To think that T Mobile are scam merchants

[middleeasternpromise]

I called them to find out what my options are on my two contract phones when they tick up to their 2 yr mark soon. Website is rubbish since they sold out to EE you would think they would be looking to flog me another phone PDQ but no they wouldn't and now I know why. The woman tells me I can get an upgrade on both phones but is non committal on what's on offer, apparently its up to me to ask about that and I can only do that on an early up grade date which is 18 days away. OK I say if I don't change the handsets what will my price plan automatically drop to seeing as I will have paid off both handsets on the 24 month mark? Oh we don't automatically drop the price plan she helpfully tells me you have to ring us in 48 days time when you are entitled to end the contract and we will re-negotiate a plan. I think that's very cheeky indeed so a handset I have been sold at a cost of x for 24 months entitles T Mobile/EE to continue to take the same payment even though I now own the handset UNLESS I ask them not to. I tell her as much, she has the front to say its not cheeky at all because if you ring us we will change the price. Oh I'll be ringing you alright .....

that all sounds pretty normal to me really, it doesn't sound different to how any other business works. There are very few businesses who will automatically offer you a better deal even if you haven't approached them to ask for it.

Why not get the handsets unlocked and go to a different provider? Depends how keen you are on upgrading your handsets.

Interesting.... I have checked a couple of other companies who are quite clear when you have paid off the handset cost you only pay your call plan costs thereafter. I do think when your original contract includes a fixed price for the equipment you shouldn't just have to keep paying that charge as well unless you ask otherwise, may be its me ...

They're all much of a muchness, to be honest.

Though I don't bother with contracts, as most of my usage is data, which I can get unlimited with t-mobile on PAYG.

I think that this is quite common TBF.
I found that when I came to renegotiate, having had a look at the best deals out there which involved buying a new phone and changing providers, or a sim only deal, that the telephone company were quite willing to negotiate with me to keep my custom. They actually marginally bettered what I could have got elsewhere over the period of the new contract. It did help that I had done the research and knew exactly what I wanted and how much I was prepared to pay.

I see what you mean, but remember you're not 'paying off' the phone as you would a loan/hire purchase. You are paying £xx for the calls, and getting the phone free (so long as you sign up to 18/24 month contract). Of course, we all know you are essentially paying for the phone in monthly instalments, but as your contract says you are paying £xx for calls, not £xx for calls and £yy for phone, you shouldn't expect it to automatically drop.