"John Mason" <jgsfsd@jsjkhsat.com> wrote in message
news:45c39077$0$8755$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
>
> "Roger Mills" <watt.tyler@googlemail.com> wrote in message
> news:52gt3qF1o51kmU1@mid.individual.net...
>> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>> Tim Downie <timdownie2003@obvious.yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> "J B" <jb@privacy.net> wrote in message
>>> news:52glesF1ocvunU1@mid.individual.net...
>>>> "John Smith" <*@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:CWEwh.4220$lV5.227@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
>>>>
>>>>> 1. Is there such a thing as a 'free' phone upgrade from Orange?
>>>>
>>>> Yep
>>>>
>>>>> I have never had one.
>>>>
>>>> Why not???? ;-)
>>>
>>> Maybe he's on PAYG or a Virgin OVP tariff?
>>>
>>> Tim
>>
>>
>> The latter doesn't stop you getting free upgrades - I've had *two*!
>> --
>> Cheers,
>> Roger
>> ______
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>>
> As others say you will be locked into Orange for another 12 or 18 months
> if you take their upgrade. So, I would take yourself off to
> Carphonewarehouse and have a look at what they have on Orange, O2 or
> T-Mobile Pay as you go. Most of these will be standard GSM stock rather
> than the locked versions that other shops sell. You can generally tell
> this if you ask them to show you a phone and it comes in a box without a
> network's logo and some assitance will freely tell you if its locked or
> not anyway.
>
> I have had 2 Motorolas and an SE on O2, Orange and T-Mobile and all were
> unlocked for any network. This is MUCH cheaper than getting a SIM free
> phone, especially from Expansys who are good but EXPENSIVE.
>

Thanks all for the advice. I am on a monthly contract. I had a feeling the
'free' upgrade would make me stay with them for another 12 or 18 months and,
apart from the fact that I am hearing bad things about Orange increasingly
on forums like this, I don't think I will be staying with them 6 or so
months from now. I have never been offered any upgrade phone at all in the,
what, 8 or 9 years I have been with them.