Why do people buy mobile phones?

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When they come free with a contract?

Wondered this for awhile.

The phone company will not tell you when the contract is finished. They will keep taking the money until you realise and will not refund it.

Buy a phone, use Giff Gaff goody bag. Sorted for a fraction of the price of a contract.

The same as others it is cheaper. I bought a second hand samsung around 3 years ago for £150 and pay around £10 every 6 weeks Tesco pay as you go which gives me all the calls and data I need.

The phone is a decent smartphone which does everything I need so I feel no need to upgrade.

What @fussychica said. I ordered my phone for about £100 off the GiffGaff website, gave them my PAC code, signed up to monthly goodybags, job done. £7.50 or £10/month.

Need new phone soon as battery is starting to run down quickly. I've always assumed second-hand phones would have poor battery life - is this the case?

People on sim only will be paying around a tenner a month, if that.

People on contracts with 'free' phones will be paying between about £20 and £50 pm depending on how fancy their phone is. Had you never noticed the price difference OP?

It is enormously cheaper to buy a sim only contract.
I have been lucky in the past and got my dad's cast offs (he always wants the latest iPhone 🤨) so a sim only contract is very good value. I pay about £13 a month.

I would always prefer to get a phone outright and pay less per month though, and not get locked in to paying a high amount for 2 years plus

@jackparlabane

I got a new Samsung battery for £10, but batteries these days last for years so not going to be an issue for everyone.

I got a reconditioned iPhone 6 for £300 two years ago and am paying £10 a month on sim only. The phone is showing no signs of giving up the ghost and I will be using it until it dies 😂😂

Seems a faff to me

How so?

Go into shop, buy phone. Buy SIM card Giff Gaff rolls over monthly.

If that’s a faff how do you cope with buying anything?!

lose or break the phone you still have to pay the contract that you can't use as no phone, doesn't make any sense to me

Never heard of insurance?????? I've lost or broken my phone a few times never have i been left paying a contract i cant use because i go phone my insurance and say oh hello my phone has a cracked screen/i was rather stupidly distracted by something and i left my phone in the public toilet and they go "oh ok miss sadonion we'll send you a new one with a curior tomorrow what time will you be in to sign for it and that will be a £50 access to your next bill" and i go "ah well its cheaper than the £400 for a new phone great think you i shall expect it between 8am and 1 pm tomorrow thank you very much for your help" easy no being left without a phone and having to pay a contract out.

Why anyone would buy the latest iPhone and get it on a contract is beyond me. Get a bloody Huawei, or a slightly older Samsung, a fraction of the price and just as good.

Insurance is extra though isn't it, £5-10 a month for any I've had. That's £120-240 over a usual 24 month contract. That's a hell of a lot, and there's usually an excess as well.

Still cheaper to buy outright and get a sim only deal.

They aren't free, they cost more! My phone was £200, my sim only is £12, a similar contract would be £22 a month. So it's cheaper and if I keep my phone more than 2 years more so.

Worrying that people - well, the OP- actually think that the phone is free, on an expensive contract.

Can anyone recommend somewhere on-line (that is legit) to buy refurbished phones please? Or are you all buying from a mate that you trust, or some dodgy bloke down the market?

That's £120-240 over a usual 24 month contract. That's a hell of a lot, and there's usually an excess as well.

Still cheaper than buying a new phone at £400 a pop or paying out a contract a pp thought you had to do if you lost or broke your phone

Can anyone recommend somewhere on-line (that is legit) to buy refurbished phones please?
Giffgaff marketplace

It's a false economy getting a phone on contract, sure get a swanky up to date phone easily but pay through the nose for it for 2yrs.

Ive recently just upgraded to sim only as resented the cost and realised a phone isn't worth £60-70pm Inc insurance.

Will keep this phone until it dies and it isn't outdated yet and had it replaced courtesy of insurance just a few months ago so it isn't an old phone either per se.

If I ever need a new phone I will consider buying outright.

Looking forward to saving £40+ pm.

Insurance is extra though isn't it, £5-10 a month

Mine in covered on my bank account and on my credit card.

I always buy phones for cash and get a sim only contract. Better value on the long run but it does rely on you having access to that much as a lump sum.

Thankyou @SuffolkGimmer. I knew they did good contracts, didn't realise they did refurbed phones too.

My last phone was bought outright for £125, lasted me three and a half years during which time I paid £8 a month for the SIM only deal.

Why people pay £30+ a month for phones beats me...

Also, some phones are not available on contract, for example some of the Xiaomi phones as they're just being introduced in the UK. Fantastic features light years ahead of their rivals and at a fraction of the cost.

"That's £120-240 over a usual 24 month contract. That's a hell of a lot, and there's usually an excess as well.

Still cheaper than buying a new phone at £400 a pop or paying out a contract a pp thought you had to do if you lost or broke your phone"

No, actually. £50-100 excess on top of that and you're most of the way to buying a new phone. Much cheaper to pay for a screen replacement if you smash it.

I mean, fine.. If you're the kind of person that's always losing your phone then it's probably worth it, but the last one I lost was a Nokia 6210.

If I'd have had insurance all that time it would have cost me over £1k. Unless you're super clumsy you're better off putting £10 a month into an account.

(used to be a buyer in the industry. I know what things cost, the mark up, the commission on insurance, data plans etc. Don't waste your money)

Eh?

My iPhone X on release date cost me £800 to buy outright. I pay £11 for ages o mobile on a sim only deal.

Over 2 years it is much cheaper than an iPhone X contract! (Especially as I got it on release date).

"Mine in covered on my bank account and on my credit card"

Your bank account will be charging you for this, and unless you regularly claim, this isn't a saving (remember the bank account charges thread where you could reclaim monthly bank fees?. £7 + a month for various services that you'll never use. There's a reason you can reclaim those fees)

Got my phone from CEX for £200 and my SIM is £8 per month.