on 20-01-2014 13:49
on 20-01-2014 13:49
Solved! Go to Solution.
on 20-01-2014 15:27
on 20-01-2014 15:27
@perksie wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I think refresh is great I can't personally see why anyone wouldn't go for it but some seem to still like a choiceI agree with that, the biggest complaint on here has always been about wanting to upgrade early, Refresh is a perfect way to do that and there is no penalty to pay.
There is a penalty to pay - a huge financial one. The refresh contracts are just not competitive - when I've checked, it's cheaper to buy SIM free on a 0% credit card and find your own SIM-only plan. The refresh contracts instead charge top whack for the phone (which will be branded and locked) and top whack for the airtime, and they're a lot less competitive than the traditional contract plans from places that will supply you an unbranded, unlocked handset anyway.
I, personally, don't get it. If you really wanted to chop and change your phone so much, the SIM free & SIM only route has so many more advantages (including cost) than refresh.
on 20-01-2014 15:33
@a_hcir wrote:
@perksie wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I think refresh is great I can't personally see why anyone wouldn't go for it but some seem to still like a choiceI agree with that, the biggest complaint on here has always been about wanting to upgrade early, Refresh is a perfect way to do that and there is no penalty to pay.
There is a penalty to pay - a huge financial one. The refresh contracts are just not competitive - when I've checked, it's cheaper to buy SIM free on a 0% credit card and find your own SIM-only plan. The refresh contracts instead charge top whack for the phone (which will be branded and locked) and top whack for the airtime, and they're a lot less competitive than the traditional contract plans from places that will supply you an unbranded, unlocked handset anyway.
I, personally, don't get it. If you really wanted to chop and change your phone so much, the SIM free & SIM only route has so many more advantages (including cost) than refresh.
Which is what I do ref Sim Free from Apple and a 4G payg account.
That said its a big initial outlay for some.
I
on 20-01-2014 15:34
20-01-2014 15:36 - edited 20-01-2014 15:38
@Anonymous wrote:
Not everyone has the option of getting endless credit cards
Personally I put funds to one side each month in a high interest online bank account, and then work full time in November to earn more.
I choose not to use Credit Cards.
Apologies @a_hcir for going off topic.
20-01-2014 15:36 - edited 20-01-2014 15:39
20-01-2014 15:36 - edited 20-01-2014 15:39
@a_hcir wrote:
I, personally, don't get it. If you really wanted to chop and change your phone so much, the SIM free & SIM only route has so many more advantages (including cost) than refresh.
Nobody said it was compulsory, the choice is always there to do as you wish.
Not everyone has a credit card or can pay for a high end phone outright, not my choice but it's there.
It's a free market but O2 are selling more Refresh contracts than the normal type at the rate of about 200,000 per quarter, so it must have it's appeal.
on 20-01-2014 15:39
on 20-01-2014 15:41
on 20-01-2014 15:41
@Anonymous wrote:
Not everyone has the option of getting endless credit cards
Agreed, but to play devil's advocate: If you can't get a cheap/zero credit deal to pay for an expensive handset, or afford to buy these devices outright at a lower overall cost, why consider having multiple expensive handsets in under two years and pay a premium for doing so?
on 20-01-2014 15:44
@a_hcir wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Not everyone has the option of getting endless credit cardsAgreed, but to play devil's advocate: If you can't get a cheap/zero credit deal to pay for an expensive handset, or afford to buy these devices outright at a lower overall cost, why consider having multiple expensive handsets in under two years and pay a premium for doing so?
I tend to sell my previous iPhone to buy the newly released ones.
iPhones often hold their street value a bit better than some.
Example: I sold my iPhone 5 for £250 to off set the cost of my iPhone 5s.
on 20-01-2014 15:47
on 20-01-2014 15:47
@perksie wrote:
Nobody said it was compulsory, the choice is always there to do as you wish.
Not everyone has a credit card or can pay for a high end phone outright, not my choice but it's there.
It's a free market but O2 are selling more Refresh contracts than the normal type at the rate of about 200,000 per quarter, so it must have it's appeal.
I think most of the appeal must be the marketing/appealing to a demographic that doesn't want to "do it themselves". I can't believe that people don't sit with a calculator and do the sums themselves and see that they're paying a lot more than they need to.
However, you're right, no-one is putting a gun to my head and forcing me to go down the refresh route. Indeed, my o2 phone came from a reseller and is costing a lot less overall than if I got it from o2 refresh, even with their current deal on the handset 2 months down the line.
I do hope, however, that by the time my contract comes for renewal I can have a phone on a traditional contract direct from o2 without having to involve any third parties.