Online Mobile retailers
Discussion
So my aging Sony Z3 Compact phone is slowly dying, battery doesn't lasts a day even with light useage. The touchscreen occasionally goes nuts, one area doesn't work at all! 
It's feeling laggy. It is 5 years old so it's time to get a new one!
Been on a Sim only Pay monthly with Vodafone after the initial 2 years paying for the phone itself expired. Quite happy with them (once a couple of price bugs had been ironed out
) I'm eligible for an upgrade via Vodafone themselves. Looking at a Galaxy S10e most likely since the XZ3 Compact Sony is hens teeth at most places and I don't want a large device.
Google is throwing up Carphone Warehouse* and Vodafone themselves. But also other online only companies.
Mobiles, (apparently part of CPW) Fonehouse, PhonesLtd and Mobilephonesdirect. I'm sure there are others as well
Are any of these worth the time of day or would I be better just sticking to CPW and Vodafones own stores (or perhaps O2/EEs own stores if I find a better deal) Does seem that the online places have a lot of refurbs and older no longer available phones. Is this their USP?
* Would prefer to avoid them, since I have had trouble in the past with them over a warranty repair issue which they refused to even entertain. (Camera stopped working, and their "Geek Squad repair team" said I'd damaged the SIM card slot so it wasn't warranty and I needed a new device at £400!
Even the CPW staff couldn't show me any damage full stop!) Sony for their part didn't quibble it!
It's feeling laggy. It is 5 years old so it's time to get a new one! Been on a Sim only Pay monthly with Vodafone after the initial 2 years paying for the phone itself expired. Quite happy with them (once a couple of price bugs had been ironed out
) I'm eligible for an upgrade via Vodafone themselves. Looking at a Galaxy S10e most likely since the XZ3 Compact Sony is hens teeth at most places and I don't want a large device. Google is throwing up Carphone Warehouse* and Vodafone themselves. But also other online only companies.
Mobiles, (apparently part of CPW) Fonehouse, PhonesLtd and Mobilephonesdirect. I'm sure there are others as well
Are any of these worth the time of day or would I be better just sticking to CPW and Vodafones own stores (or perhaps O2/EEs own stores if I find a better deal) Does seem that the online places have a lot of refurbs and older no longer available phones. Is this their USP?
* Would prefer to avoid them, since I have had trouble in the past with them over a warranty repair issue which they refused to even entertain. (Camera stopped working, and their "Geek Squad repair team" said I'd damaged the SIM card slot so it wasn't warranty and I needed a new device at £400!
Even the CPW staff couldn't show me any damage full stop!) Sony for their part didn't quibble it! Edited by S1KRR on Saturday 7th September 17:44
So I thought I'd give Vodafone a chance. Albeit not for the Samsung 10e
Did their online chat thingy.
f
k me that was hard work! Took 20 mins to get from the India call centre to "upgrade department" Which possibly was UK. But even then "Georgia" had an annoying habit of lying!
I said basically "Why are you more expensive than a 3rd party reseller "mobilephonesdirect" on a VODAFONE contract?
Response was that they are not us, and they can only provide 30% of network coverage and if it goes wrong they wont be able to help you.
Which quite frankly was bks! It's not like its BT Mobile or Virgin or PlusNet piggy backing another network like EE/O2. It's a branded Vodafone contract. TBH This part of the conversation looked like a cut n paste job of responses which irritated me!
Me: Well OK, how close can you get to their deal, since you'll be able to sort out porting my number across instantly
Vodafone: Well how much do you want to spend per month on an amazing deal?"
M: £30 with a small ish upfront. (The MPD offer was £33 with the cashback bringing it down to £27 and no upfront)
V: Cant do it, but if you work for one of 4500 companies we can offer you a 15% discount (reeled off some of them, NHS, Local authority etc)
M: Don't think I do.
V: Well does anyone you know? all you need is their email address
M: I'm not happy with that idea, treat me as a loyal customer. Best deal please.
Then a pause of 10 mins whilst they "spoke to their manager"
Eventually £38, or £33 with lower data than I currently get! if I can use another persons email account to access the discount. (despite telling her numerous times I wasn't going to!) Told them Id think about it as it had taken 1 hour to get to that point!
BTW The cost of the phone sim free from amazon over 24 months (in effect as they don't offer 24 monthly option, but you get the gist) added to my current plan is less than £38!
Clicked the option to send the transcript to my email, but it never arrived!
I get that new customers are the thing they want most of all, but this was frustrating! Even mentioning I'll try EE or O2 meant nothing. If I get the chance I might try a Vodafone store in person. The issue is I want to keep my number (obviously) but it seems that Vodafone wont do it from one pay monthly contract to another if you buy it elsewhere*. TBH in my case all they'd need to do is send me the phone and I'll bung my SIM card in it and update my contract plan and direct debit details
* The workaround of porting to another networks number then back again after a month is not an option really!
Did their online chat thingy.
f
k me that was hard work! Took 20 mins to get from the India call centre to "upgrade department" Which possibly was UK. But even then "Georgia" had an annoying habit of lying!I said basically "Why are you more expensive than a 3rd party reseller "mobilephonesdirect" on a VODAFONE contract?
Response was that they are not us, and they can only provide 30% of network coverage and if it goes wrong they wont be able to help you.
Which quite frankly was b
ks! It's not like its BT Mobile or Virgin or PlusNet piggy backing another network like EE/O2. It's a branded Vodafone contract. TBH This part of the conversation looked like a cut n paste job of responses which irritated me!Me: Well OK, how close can you get to their deal, since you'll be able to sort out porting my number across instantly
Vodafone: Well how much do you want to spend per month on an amazing deal?"
M: £30 with a small ish upfront. (The MPD offer was £33 with the cashback bringing it down to £27 and no upfront)
V: Cant do it, but if you work for one of 4500 companies we can offer you a 15% discount (reeled off some of them, NHS, Local authority etc)
M: Don't think I do.
V: Well does anyone you know? all you need is their email address
M: I'm not happy with that idea, treat me as a loyal customer. Best deal please.
Then a pause of 10 mins whilst they "spoke to their manager"
Eventually £38, or £33 with lower data than I currently get! if I can use another persons email account to access the discount. (despite telling her numerous times I wasn't going to!) Told them Id think about it as it had taken 1 hour to get to that point!
BTW The cost of the phone sim free from amazon over 24 months (in effect as they don't offer 24 monthly option, but you get the gist) added to my current plan is less than £38!
Clicked the option to send the transcript to my email, but it never arrived!
I get that new customers are the thing they want most of all, but this was frustrating! Even mentioning I'll try EE or O2 meant nothing. If I get the chance I might try a Vodafone store in person. The issue is I want to keep my number (obviously) but it seems that Vodafone wont do it from one pay monthly contract to another if you buy it elsewhere*. TBH in my case all they'd need to do is send me the phone and I'll bung my SIM card in it and update my contract plan and direct debit details
* The workaround of porting to another networks number then back again after a month is not an option really!
That's exactly how my conversation went with them.
Went with mobile phones direct.
They dont mention that you can't take a contract with Vodafone with them and port your number. I used the PAC code given to me which they accepted.. Turns out I took out a second contract with Vodafone and now have to wait 30 days for my old number to transfer to PAYG then on to my new contract.
Not the end of the world but a total faff!
Went with mobile phones direct.
They dont mention that you can't take a contract with Vodafone with them and port your number. I used the PAC code given to me which they accepted.. Turns out I took out a second contract with Vodafone and now have to wait 30 days for my old number to transfer to PAYG then on to my new contract.
Not the end of the world but a total faff!
Pre-ordered an iphone 11 128gb the other day, had a look on ee who i’m currently with and it was roughly £54 a month and £80 for the phone i think. Had a look on CPW and they had a deal on ee £44 a month £129 phone cost and 30gb of data which i liked the look of so rang ee direct.
First they came back with £60ish a month and no upfront fee so asked them why its cheaper on their website and also CPW she said i was the second person to quote the CPW deal and bettered it with £100 upfront for the phone ended up being a £300 discount as the phone should have been £400 upfront for £44 a month. Definitely worth shopping around which i’ve never done until now.
First they came back with £60ish a month and no upfront fee so asked them why its cheaper on their website and also CPW she said i was the second person to quote the CPW deal and bettered it with £100 upfront for the phone ended up being a £300 discount as the phone should have been £400 upfront for £44 a month. Definitely worth shopping around which i’ve never done until now.
I have a Sony XZ1 Compact which has been a great phone which I've had for a couple of years now. I'm not sure they released a XZ3.
Sony have just announced the Xperia 5 which is the compact Xperia 1. It should be available soon and worth the wait if you like Sony (I do).
I have started buying my phones outright as I got bored with the hours of cocking about trying to get an upgrade. It's probably the easiest and cheapest way if you have the cash.
My brother uses Tesco Mobile which he says are pretty competitive.
Sony have just announced the Xperia 5 which is the compact Xperia 1. It should be available soon and worth the wait if you like Sony (I do).
I have started buying my phones outright as I got bored with the hours of cocking about trying to get an upgrade. It's probably the easiest and cheapest way if you have the cash.
My brother uses Tesco Mobile which he says are pretty competitive.
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