[Something else]

Of course retention is the best time to get deals but I have left three due to their drop in the like home, plus having other issues so I am free and single and looking for a good deal.

Always been an o2 man before three and they are notorously difficult to negotiate with.

As a new customer would I have any foot in with any of the other networks to get a decent deal?

Many thanks

[RobM]

It's impossible to say for sure, as it often depends on who you get at the end of the phone. But the way I'd play it is to use the fact you've just left 3 early to your advantage.

Do you have a specific phone in mind? If so, phone O2 and say you've just left 3 early and you're in the market for a new contract, what deal can they do? See what they offer and tell them you'll be off to compare that to Voda and will phone back.
Then phone Voda, tell them the same and say what O2 have offered.
Then phone TMobile, tell them the same and say what O2 and Voda have offered.

Do this for all networks (other than 3!! ) and see where you end up. Then you could go back to O2 and say the others have offered a better deal, is their offer the best they could possibly do?

[mickstreet]

I tried and tried to get a really good deal with vodafone on a new HTC magic but I couldn't get near what existing customers were being offered.

[RobM]

Something that keeps playing on my mind for renewal time, is the merit in contracts at all. I tend to change phones fairly often and have never ended a contract with the same phone I got at the start, so don't see the benefit of committing to a long contract.

The SIM-Only deals are looking very good value for money and a lot less hassle. It's tempting to avoid contracts totally.

[Something else]

Originally Posted by RobM83

Something that keeps playing on my mind for renewal time, is the merit in contracts at all. I tend to change phones fairly often and have never ended a contract with the same phone I got at the start, so don't see the benefit of committing to a long contract.

The SIM-Only deals are looking very good value for money and a lot less hassle. It's tempting to avoid contracts totally.

It is tempting as a sim only £20 o2 contract with 400 mins and 1000 texts plus free internet and a iphone pay as you go is £40 cheaper over the 18 months than the contract version plus you get far more texts....

its a tempter

[RobM]

Originally Posted by Something else

It is tempting as a sim only £20 o2 contract with 400 mins and 1000 texts plus free internet and a iphone pay as you go is £40 cheaper over the 18 months than the contract version plus you get far more texts....

its a tempter

This is my thinking. I bought an iPhone 3G on an iPhone contract and it's great, the free WiFi and truly unlimited data are superb additions.... but I've sold the iPhone already. And the O2 fair usage policy for their normal 'unlimited' deals is still pretty reasonable and more than you're likely to use in an average month.

If I were buying an iPhone again, I'd definitely stay on O2 (assuming O2 keep the exclusivity) so you don't have to panic about unlocking it and re-unlocking it when you update it.

[Amal99]

Due an upgrade with Orange