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Thread: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

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    Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Hey~

    It's my first time buying a contract phone, I'm wondering if I buy a phone (iPhone 4 ;P) and there's a new version of it released in a years time will I be able to buy it at a discount? How big is the discount usually?

    I want to buy it on vodaphone cus it's £30 cheaper to buy the unit itself versus the same tarrif/deal on O2.. just wondering, which company has the best upgrade discounts usually?

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    A vodafone rep told me the only way to get a discount mid contract is in the last 190 days of the contract via 'Early Upgrade' and it's not guaranteed, is zat rite?

    Are O2 offering better than this?

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Generally speaking, if you're on a contract with a free/discounted phone, then the money you're paying for the contract is offsetting the price of the phone.

    So whilst you're still tied into your contract, there's absolutely no incentive for them to give you a cheap or discounted phone. Once your contract is up, then it's a whole different story. Hence why they'll try to tie you into a 24 month contract.

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Ahh.. reading around the O2 site.. they let you upgrade up to 3-6 months early for free.. not bad.. combined with an 18month contract quite nice :>

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cuffz View Post
    Ahh.. reading around the O2 site.. they let you upgrade up to 3-6 months early for free.. not bad.. combined with an 18month contract quite nice :>
    A little caution about that, though. The upgrade might be free, but it'll extend the contract period, usually by another 18-24 months. As snootyjim said really, the price of the "free" phone is built in to the monthly contract price. It's kinda like buying the phone on HP.

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Ahhhh got to be careful

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    O2 and Voda both say they'll upgrade you for free at the end of the contract if you extend it.. but ehm... has anyone here had experiences.. do they really give you a £400-600 value phone? ;O

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    What does "upgrade for free" actually mean though?

    For all we know, they might upgrade you to a Nokia 3310.

    To give you an example - I'm on Orange. They charge an upgrade fee if you're in the middle of your contract, so if you want to change your phone in the middle of your contract you have to buy the phone from them and also pay this "upgrade fee". At the end of your contract, they waive the fee and give you a "free upgrade".

    Thing is, the phone isn't free. Well, two of them are. But if you want anything more exotic than a Saracen-phone, you'll have to shell out a fair few quid.

    As a rule, when the contract runs out, the best approach is to either switch to someone else, or threaten to leave and wait for them to improve their offer to match/beat their competitors. Their default, standard offer will be a complete rip-off 99.9% of the time.

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    I have never heard that any operator would do a discount on a iPhone, I think mainly because they pay a lot to Apple to have the iPhone. Having said that, Tesco direct are trying to get into mobile market it seems and have some good prices for iPhone on a 12th month contract! None of the 18-24m rubbish when your phone is still only covered for 1yr.

    I thought how early you can upgrade depends on what your current contract is. On my O2 18m £45 only allows me to upgrade early 1 month early for free. O2 had an early upgrade program this year when the iPhone 4 came out which means you can pay off remaining of your contract at £20 each month. On 24m contract I think I would be able to upgrade 3 month early for free.

    On other phones I had in the past I was always able to get it for free when renewing my contract or/and get discount on the tariff when my tariff is about £35 a month, not on the iPhone though.

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Quote Originally Posted by snootyjim View Post
    What does "upgrade for free" actually mean though?

    For all we know, they might upgrade you to a Nokia 3310.

    Exactly what I want to know :]

    Frankly I'll just pay cash for the phone.. if it out turns they are not handing out properly valued (£400+ iPhone etc) phones as free upgrades.

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Quote Originally Posted by eyezpy View Post
    I have never heard that any operator would do a discount on a iPhone, I think mainly because they pay a lot to Apple to have the iPhone. Having said that, Tesco direct are trying to get into mobile market it seems and have some good prices for iPhone on a 12th month contract! None of the 18-24m rubbish when your phone is still only covered for 1yr.

    I thought how early you can upgrade depends on what your current contract is. On my O2 18m £45 only allows me to upgrade early 1 month early for free. O2 had an early upgrade program this year when the iPhone 4 came out which means you can pay off remaining of your contract at £20 each month. On 24m contract I think I would be able to upgrade 3 month early for free.

    On other phones I had in the past I was always able to get it for free when renewing my contract or/and get discount on the tariff when my tariff is about £35 a month, not on the iPhone though.
    thank you, thank you! 12 month contract FTW.

    out of stock ._.

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Quote Originally Posted by snootyjim View Post
    .....

    Thing is, the phone isn't free. Well, two of them are. But if you want anything more exotic than a Saracen-phone, you'll have to shell out a fair few quid.
    .....
    Hey!

    I think I ought to be offended by that ..... if it wasn't true. I'm not entirely convinced it'd be legally accurate to describe going from anything more sophisticated than a couple of beans cans and a bit of string as being an "upgrade" from a Saracen-phone™.

    Can they charge for a downgrade?

    Mind you .... antiques appreciate in value. And no, I mean the phone, not me.

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Umm.. how about this...
    I sell the contract phone in e.g. a years time.. just before a new phone I like is coming out... buy the new phone and use my contract sim in that?

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cuffz View Post
    Umm.. how about this...
    I sell the contract phone in e.g. a years time.. just before a new phone I like is coming out... buy the new phone and use my contract sim in that?
    Done this a few times myself. The phone is yours to do with what you like, at the end of the day it's only an inncentive for you to take out the contract in the first place. So long as you pay your bills every month you can have whatever phone you like that you've bought sim free or bought second hand and had unlocked.

    If I'm honest it's never worth doing this though as you'll always end up out of pocket.

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    Re: Discounted upgrades on a contract?

    Good to know indeed :] I've got ze iPhone coming tomorrow.
    on an O2 18month contract.. I'd prolly get £400+ for it sometime next year.. so not too shafted :]

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