There are so many mobile service operators on the market offering different deals that choosing between them can be tough. If you’re looking to get a new contract for your business phone then you’re going to have very specific needs. Today we’re looking at how you should shop for a business mobile contract, and how you can get the best business mobile deals, to help you navigate the maze of mobile operators. So, before you start signing contracts, read on to make sure that you’re getting the best deal for you.
Coverage Comes First…
Above all else you’re going to need great coverage, and therefore good reliability in your business mobile service. Because not all operators have the same number of cell towers in all areas, this means investigating what kind of coverage you’re going to get with different operators. Poor coverage will result in bad call quality and slow mobile data speeds, so you won’t have reliable service. Checking out coverage is easy; you can go to the OFCOM web site to get an accurate comparison map of coverage with different operators in different areas. Don’t forget to look at all areas that you frequently travel in, not just your home location.
Incentive or SIM Only Contract?
Secondly, you’re going to want to decide whether you want an incentive contract or a SIM only one. Both kinds of contracts will give you a calling plan, but an incentive contract will also give you a mobile phone, either for free or for a small down payment. In general, since business phones tend to be high end models deals on incentive contracts aren’t great, and you tend to end up paying more than the retail cost of the phone over the course of your contract. However, if you do need a new business mobile and you don’t have upwards of five hundred pounds to spend on a new one, then an incentive contract might be your only option. If you do have the cash though, it will probably work out to your advantage to get a SIM only contract and then to buy the phone separately.
Business Calling Plans…
Though some mobile operators do offer specific business calling plans with contracts, not all do. You’re going to be looking for a calling plan that has high limits, or even no limits at all. Since you want to have fast, efficient service on your business phone this is particularly going to be true of mobile data. If your mobile data limits are too low you’ll find that your internet speeds may slow down significantly once you go over your limit, which will once again not give you the reliability that you’re looking for. If the operator you’re looking at doesn’t offer a specific business plan, then look at the larger plans that they do offer. Unlimited data will work best, but look for at least a monthly data cap of around 2 GB. Most companies offer unlimited text messaging and calling minutes as well, though these are less necessary since your text and calling services won’t get cut off if you exceed your limit, though you will have to pay extra costs.
Contract Length…
You will be offered a choice of contract lengths, generally anything between one and two years, though some SIM only contracts come with thirty day rolling validity periods. The longer the contract is that you sign the cheaper the monthly payments will be, particularly if you decide to go with an incentive contract since the cost of the phone will be spread out over a greater number of months. However, a longer contract will mean that you’re tied to that operator for a longer period of time. Cancelling a mobile contract can be costly, and this will mean that you’ll be unable to take advantage of better prices or services from other operators and in some cases will mean that you won’t be able to change your calling plan for the length of your contract either.
Compare Business Mobile Deals…
When you know what kind of contract and calling plan you’re looking for you can then look around at business mobile deals. In order to do this, the best idea is to go online and find a mobile operator comparison web site. These sites allow you to put in the parameters that you want and then present you with a list of contracts that fulfil your needs. You can then simply choose the cheapest plan, or the one that you like the best, not forgetting to ensure that the contract is with an operator that gives you good coverage in your area.
Shopping…
You can, of course, go to a physical retail store for the operator that you’ve chosen to sign a contract. However, most operators will allow you to buy contracts online, and often offer discounts for doing so. If you’ve gone with an incentive contract this will mean that you have to wait a little longer to get the phone that you ordered, but you should get some healthy savings by going this route. Beware of third party web sites that offer mobile contracts though. These contracts are valid, and are sold to the web site by mobile operators, with the site getting a commission for each contract that they sell.
However, these sites often offer some unscrupulous deals. A common tactic is to offer gifts of free electronics with a contract, the electronics in question generally being out dated or budget models. Some sites will offer cash rebates. These rebates are subject to strict conditions; conditions which many customers fail to abide by and therefore forfeit their rebate. Even if you do qualify, you won’t get the whole rebate at one time, since it’s usually paid out in instalments upon receipt of certain mobile phone bills that the site will request that you send them. It’s usually safest to deal directly with the operator themselves when signing a contract, so you know exactly what you’re getting into.
uSwitch and other similar sites helped Sam Jones to get great value for money. He needed to find affordable business mobile deals and saved some money by searching online
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