[Closed] Mobile phone upgrades

use the item you are referring to.

Is it pay as you go or on contract?

If its pay as you go then they generally wont offer upgrades....neither will most other networks.

If its on contract then they usually contact near the end of the term to offer the next big thing in order to tie you down for another two years....sometimes they forget (O2 used to do this with me) and you have to call up and ask for the upgrade.

3 are already one of the cheapest networks and its hard to get discounts from them....i took a second contract with them for the girlie and expected a discounted rate on the second phone but didnt get one despite my best efforts with the telesales guys and in person at a 3 shop.

What i will say is that the 'one plan' from 3 is superb....other networks seem to think that unlimited data is 1Gb per month and will slow your download speeds or charge you for going over this amount, its usually mentioned in the laughably titled 'fair usage' small print....most networks also frown on tethering your phone to your laptop and using its data plan to browse the web (turning your phone into a modem in other words)....however 3 actively encourage this (i have the leaflet from the shop explaining the process!) and 3's unlimied data is 80Gb per month.....that is monstrous, i'm a heavy user and cant get anywhere near that!....all for around £35 per month depending on what model phone you opt for....they also have the best 3G coverage of all the networks, i can count on one hand the number of times i've not had a data connection.....switching from rip-off O2 to 3 was the best thing i did regarding phones.

Cletus - The first thing to acknowledge is that you are a 3 customer. You bought on price and there are consequences for doing so.

The fact that you haven't upgraded during your time with them will add no weight at all.

The web portal is likely not smart enough understand all the factors of your account.

Call them. Do not threaten to leave. Do not bang on about how "loyal" you are (especially in the same breath as discussing your leaving options). Just say that you're looking for a good deal and would like to discuss the options.

Accept that phones are damned expensive these days and if you want a high end one it's not going to happen for £10 a month (£240 over the term wont even cover the purchase cost of a mid to high end phone these days).

Accept that the guys you speak to will have a finite amount of money to play with. The amount they have will likely depend on what kind of income you generate for 3. Don't think that just because your bill is £50 per month you actually generate £50 of income. If i use £50 of gas and my bill is £50 it's because i used that amount of the product. The mobile network game is vastly complex in terms of income generation and every account is different.

The guy you speak to is probably paid commission for tying you back into a contract. If he can do you a deal, he will.

Alternatively, forget any notion of loyalty and shop around. You will probably find a cheaper deal from a 3rd party. Be careful though - i promise you that there are A LOT of cowboys. Personally i'd stick with the major networks and pay a reasonable price for a decent product.

HTH

deviant,

Thanks for the response. It is a contract phone. I have not upgraded the handset as I have a friend who is an avid upgrader and always sold his unwanted handsets to me for very little (got a Nokia E71 and a HTC Desire this way).

I find that the 1GB in my current contract can be limiting when I use the phone as a modem when working away so would like to move to one of their unlimited data deals.

I would like some acknowledgement for being a loyal customer though.

Giff Gaff for cheap costs.