15 Jun 2013 The Times Five ways to cut the costs of your mobile Laura Whateley reveals how to save yourself a packet on your phone contract There are now more than half a million mobile phone packages on sale, according to uswitch, from deals offered directly by networks, mobile phone shops on the high street to online-only vendors. So much choice can be more than a little overwhelming, but with the average mobile contract costing £30 a month, it is worth working out how to get the best deal you can. Here is Times Money’s five-step guide to how to save hundreds on your next mobile contract. 1. Compare online first Visiting every mobile phone provider’s website can be time consuming and it can be difficult to find the information you need amid the marketing hot air, says Dominic Baliszewski, telecoms expert at broadbandchoices.co.uk. Always use a comparison site before you buy a deal. Sites such as mobilechoices.co.uk and uswitch offer a broad view of what’s available on the market and allow you to highlight the information that matters most to you, such as contract length, number of free minutes or upfront fees in an easy-to-compare way. 2. Check out third-party sites Websites such as dialaphone.co.uk, mobiles.co.uk or affordablemobiles.co. uk often have cheaper deals than those offered directly by the networks. Ernest Doku, of uswitch, explains: “Online-only sites generally offer lower cost options because they don’t have overheads such as bricks-and-mortar locations or shop staff. This means they can often offer some of the more generous deals in the mobile market.” Beware if buying through a thirdparty site — some have a policy of adding on extras that you must actively opt out of, such as gadget insurance. 3. Know yourself It is easy to get drawn in by the offer of 6,000 free text messages, but there’s no point in paying extra for allowances that you don’t use, or, on the other hand, ending up with an inadequate contract with loads of free minutes but hardly any exclusive texts when you like to send lots each day. Research by uswitch found that almost half of Britons overpay on their mobile phone bills every month, on items such as extra minutes and data, costing them about £100 extra a year in out-of-tariff charges. Check your recent bills or ask your network for an average of your monthly usage so you can get an accurate picture of what you need. 4. Haggle If your existing mobile phone contract is coming to an end, you are in a powerful position to negotiate with your network. Mr Baliszewski says: “Customers should check what other deals are available and see if their current provider can match it, or even better it. I know people who have got themselves shiny new top-of-the-range handsets and considerable cuts to their monthly charge using this tactic.” 5. Consider buying a handset separately SIM-only deals cost from as little as £7 a month for a good number of free minutes, texts and data. Don’t be taken in by offers of free handsets, as you will generally pay more over the life of the deal. Though buying a smartphone outright is initially costly, it also offers you more flexibility. Mr Doku explains: “Ultimately whether you are better off buying the handset upfront or spreading the cost over a contract depends on which phone you’re after. “As surprising as it sounds, the iPhone tends to work out cheaper when purchased outright and paired with a cheap SIM-only deal from the likes of giffgaff or Virgin, whose new VIP tariff of unlimited minutes, texts and data for £15 per month is splendid value. “This leaves you free from a lengthy contract and able to sell on your old model as soon as an inevitable sequel comes round.”
Posted on: Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:11:47 +0000
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