suggest they have some room to move.

I am a fairly heavy mobile user and I was able to go in to the retail stores for all three with a proven track record of 350+ GBP a month bills, yet none of them could (even the managers) give anything off any of the contracts. The best I got was with Voda who gave me the phone for free and a couple of discounts on the add-on packages that I need. But the contract stayed the same, though that doesn't mean much to me I am afraid.

Its a tough call as to who is the best. I understand that Tesco has the cheapest iPhone deal (on O2) but you are unlikely to get money off this. The others might have something that they can do for you, but its likely to be in the add-on area. Free insurance? Bolt-on packages? That type of thing I suspect - on the phone or the contract, unlikely as they all say the same thing.

[Plotloss]

If you're spending over £4000 a year on calls I'd have thought your best bet would be negotiating hard on the contract on a sim only basis and going to buy an iPhone on PAYG

[croyde]

I'm on Orange but the tariff that I was interested in was bettered by Vodafone by just under £40 for the initial price on the iPhone.

I sent an email to Orange Executive Office telling them that for the sake of £40 and having been a customer since 1995, blah blah blah, that it would be a shame to leave but I need to save the pennies.

They called me back within 12 hours and left a message to get in touch and then left 2 further messages over the next day as I was unable to use the phone due to work.

Aha! I thought, they are desperate to keep me. Thoughts of not only an initial saving but a lower monthly cost teased me.

So I called them and a very nice lady just said that it was impossible to move on the prices thanks to Apple and that she was surprised at the lower cost on Vodafone as all the networks were supposed to be similar in price.

Boo Hoo!

I still have not done the deed though as the thought of leaving my deal, free Nokia, £25/month for 600 mins, unlimited texts and 500 mb and I tether, to having to pay at least £10 more a month and over £140 start up costs with no tethering is niggling me.

[Ordinary_Chap]

I think the problem is two fold from my experience (I work in the mobile industry but have nothing to do with shops or the selling of devices).

1. The Iphone is a demand device and as such the operators know they don't have to move on price since they know they will sell tons of them anyway.

2. Apple have a stake in these contracts (they make money from them) and they also control the market when it comes to Iphones.

If you're lucky I think they will throw in some extras but I doubt the contract will be changed. I'd like to hear from someone who's managed it though!

[Don]

Have you guys costed up changing to PAYG?

I am on the Orange Dolphin tariff - £10 top up in the month gets me hundreds of free texts (more than I can use), and unlimited data. £5 a month of that gets spent on Blackberry Internet Service. Because I don't make many calls the remaining £5 easily covers it. In fact - I often end up not topping up and lose the free stuff for a week or two.

If you are a text/data person this is cheap in comparison to contracts.

If you are making a load of calls, though, the contract could well be the way to go..

[Nat_H]

I had this issue with mine, no one would move on price.

So I bought a PAYG one from O2, gave them £15, and now its offically unlocked, and works on any sim.

My vodafone sim only tarrif is £15, with more mins, texts and data than i need.

Its a much cheaper way to do it.

[V8mate]

off_again said:

They all have the same story about Apple setting the prices and they cannot discount them, though I suggest they have some room to move.

Having commercial 'room' for movement is not the same as having the contractual authority (the operator's contract with Apple) to do so.

off_again said:

I am a fairly heavy mobile user and I was able to go in to the retail stores for all three with a proven track record of 350+ GBP a month bills,

If I was using a mobile that much I wouldn't be using an iphone unless I had a mains plug in my pocket.

[Chris_OCR]

Exactly the same with my mate at the weekend, picked up a 3gs and the best they could do was throw in a free phone cover!

[off_again]

V8mate said:

If I was using a mobile that much I wouldn't be using an iphone unless I had a mains plug in my pocket.

Unfortunately its not constant phone calls that is the killer, its roaming calls and data that is. I almost never get close to my UK minutes, but quickly burn through £10's per day while traveling. There are options to keep the cost to a manageable amount (Voda is pretty good in this respect), but it is still expensive regardless. The company I work for is happy to pay so that is fine, but its pretty clear where they make their money these days. All a bit of a con if you ask me....