Loyalty means nothing !!

[Applejuiced]

More freedom? Like what?

Switch carriers any time you want, find some promotions from various different networks, not being locked in a long contract for years or have to pay an etf.
Makes more sense overseas, in the US there's many incompatible networks and very few carriers to pick from.

----------

If you buy the phone outright, what do you do when you want a new phone ? Go through the hassle of selling it ?

Yes.
Selling an iPhone is easy though. Not much of a hassle, it sells itself.

 

[Mercenary]

No, the costs won't come down. Never have.

You don't have to stick with t-mobile, do you really need unlimited minutes? For me three had th best deal. I like to buy the handset outright as I don't want to be locked into a contract. I hate the thought of perhaps loosing my phone and still having to pay this £36 a month. I pay just £12.90 for 200 mins and unlimited data.

If you want cheap, O2 do a £25 a month deal. The handset is obviously more expensive up front.

Yes you can get cheaper phones. The iPhone is the most expensive device on the market but for good reason. If you can't afford it, get a Nokia

 

[1rottenapple]

Loyalty is nothing to corporations. Loyalty only matters if your a CEO dealing with shareholders, and their loyalty is with the almighty $$$$$$.

----------

Wow I sound cynical lol but it's th truth.

 

[I8P'CS]

This is what is worrying with todays society, I'm at Uni and people are getting the new iPhone 5 on 24 month contracts for ridiculous prices then telling me they know in a few months they wont be able to buy food or clothes. Apple wins as they have their money.

If you can't afford it then get something else it takes a strong person not to want to keep up with the joneses, there are many people at my uni and probably across the world thinking what have I done once the novelty wears off.

First off its only a phone, do you really need it or you want it to say "i have latest phone look at me"?!?

 

[bandofbrothers]

If you buy the phone outright, what do you do when you want a new phone ? Go through the hassle of selling it ?

This is what most people do with their contract iPhones in the Uk anyway. The iPhone holds its value very well in the uk.

Many upgrade and sell the new iPhone straight away too.

It's no hassle selling here as we also have high street stores who buy the handsets off a person in under 1 hour as they check it out fully and then pay cash or give slightly more for trade in.

Personally because I take care of my property one of my 3 adult children clamber over each other to prise it from my hands.

As Apple generally release an updated iPhone once a year it's not really about disposable income sometimes. Saving £530 over 12 months does not accumulate to a lot ! £44.

I generally transfer amounts over to a high interest bank account where it sits waiting.

----------

Yep I buy my choice of handset and take a rolling 1 month contract of my choice. At the moment it's three. 5000texts 3000minutes and unlimited data! No caps

With tethering £25
Without £15

Good tariff but unfortunately 3 provide fringe coverage where I reside and work !

 

[allistera]

I have been with t-mobile UK since 2000, yes 2000 and they still offer me no discounts at all.

 

[boomhower]

Welcome to the world of modern business. In years past loyalty to a company was rewarded, not anymore. You are no more meaningful to them than anyone else. With any business you do business with you need to shop every couple of years. Whether it's you cell phone service, car insurance, home owners insurance, or satellite TV. Shop it all regularly. Loyalty isn't rewarded and is often penalized.

 

[HowardSmith]

I'm thinking of buying the iPhone 5 , although cannot afford the £36 per month Orange/T Mobile want me to pay.

I find it hard to believe that for £35 its unlimited everything, (1GB internet) + free wifi via BT Openzone and the next tariff down is only a 100 mins . There is no middle tariff !

Apparently loyalty means nothing for iPhone deals. After being with them for 32 months I am angered by this.

My question is will the tariffs become cheaper ? They all seem to have similar deals with no "middle tariff". I am unable to afford these prices as it is at the moment . May make me switch to the Galaxy S3 where my loyalty (although not long) may count for something.

32 months? LOL!

They owe you NOTHING!

 

[daneoni]

Blame Apple.

 

[oplix]

Why would you think any large corporation gives a damn about your loyalty? It's money that matters to them, there are plenty to replace you if you leave.

Actually in a recession, customer loyalty is amongst the most important aspects of sustaining a profitable business. Just look inside any large store retail locations today. They are all scrambling to reinvent their customer service image. It's because the purchasing power is heavily reduced by inflation and it gets to slim pickings so to speak. So in reality your theory is very wrong.

Now is Sprint is sustainable or not in their current business model? That's a totally different question.

 

[cperchard]

Buy the handset out right = £529 . 529/24 = £22 per month alone for the phone.


Yes. Other phones would be cheaper which is why the price of the iPhone pushes my towards other phones

Buying phone through Apple =

£529 handset + (24 months x £12.90 through 3 mobile) = £838.60 TOTAL

+ freedom to move to whoever u want......higher sell on value as unlocked

Through Orange =

£109.99 handset + (24 months x £36 a month) = £973.99 TOTAL

Therefore BUY IT!

 

[NT1440]

Actually in a recession, customer loyalty is amongst the most important aspects of sustaining a profitable business. Just look inside any large store retail locations today. They are all scrambling to reinvent their customer service image. It's because the purchasing power is heavily reduced by inflation and it gets to slim pickings so to speak. So in reality your theory is very wrong.

Now is Sprint is sustainable or not in their current business model? That's a totally different question.

Working for retail, no its not. It's the appearance of customer service that matters. What is actually going on behind the scenes is a reshuffling of employees into roles that result in more work (basically you have to do your job plus half of the next guys, we call it "having your back") for the same pay.

Inflation on consumer goods just doesn't exist. Electronics are the cheapest they've ever been when compared to people's purchasing power for the essentials (food, medicine), where inflation has really taken off lately (but people don't notice if their video game systems are cheap as **** ). Also, credit flows like water at my workplace.

Just telling you what I'm seeing every single day at work, its not a theory....

 

[logicpro7]

Buy it sim free, cut a giffgaff sim to nano size, 10 pounds a month, then sell phone when new one is out to pay towards new one then repeat!

Ive done it on every model from 2G>3G>3GS>4>4S>5

 

[GoCubsGo]

I know it's not long (32months). Just infuriating the deals on offer for the iPhone 5. I believe in the US you have fewer networks thank people in the UK ? People switching networks in the UK is more frequent due to the greater number of networks

Still doesn't mean you're entitled to something for being a 32-month customer. And if the data/voice plan on an iPhone is too much then perhaps you need to rethink your future purchase.

 

[Kissaragi]

Just switch network, theres plenty to choose from.

 

[Jimmy James]

Wirelessly posted

In US and Canada your plan would be $65 a month. Don't complain about your plans, it's the hardware you guys pay out the ass for

Currency fail.

 

[RocketMan76]

Still doesn't mean you're entitled to something for being a 32-month customer. And if the data/voice plan on an iPhone is too much then perhaps you need to rethink your future purchase.

Was gonna say this.

OP wants to buy a £200-400 phone, but can't afford the £36 one time fee? Your priorities are in the wrong order sir.

 

[Superman041]

Was gonna say this.

OP wants to buy a £200-400 phone, but can't afford the £36 one time fee? Your priorities are in the wrong order sir.

£36 a month , not a one time fee

 

[Mliii]

Why would you think any large corporation gives a damn about your loyalty? It's money that matters to them, there are plenty to replace you if you leave.

This^^

Why would the carrier push you to a different phone?

Because the carriers pay Apple a much higher subsidy for the iPhone than they do for any other phone on the market.
Here, for example:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/are-iphone-subsidies-destroying-carriers/

 

[co22]

What does a carrier pay for an iPhone?

Because the carriers pay Apple a much higher subsidy for the iPhone than they do for any other phone on the market.
Here, for example:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/are-iphone-subsidies-destroying-carriers/

I've read that article (and others) about iPhone subsidies, but the exact price that the carriers pay Apple for each iPhone doesn't appear to be public knowledge. AT&T used to pay a hefty premium for being the exclusive carrier for the iPhone, but now that multiple US carriers offer the iPhone, that may have changed. Who knows, maybe some carriers get a volume discount from Apple for buying (and re-selling) millions of iPhones.

So does anyone outside of Apple and the carriers really know what the carriers pay for each iPhone?

 

[cookiesnfooty]

giff gaff who are owned by O2 and use the O2 network have very interesting tarrifs if you by the phone unlocked.

£10 = 250 mins, unlimited text & unlimited 3g data ( dont know about tethering they probably charge or dont allow it)

I would never recommend these since the banning practices they started and also the new policies they put in place.

 

[Mliii]

So does anyone outside of Apple and the carriers really know what the carriers pay for each iPhone?

Probably not the exact amount, but with the filings AT&T Verizon, etc and Apple have to do, there's a pretty good guestimate out there that allows you to extrapolate what those numbers look like.

 

[erratikmind]

I'm thinking of buying the iPhone 5 , although cannot afford the £36 per month Orange/T Mobile want me to pay.

I find it hard to believe that for £35 its unlimited everything, (1GB internet) + free wifi via BT Openzone and the next tariff down is only a 100 mins . There is no middle tariff !

Apparently loyalty means nothing for iPhone deals. After being with them for 32 months I am angered by this.

My question is will the tariffs become cheaper ? They all seem to have similar deals with no "middle tariff". I am unable to afford these prices as it is at the moment . May make me switch to the Galaxy S3 where my loyalty (although not long) may count for something.

Thirty-two months? . . . I started back in 1986 when AT&T was a start-up known as Cellular One here in the Bay Area. I get nothing and expecting nothing, except for good cellular service, which I have been afforded.

 

[RossMc]

I always just buy the phone outright then get a 30 day rolling contract so I can cancel anytime I want with a months notice.

The one I have at the minute is The One Plan from Three.

2000 Minutes, Unlimited Texts & Unlimited Internet for £25 a month plus they allow tethering so I can use the iPhone's Personal Hotspot feature to tether to my iPad which saved me buying a 3G iPad and a seperate monthly data plan

Thinking of dropping it down to 600 Minutes, Unlimited Texts & Unlimited Internet for £19 a month though as there is no way I use 2000 minutes a month but need to find out if tethering is included in that one first.

 

[pure3d2]

I'm thinking of buying the iPhone 5 , although cannot afford the £36 per month Orange/T Mobile want me to pay.

I find it hard to believe that for £35 its unlimited everything, (1GB internet) + free wifi via BT Openzone and the next tariff down is only a 100 mins . There is no middle tariff !

Apparently loyalty means nothing for iPhone deals. After being with them for 32 months I am angered by this.

My question is will the tariffs become cheaper ? They all seem to have similar deals with no "middle tariff". I am unable to afford these prices as it is at the moment . May make me switch to the Galaxy S3 where my loyalty (although not long) may count for something.

I've been with my carrier for 9 years or 108 months. I had to pay full price for the iPhone 5 in order to keep my current plan (700 minutes to share between me and my wife, unlimited data, pay-to-use txting) $116/month.

I asked if they could credit me like maybe 2 months worth for being a loyal customer for nearly a decade; they told me I can either trade in my iPhone 4 for a $140 gift card (traded it to amazon for $240), or wait until October 6th to upgrade with a discount and get converted to their crappy share everything plan (unlimited talk/text, 1GB of shared data) for $20 more than what I'm currently paying.

They offered me the same "perks" as they would any other current customer.

You think you're getting shafted for your 32 months of loyalty? Try 9 years, mate!