After an Orange Mobile phone?(Bargain Alert)

[entwisi]

I often monitor the uk bargains usenet group and one bloke on there monitors all the mobile deals and has found some rather cracking deals one where they effectively pay you to take the phone

Anyway, cut n shut from the original post, all credit to Reesit Mutton


Retailer: Mobiles UK
Handset: SE T290i
Network: Orange
Tariff: OVP Anytime 100 (£22/month)

The Financial details:
======================
3 months 1/2 price from network
£249 cashback from retailer (100% after 7 months)
TOTAL COST (after cashback): MINUS £18
MONTHLY COST (after cashback): MINUS £1.50

Itemised billing is £1.50/month but it is optional - simply cancel it
with the service provider (Ortange) once you've got the phone.

Non-affiliate link:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?L1BA467CA

Now, the problem with this deal is that the phone is STILL stuck in QA
at Orange (despite it being advertised on PAYG on Orange's website). For
this reason, Mobiles UK have it listed as "coming soon" and have done so
for a while now (about 2 weeks, to be precise).

However, Mobiles UK has assured me that this deal is not going to change
come 01 April as Orange is not going to be changing its sales commission
or the 3 months 1/2 price offer on this tariff. They therefore consider
it safe to take back orders for this handset while waiting for the
handset to be released. What's more, should there be an issue with
handset availability such that the commission structures or consumer
offering do change while you are waiting for stock availability (e.g.
once released, it might be in very short supply relative to the length
of their back-orders list), unlike certain other retailers they will
either ride out the commission change or, if it's financially impossible
to do so, they will notify you of any necessary change to the deal and
offer you an option to cancel at that point - what they most certainly
WON'T do (unlike certain other retailers that we know) is simply deliver
the phone with a reduced cashback element without telling you.

Another interesting deal is as follows:

Retailer: Mobiles UK
Handset: Nokia 3120 + camera attachment
Network: Orange
Tariff: OVP Anytime 100 (£22/month)

The Financial details:
======================
3 months 1/2 price from network
£229 cashback from retailer (100% after 7 months)
TOTAL COST (after cashback): £2
MONTHLY COST (after cashback): £0.17

Basically...it might as well be called FREE for all it costs.

Non-affiliate link:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y6EA257CA

Again, this handset is listed on the Mobiles UK website as "coming
soon". However, Mobiles UK know of no QA issues outstanding with this
handset and believe that it's delivery is likely to be imminent. Again,
they are happy to take back orders now as they know that the current
level of commission on this deal will remain throughout April, as will
the consumer offer of 3 months 1/2 price line rental.

Hope these are useful to someone

Ian

[yerself]

I've been with Orange since 1999 and never had to pay for itemised billing. There's a catch to this.