Page 1 of FREE 1 YEARS CONTRACT AND CALLS WITH ORANGE

I have been sent this email about an offer for a free years calls/text etc with Orange.
On the letter you will note it says to "existing" customers. However I am not an existing customer and when I rang up they said they could still arrange it.
I`m yet to take up the offer. Sounds like a catch somewhere.


"The Mobile Outlet" is offering this amazing sim card to all existing customers. The sim card is connected onto the Orange network and offers the customer over 5000 minutes over 12 months and 300 text messages. The sim card is absolutely free and all line rental is paid for by The Mobile Outlet. At the end of the 12 months the contract expires and the simcard is no longer active.

For the first 6 months, you have 100 minutes of talk time to any UK mobile phone network or UK landline per month. These 100 minutes are not restricted to any time period - i.e. you can make your calls at any time of the day or night, weekdays and weekends.

After 6 months your entitlements change. On this tariff you have 750 off peak minutes to Orange mobile phones and UK landlines, plus 50 text messages to any UK mobile phone network. Please note the inclusive calls on this tariff are subject to off peak time restrictions. In total this sim card will give you 5000 minutes in total over the 12 month period.

If you decide to take this fantastic offer you will be billed on a monthly basis, but The Mobile Outlet will make full payments to cover your monthly line rental. We will forward a cheque along with the sim card to cover your full year`s line rental. The line rental for 1 year for this offer amounts to £183.00. This will cover the 12 months line rental. Below is a breakdown of the monthly costs:

Months 1, 2 and 3 - Billed @ 11.00 per month = 33.00
Months 4, 5 and 6 - Billed @ 22.00 per month = 66.00
Months 7 to 12 - Billed @ 13.99 per month = 83.94

Total for 12 Months = 183.00

If you have any further questions or queries in regards to this limited offer please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team who will be more than happy to help on 0870 1999 333. Or Alternatively please email our customer service team at the email address below:


WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK>>?
LET ME KNOW.
IS IT WORTH IT???
LINK BELOW:


www.themobileoutlet.co.uk/simcardoffer.asp?txtRef1=1816&txtRef2=

Hmmm

Website looks a little ropey/hurriedly put together but other than that it seems like a pretty good deal especially as they pay you the £183 up-front (or at least that is my understanding of what they have written).

However, if you want something a little more cast iron, you might like to consider this deal from onestopphoneshop http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/forums/thread.asp?Forum=223&Thread=372270&Type=1 with it you not only get free calls but a free phone too, which you could easily sell on eBay for around £80 if you just wanted the calls and Sim card.

So you get similar free calls AND an £80+ profit

This item was edited on Wednesday, 12th January 2005, 23:01

Quote:
To order your free simcard, click the Proceed button. A sim card will be forwarded along with a cheque and a complete tariff guide with your mobile phone order.

Just before the Proceed button.

As with all of these cashback deals, they`re only any good if the retailer is still around at payout time. This one may be fine (though it doesn`t include a new phone, which most of them do) but you are at risk until you get the cheque. I have successfully used cashback without any problem at all, but will only use two websites - carphonewarehouse.com and e2save.com. Both are part of CPW, which is a good solid company with a pretty good reputation for looking after its customers - and it`s most unlikely to go bust.

Take a look at Reestit Mutton`s bargain pages on the link below, and you`ll find a CPW bargain right now. SE T630 on T-Mobile for a net £4.99 a month for 12 months. Sell the phone for more than £60 (not difficult) and you`re actually in profit on the deal. It`s an off-peak deal, though, so it may not suit. There will be better ones coming up, though. Just watch and wait. Good luck.


http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~lauriem/index.html

Two main problems with the deal that is described by the OP...

(1) The contract will NOT expire after 12 months.
(2) The tariff will NOT change after 6 months.

Both these statements are blatantly false and the retailer has duped you into thinking otherwise - it is (currently) POSSIBLE to change your tariff after 6 months to freetime 750 @ £13.99/month (but this tariff is by no means guaranteed to still be available in 6 months time) and it is ALLOWABLE for you to cancel the contract after 12 months. However, both these events are contingent upon YOU requesting them...it is simply NOT automatic. Contrary to teh impression given, if you do nothing, you will remain on the 100 minute tariff and the contract will continue to run ad nauseum.

As others have said, you also have to trust that the retailer is still around when they are due to pay back. That said, I do list a few of their deals from time to time on my site as I have no reason to believe that they are anything other than genuine.

Personally though, for transparency, I prefer to cost deals on the basis of the tariff that is purchased at the outset as you can never guarantee that trade downs at the 6 month point will still be allowed when the time comes and you certainly can`t be sure which tariffs will be available to change to at that point anyway. For this reason it really irks me when I see adverts for FREE deals when they are contingent upon events that the retailer cannot and will not guarantee the availability of. In my mind, it`s tantamount to false advertising.

(rant over...)

RM

i signed up for this - it cost me £2 as not an original customer.....

so lets see how this works...
Quote:

Two main problems with the deal that is described by the OP...

(1) The contract will NOT expire after 12 months.
(2) The tariff will NOT change after 6 months.

Both these statements are blatantly false and the retailer has duped you into thinking otherwise - it is (currently) POSSIBLE to change your tariff after 6 months to freetime 750 @ £13.99/month (but this tariff is by no means guaranteed to still be available in 6 months time) and it is ALLOWABLE for you to cancel the contract after 12 months. However, both these events are contingent upon YOU requesting them...it is simply NOT automatic. Contrary to teh impression given, if you do nothing, you will remain on the 100 minute tariff and the contract will continue to run ad nauseum.


aren`t they just saying `the contract won`t expire, you have to do something to end it` and `the trariff won`t change, unless you change it...`

do you have to change the contract down after 6 months?? oh well, i have printed everything, but am still tempted to cancel it as it doesnt `feel` right


Willow : I knew it. I knew it. Well, not in the sense of having the slightest idea, but I knew there was something I didn`t know

well they took my £1.99 on the 13th December, i have sent them 2 emails and heard nothing from them.....

did anyone else go for this deal?

Willow : I knew it. I knew it. Well, not in the sense of having the slightest idea, but I knew there was something I didn`t know

well these guys seem to be unable to do a job properly....

they did not deliver said goods, so i cancelled and asked for a refund. they say its non-refundable. I disagree as they have broken terms of contract, therefore rendering it null and void. and are refusing to return my money (its on 2 quid,.... but hey its mine!!)

and now they say to log a complaint you have to write in....

avoid these people like the plague -
The Mobile Outlet
3-4 Riverdale House
Dockfield Road
Shipley
BD17 7AD

Willow : I knew it. I knew it. Well, not in the sense of having the slightest idea, but I knew there was something I didn`t know

Really glad I didnt take the offer after all.

Even more sorry that I was responsible for you taking it up Buffy.

Forgive and forget?? (me not the company!!)

;)

oh sweetie - thats kind of you to say sorry - not your fault

i have had an email today - its nice though, cos he used to call me by my surname.... (its a boys name) shame he cant spell it right though.

"
Dear Penny,

We will refund the £1.99. If you have a complaint, please write to the address provided.

Regards

James
"

Willow : I knew it. I knew it. Well, not in the sense of having the slightest idea, but I knew there was something I didn`t know