Advice about Orange upgrade please?

Hi,

I am in the process of considering upgrading my phone on Orange. I have had
the phone since about 1999 and it is an out of date Motorola Timeport. I
think I will go for one of those M3100s. Can someone please let me know?

1. Do I qualify for a free upgrade to the M3100 - I have never upgraded
before?
2. Is going down the upgrade route different to cancelling my current
contract and taking out a new one - I ask as I wonder if the latter will
give me a better deal.
3. I have read online that some people have paid £250 for the M3100 and
others have got it for free by stating they intend to leave Orange - anyone
have any info or advice on this?
4. Will I have to go for an 18 month contract rather than 12? Are 18 month
contracts now standard on mobile phones or is Orange trying to 'pull a fast
one'?
5. Any advice on how to choose a package would be welcome? I know that
sounds silly but are there any pitfalls when looking at phone packages?
6.Can anyone make any head or tail out of their numerous packages?

OK, perhaps the last point is a difficult one to answer but any advice or
info would be welcome on the above.

Thanks,


J.

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[email protected] declared for all the world to hear...
> 1. Do I qualify for a free upgrade to the M3100 - I have never upgraded
> before?

It depends principally on your spend. If it's in the £50-£70 per month
range then you might be able to negotiate one.

> 2. Is going down the upgrade route different to cancelling my current
> contract and taking out a new one - I ask as I wonder if the latter will
> give me a better deal.

If you r spend is low it will. If your spend is high then it will make
no odds.

> 4. Will I have to go for an 18 month contract rather than 12? Are 18 month
> contracts now standard on mobile phones or is Orange trying to 'pull a fast
> one'?

18's get far better deals, and 18 is the standard length. 12 are still
available but you wont get a good price.

> 5. Any advice on how to choose a package would be welcome? I know that
> sounds silly but are there any pitfalls when looking at phone packages?

Compare your current usage to the atarrifs which are available and
select the one that best fits. Maybe a trip to your local Orange Shop
might be a good idea for some free advice?
--
Regards
Jon

Jon wrote:
> > 5. Any advice on how to choose a package would be welcome? I know that
> > sounds silly but are there any pitfalls when looking at phone packages?
>
> Compare your current usage to the atarrifs which are available and
> select the one that best fits. Maybe a trip to your local Orange Shop
> might be a good idea for some free advice?

Also a good idea to take a trip to the Carphone Warehouse or similar to
get some good advice on non-Orange tariffs.

The Orange M3100 is the same phone as the T-Mobile MDA Vario II, the
Vodafone v1605 and the O2 XDA Trion, so if you can get a better
deal/tarrif on any of the above that will give you more ammunition with
Orange retentions, and a possible alternative provider if they won't
budge.

Finally, remember that if you cancel your contract because Orange won't
give you a good enough upgrade deal and then move to a non-Orange
network, you can keep your existing number. If you take out a new
(non-upgrade) contract with Orange, you can't.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org