sammyg

Ok, so my iphone contract is now over

I was thinking, rather than upgrade and start on another bladdy 2 year contract i thought i'd see what options i have now? I had a quick look online but couldn't find much tbh?

Need a largish call allowance and some internet usage

Any ideas??!

Thanks

ozzieeagle

I'm not sure that there is a great deal of advantage in having an off contract phone connection.

AFAIK the phone rates and call allowances are the same... you are just locked in for the 2 years, I guess as time goes by you get more allowances. There is a level where you cant use as much as the Telcos are offering. IE Vodaphones 49 bucks infinite talk and texts. Plus 1.5 gigs phone and 2 gigs USB modem. I suppose in 12 months that could change to 45 bucks or even 40 bucks per month.... but your phone could well be outdated or starting to have touch screen probs by that stage

Interested to see views on this one. Hopefully someone will show me something new.

sammyg

Thanks mate, yeah was thinking there should be some benefit to it as some people choose to buy the phones up front and then choose the provider?

Dunno...like you said hopefully someone on here will know??

ozzieeagle

I've looked at this in detail in the past, and besides being able to take advantage of cheaper prices at different telcos that come out every 9 months or so there isn't much difference. In fact if your phone is 2 years old then you lose the warranty advantage.

I've not seen any contract where it's an advantage owning a phone in a non contract situation.. maybe there is one.

soapy©

your always going to have a phone (who could live without one now) so why not just upgrade and have the insurace for the phone?

sammyg

cheers soapy, yeah i know what you mean, but i pay 60 a month and have had some huge bills over that, so i need a bigger allowance than what i'm currently on...

ozzieeagle

In fact at changeover time you can get special deals out of some providers... I've always been able to with our Two accounts with Three... IE: 10 bucks off of one of the accounts for 4 months etc etc. I've only ever been able to do that via their contact center though.

What I may do @ change over time in 8 months or so, is try and get a 3rd account for my Son, but on a 29 dollar plan which my Wife will use, with an additional Iphone. Lots of leverage at contract time. So the kids will have infinite talk and texts even If I have to change to Threes sister company Vodaphone. (Saves mobile bill shock that one always gets with teenagers) I'm hoping to get 3 new Iphones for the price of 2.5 contracts at that time.

Reason I'm happy to spend the 130 bucks per month, 3 years ago I got 3 x 400 dollar monthly mobile bills within the space of 18 months. Due to two daughters going stupid with their phones... One was a case of their friends getting hold of it. At least this way we have 100 pct contact at a cheap rate with our kids and little if any chance of Mobile blow out costs.

I dont have a mobile phone... Figured out that all it did for me was turn me into an errand boy... Shhhh The wife thinks I'm sacrificing for the family lol

steve_kelly_and_boys

i have just signed up with TPG

sim only deal $30 a month $600 call allowance which can be used internationally and $400 which can be used TPG TO TPG so total $1000 per month

also 2gb of data per month

it works out @ $30 a month because i have my broadband with them otherwise it is $35 which is still good value

they use the optus network and i have had better coverage than what i got with vodafone in the last year

soapy©

sounds like optus?

soapy©

this is what my daughter does. she works for voda and she get the contracts through her (cheap) for us.

soapy©

like Oz said, get in there and kick up a stink and get a cheaper monthly payment

ozzieeagle

600 dollars at what rate ? If it's Optus rate thats 90 cents per minute. (plus 35 cents flagfall) If It's Pennytels rate then thats 10.5 cents per minute.... with no flagfall.

soapy©

yip. i remember being on prepaid telstra. they claimed that if i bought 30 bucks worth of credit i would get something like 120 bucks worth of call. it was gone in about 3 weeks lol

ozzieeagle

If one of your kids go over on one of those cheaper plans, then your inline for a megabill... especially at 70 to 90 cents per minute.


Id personally rather pay the "insurance" of a unlimited plan @ 20 bucks extra per month so they cannot present you with a nasty surprise.

The amount of texts they send each other is phenomenal, it's amazing they dont get RSI.

As for the prepaid... I've got real problems justifying paying Telstra or Optus 50 cents plus per minute for the privilege not being able to manage or control my own/our usage. Like I said I'd rather go to the next level and give them unlimited and worry free usage.







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sammyg

Thanks everyone for the advice, just seen a place called ayamsim or something $40 a month unlimited everything and 4gb of data.

Any other suggestions welcomed?