There seem to be quite a few online-shops which offer huge cash backs
for mobile contracts, often to the degree that there is hardly any
subscription to pay, plus you get a new mobile. Sounds too good to be
true. The small print then states that cash back will be paid in
instalments over the length of the contract. This means that if the shop
goes belly up, there will be no more cash back payments. Are these
offers generally trustworthy? I am somehow suspicious this could be a
scam. Are my doubts unfounded?
"simon crowder" <simon.crowder@arcor.de> wrote in message
news:45be4e1e$0$18835$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
> There seem to be quite a few online-shops which offer huge cash backs for
> mobile contracts, often to the degree that there is hardly any
> subscription to pay, plus you get a new mobile. Sounds too good to be
> true. The small print then states that cash back will be paid in
> instalments over the length of the contract. This means that if the shop
> goes belly up, there will be no more cash back payments. Are these offers
> generally trustworthy? I am somehow suspicious this could be a scam. Are
> my doubts unfounded?
your doubts are well founded.
personally i stick to e2save as they are part of a big company - so as safe
as you can get,
even then you need to be well organised....
"simon crowder" <simon.crowder@arcor.de> wrote in message
news:45be4e1e$0$18835$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
> There seem to be quite a few online-shops which offer huge cash backs for
> mobile contracts, often to the degree that there is hardly any
> subscription to pay, plus you get a new mobile. Sounds too good to be
> true. The small print then states that cash back will be paid in
> instalments over the length of the contract. This means that if the shop
> goes belly up, there will be no more cash back payments. Are these offers
> generally trustworthy? I am somehow suspicious this could be a scam. Are
> my doubts unfounded?
Not always, you have to decide if the company will still be around. Past
performance is no guarantee of future performance. Read the terms and
conditions over again and make sure there is no doubt as to what to do to
claim. They are written in a certain way and lots of tricks and scams are
used to prevent a pay-out.
Make sure you can afford the full costs as you might not get a penny.
Get the right deal and you will save, but is it worth the risk!
john wrote:
> "simon crowder" <simon.crowder@arcor.de> wrote in message
> news:45be4e1e$0$18835$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
>> There seem to be quite a few online-shops which offer huge cash backs for
>> mobile contracts, often to the degree that there is hardly any
>> subscription to pay, plus you get a new mobile. Sounds too good to be
>> true. The small print then states that cash back will be paid in
>> instalments over the length of the contract. This means that if the shop
>> goes belly up, there will be no more cash back payments. Are these offers
>> generally trustworthy? I am somehow suspicious this could be a scam. Are
>> my doubts unfounded?
I've hardly paid a penny for mobile phones and contracts over very many
years, all down to cashback deals. I've only ever once failed to get a
cashback, when I misread one of the instructions. Tsk!
> Not always, you have to decide if the company will still be around. Past
> performance is no guarantee of future performance. Read the terms and
> conditions over again and make sure there is no doubt as to what to do to
> claim. They are written in a certain way and lots of tricks and scams are
> used to prevent a pay-out.
I think the word 'scam' is a little harsh... yes, IME the companies will
wriggle out of paying up if you get the slightest thing wrong, but you
just have to be careful and do exactly everything they ask for. The
only reason these contracts are viable is that so many punters fail to
claim successfully.
> Make sure you can afford the full costs as you might not get a penny.
> Get the right deal and you will save, but is it worth the risk!
Providing you don't pick a stupidly inappropriate (fot you) contract -
eg, a 500 minute per month one costing £50/month (or whatever) when you
only actually make 50 mins of calls per month, then you really aren't
risking much - if anything - anyway. The worst that can happen is that
you actually have to pay for the contract you take out (like most people
do!)
Google this newsgroup for "cashback" for all the ins and outs and pros
and cons.
On Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:42:36 +0000, simon crowder
<simon.crowder@arcor.de> wrote:
>There seem to be quite a few online-shops which offer huge cash backs
>for mobile contracts, often to the degree that there is hardly any
>subscription to pay, plus you get a new mobile. Sounds too good to be
>true. The small print then states that cash back will be paid in
>instalments over the length of the contract. This means that if the shop
>goes belly up, there will be no more cash back payments. Are these
>offers generally trustworthy? I am somehow suspicious this could be a
>scam. Are my doubts unfounded?
Speaking of this, has anyone seen any good non cashback offers
recently? T-mobile are doing £5 a month off their Flext contracts...
"Meggahurtz" <nobody@here.com> wrote in message
news:Bcsvh.59871$1W1.52727@newsfe4-win.ntli.net
> "simon crowder" <simon.crowder@arcor.de> wrote in message
> news:45be4e1e$0$18835$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
> Are my doubts unfounded?
>
> I wouldn`t touch Cashback, i`ve read too many horror
> stories on this NG for a starter.
I don't understand it. Why not just reduce the price by £x instead of
charging £y and then giving the customer £x back..?
Ivor Jones wrote:
> "Meggahurtz" <nobody@here.com> wrote in message
> news:Bcsvh.59871$1W1.52727@newsfe4-win.ntli.net
>> "simon crowder" <simon.crowder@arcor.de> wrote in message
>> news:45be4e1e$0$18835$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
>> Are my doubts unfounded?
>>
>> I wouldn`t touch Cashback, i`ve read too many horror
>> stories on this NG for a starter.
>
> I don't understand it. Why not just reduce the price by £x instead of
> charging £y and then giving the customer £x back..?
There are plenty of 100% cashback deals around; I've once had one which
actually paid *me* money to take out a contract! If the price was
reduced to zero upfront, I can't see either of those options forming the
basis of a particularly good business model for any retailer, can you?
The whole point is that the retailers advertise an attractive deal; a
zillion punters take them up on it, and of those, a high percentage fail
to claim their cashbacks for some reason, and the retailer relies
completely on this in order to make any profit at all.
ivor@despammed.invalid declared for all the world to hear...
> I don't understand it. Why not just reduce the price by £x instead of
> charging £y and then giving the customer £x back..?
Because with a mobile phone contract the dealer does not get the
commission until several months after the sale.
Also, if the price initially is zero how can you reduce it?
--
Regards
Jon
"Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote in message
news:529jqsF1ndtosU1@mid.individual.net...
> "Meggahurtz" <nobody@here.com> wrote in message
> news:Bcsvh.59871$1W1.52727@newsfe4-win.ntli.net
>> "simon crowder" <simon.crowder@arcor.de> wrote in message
>> news:45be4e1e$0$18835$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
>> Are my doubts unfounded?
>>
>> I wouldn`t touch Cashback, i`ve read too many horror
>> stories on this NG for a starter.
>
> I don't understand it. Why not just reduce the price by £x instead of
> charging £y and then giving the customer £x back..?
>
> Ivor
>
>
because they hope you will forget. they also earn interest.
also, we dont know when the phone company gives them the cash - maybe they
have to wait too.
"Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote in message
news:529jqsF1ndtosU1@mid.individual.net...
> "Meggahurtz" <nobody@here.com> wrote in message
> news:Bcsvh.59871$1W1.52727@newsfe4-win.ntli.net
>> "simon crowder" <simon.crowder@arcor.de> wrote in message
>> news:45be4e1e$0$18835$9b4e6d93@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...
>> Are my doubts unfounded?
>>
>> I wouldn`t touch Cashback, i`ve read too many horror
>> stories on this NG for a starter.
>
> I don't understand it. Why not just reduce the price by £x instead
> of charging £y and then giving the customer £x back..?
>
Because, generally, it isn't the network making the cash back offer,
its the dealer.
The network pays the dealer a certain amount for customers that they
sign up, the dealer is then deciding that, to entice customers they'll
pass some/all of this commission to the customer as a cashback deal.
Why, then, should the network give all customers a 5 or 10 (or
whatever) pound per month discount ?
"Jon" <spam@jonparker.plus.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.2029af46620af02298a704@text.usenet.plus.n et
> ivor@despammed.invalid declared for all the world to
> hear...
> > I don't understand it. Why not just reduce the price by
> > £x instead of charging £y and then giving the customer
> > £x back..?
>
> Because with a mobile phone contract the dealer does not
> get the commission until several months after the sale.
>
> Also, if the price initially is zero how can you reduce
> it?
If the price was *really* zero I doubt you'd *need* to entice customers
onto it..!
"the dog from that film you saw"
<dsb@REMOVETHECAPITALSbtinternet.com> wrote in message
news:529mglF1mhqqsU1@mid.individual.net
> "Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote in message
> news:529jqsF1ndtosU1@mid.individual.net...
[snip]
> > I don't understand it. Why not just reduce the price by
> > £x instead of charging £y and then giving the customer
> > £x back..?
>
> because they hope you will forget. they also earn
> interest.
Can cash back offers be trusted? 
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