to expect free mobile upgrade at end of contract?

[fabuleux]

I'm coming to end of 2 year contract with 3, I pay about 32 a month for unlimited data, few hundred mins and 3000 texts and have an iPhone 4S. I want to upgrade to an iPhone 6, but none of the upgrade options online have unlimited data unless I increase my monthly bill to 45!

Anyone had any luck with keeping their current tariff but upgrading to a new handset without having to pay any extra?

You want a company to give you something for less than their offered prices?

Why do you think they owe you a free upgrade?

If you phone and tell them you ate leaving, they can often do you a deal. But you have to be prepared yi actually leave. And maybe unlumited data isn't necessary. Ask for 4GB. That should be plenty, as long as you don't watch movies online all the time.

In my experience you never get an iPhone for free unless you're on a huge tariff. In reality though you never really get any phone for free, you're paying for it in your monthly contract. I've found it better to buy a handset outright and then have a sim only deal where I'm not tied to any network for long. Shop around and see what deals you could get if you moved, then ask your current supplier to match.

you're paying for it in your monthly contract.

indeed. Nothing is free. 3 is not a charity. if they are giving you a phone for "free" it's priced in to the plan.

I am also on 3 but own my phone and the plan costs 10/month for 1GB of data (plenty, as long as you don't watch the war of the ring trilogy over data).

See what the difference of plan with a "free" phone and an equivalent sim only plan is over two years.

*lord of the rings

Sorry but you will not be getting an iPhone 6 for no upfront cost unless you increase the amount you pay monthly.

I've been with my current provider for over 20 years and have just had an upgrade. They wanted to charge me £42.00/month for unlimited texts, unlimited calls and 5 GB of data, with the latest Nokia Lumia, which I thought was a bit steep.

I rang Carphone Warehouse as a new customer and asked what deal they could get me with 02, with the same tariff and same phone and they could get it for £30/month. I contacted 02 and asked why a new customer could get a tariff for over £10 less than a loyal, long standing customer and to cut a long story short, I've got exactly the tariff and phone I asked for, for £25/month.

It's worth a call

Seconding Well. DSis did this the other week with O2. She has been with them for 13 years and told them this.

They gave her the iPhone 6 with no upgrade costs, phone costs or change to the amount she pays monthly.

Really worth a try.

the phone has to be paid for somehow and the providers do that by overcharging those on contracts. Just buy the phone outright (if you can afford to) and shop around for a contract as you get better value. I love pay as you go and love my £15 smartphone which is reduced as im a pay as you go customer. Nokia 360. Still worth a try. Maybe try carphone or another provider..

Also just like insurance etc, phone companies charge loyal customers more so it helps to shop around.

I've managed to get an upgrade with Vodafone for half price by saying I'm leaving. I don't like iPhones but I got the, new at the time, Xperia z2 for £19 a month with unlimited minutes, texts and 4gb data instead of paying £37. I did the same for the last three upgrades.

I have been with Vodafone for nearly ten years though, I don't know if I'd have got the same deal if it was my first contract renewal after only two years though.

It's also worth looking at what other providers would offer for the phone/contract you want as some companies will match it or better it to keep you as a customer.

Just a warning, if you get a cheaper deal on the same network as before but through carphone warehouse as a new customer you will not be able to keep your current number.

If you bought a fridge on two years' credit you wouldn't expect to be given new one at the end.
Buying a phone on contract is simply buying the phone on hire purchase.

You would be better off buying the phone up front, even if it meant taking out a loan, and getting a £10 per month SIM deal. The other big advantage is that you can change networks at any time because the phone won't be locked.

Xperia z2

that's not an iphone.

You can buy direct from Apple and spread the cost over six months interest free, then get a sim only contract for buttons! Best of both worlds

that's not an iphone
And all the better for it!

Go into a 3 shop.

I don't have an iphone, but something much better in my opinion, and couldn't work out how to keep my tariff the same but get a new handset.

Decided to visit a shop and got a great advisor. Got the latest handset and because he actually looked at my usage was able to fiddle with what I actually needed and keep the cost down. I paid an additional £12 for the handset.

Unlimited data is possibly to much for you - it was for me as I use wifi most of the time so I was paying for nothing iyswim

I agree. Ditch the contract. Buy the handset outright and get a sim only deal. Works out cheaper over a 24 month term, your handset isn't locked and you aren't trapped in a 2 year contract. It's a win win.

PS you won't get a new deal on the latest iPhone if you say you're leaving, other phones maybe, but not an iphone6. They're flying out the door like hot cakes already, why would they need to i rice someone to take one?

You will get a deal on iPhone 6...o2 would have done their £199 up front £38 per month with no upfront if I had known to call the detentions team instead of trusting their upgrade prices on the website. Bitter? Moi?

Retention not detention

I had an e mail from mse today saying ee are giving new customers an iPhone 6 for £33 a month and if you put the mse offer code in the upfront fee is £35 instead of £70 odd. Seems a good deal.

Also remember to check for discounts via topcashback

You can your phone from Car Phone Warehouse on the same network. I was on Vodafone and they couldn't match the same deal as Car Phone. But I could get a much better deal from Car Phone, with Vodafone again on another contract.

I had to transfer old phone onto pay as you go (took 28 days) and then go into Vodafone and they changed the number over. Took a month to do but saved up the front charge of £80 and £8 a month.