Playing the 'Mobile Phone Upgrade' game

According to the Vodafone website i am can have an upgrade so i've been looking around at other deals as been on same deal for years. Been with Vodafone for about 4.5 years and i know i can get reception in my home so would like to stay with them but 3 have a far better deal and a cool phone for free. So i rings up vodafone today to ask if they can match the deal, they tell me i'm not entitled to an upgrade so i say why does the web tell me i can. they give me some gumph about it being a web only deal at present and i cant get new phone over phone until 6th November.

So do i wait until 6th November, see if they can match the deal and go from there or do i ring up the retentions team explain the situation, say i'm not happy and see if they can do me the deal but this obviously runs the risk of me having to leave and then if i want to keep the same number i have the hassle of getting a puk code etc.

Which would you you suggest i do? Never spoken to retentions before, how helpful are they?

Retentions are usually desperate to hang on to you so play it to your advantage.

Best thing to do is call and say you want to cancel your contract – they'll almost(!) certainly try and get you to stay with them at which point you can haggle.

being a web only deal at present

Why not just apply for it over the web then..? Am I missing something?

don't play total hardball though- last thing you'd want to happen is to end up on 3 :lol:.

if i apply for it over the net to get the phone i want i have to pay £40 but i can't get the deal i want, i'd have to take a normal vodafone one which is pretty rubbish compared to the one on offer from 3.

O2 retentions didn't want to keep me this time after nearly 10years with them. Couldn't offer me anything close to the deal I wanted or the deal I'd just finished on. So I left.

Getting a PAC code is what you'll need and it's no hassle at all these days.

IIRC you can return a phone if the reception's no good at your house.

FWIW, three years ago when I was on 3, I found it alright – certainly better than O2 who I'm on now (at least when not in the middle of the city where it's ok).

When I was talking to Vodafone earlier this year about upgrading they really didn't seem all the interested in trying to keep me. It was just before the Desire was launched and they hadn't even heard if Android, let alone the Desire, and pretty much said that they couldn't help me.

I hope you have better luck than me!

I think my contract is actually up in mid jan 2011 so even if i fail to get the deal i want i've got plenty of time to find the deal i do want. Can you step your contract down to a minimal deal (50 mins 50 texts for £5 or something like that)?

dooosuk – Member
O2 retentions didn't want to keep me this time after nearly 10years with them. Couldn't offer me anything close to the deal I wanted or the deal I'd just finished on. So I left.

Getting a PAC code is what you'll need and it's no hassle at all these days.

Same here, seems like O2 isn't that bothered about keeping customers.
They wanted to give me a 50% longer contract, for a lower specced phone with less inclusive minutes and no free internet?! Er, no. Thanks though.

I think my contract is actually up in mid jan 2011 so even if i fail to get the deal i want i've got plenty of time to find the deal i do want. Can you step your contract down to a minimal deal (50 mins 50 texts for £5 or something like that)?

I doubt you'll get much out of them with 4mths left on your current contract.

Depends what contract you're currently on, but you should be able to downgrade it to Voda's lowest tarif (doubt it'll be as cheap as £5/mth though).

Best waiting until nearer proper contract renewal (not just a handset upgrade) and bargaining then I'd suggest.

orange, on the other hand, gave me a right good deal recently, after 18 months with them.
told them i wanted my PAC code, as O2 simplicity was what i wanted, they said ok, £15pm, 600 mins, unlimited texts, unlimited data and 30 day rolling contracts. fair bit less than O2.

unfortunately orange reception is shit in the house i just moved into 🙁

O2 retentions didn't want to keep me this time after nearly 10years with them. Couldn't offer me anything close to the deal I wanted or the deal I'd just finished on. So I left.

Getting a PAC code is what you'll need and it's no hassle at all these days.

I had exactly the same experience with 02, after 5 years with them, just not interested. I Asked them for the PUK code and moved to vodafone