Have questions about mobiles and services? You’re not the only one. Today we’re giving you a brief how to guide for some of the most common mobile and mobile service problems. From how to compare mobile tariffs to how to switch mobile operators, we’ve got all your answers right here…
How To… Choose a Calling Plan…
If you’re going to sign a mobile contract then you’ll need to choose a calling plan. This calling plan will tell you how many calling minutes and text messages and how much mobile data you can use for a fixed monthly price. Calling plans vary in size, and the bigger they are,t he more expensive they are. The easiest way to choose a calling plan is to look at your old mobile phone bills and see how you usually use your phone. You could also track your phone use for a month or two to find out how big your calling plan should be. Your phone might even have calling, text and data counters that will help you do this.
How To… Compare Mobile Tariffs…
It’s pretty easy to compare mobile tariffs to make sure you get the best deal as long as you go online, and you know what kind of calling plan you want. There are plenty of tariff comparison web sites around. You just put in the kind of calling plan limits you’re looking for, and the site will give you a list of all the contracts with different providers that meet your needs. Then you can just choose based on price. Simple.
How To… Check Coverage…
Checking coverage is another thing that’s easy to do online. All mobile operators will have coverage maps on their web sites. If you want to compare coverage with different operators, then go to the OFCOM web site and find their comparative coverage map. This covers all the UK and includes all the major UK operators.
How To… Switch Mobile Operators…
You have the right to switch operators whenever you want, and the process is easy. You just call your current operator and tell them that you want to stop service, and then go to your new operator and sign a contract. If you want to keep your current phone number, then it’s a little more complicated. You’ll need to call your current operator before you cancel service and ask for your PAC code. The company is required to give you this number within a few days of your request, and it’s free. You can then cancel service. When you sign up with your new operator, give them your PAC code and they will ensure that you keep your number. A PAC code only has a thirty day validity period, so you’ll have to make sure that you complete the process within that time frame.
How To… Get a Good Incentive Contract…
Incentive contracts are the contracts offered by mobile operators that give you a calling plan and a free or low cost mobile phone; finding out if you’re getting a good deal means doing some maths. You’ll need to know the monthly price of the incentive contract, you’ll also need to know the monthly price of a SIM only contract (that is, just a calling plan with no mobile phone) with the same company and the same calling plan, plus you’ll need to know the retail price of the phone that you’re getting. The monthly cost of the incentive plan will be higher than that of the SIM only plan, so find out the price difference. Then multiply the price difference by the number of months in the incentive contract. If you have to pay a down payment on the phone, add this now. Now compare the number that you have to the retail price of the phone. It’s normal that your number will be a little higher than the cost of the phone, but the closer it is to the phone’s real cost, the better the deal is that you’re getting. If you’re paying more than about fifty pounds over the cost of the phone on a contract, then don’t sign, it’s not a great deal.
How To… Travel Abroad With Your Mobile Plan…
When you use your mobile abroad it’s called roaming, and roaming prices tend to be quite high. The regulations for roaming really depend on your operator. Some companies require you to call customer service and switch roaming on before you leave the country, to avoid people getting unexpected bills. Other companies will automatically give you roaming. Roaming charges, particularly for mobile data, will be far higher than what you pay at home. On top of this, you will pay not only to make calls, but also to receive them, and with some operators you will also pay to receive text messages. If you don’t want a huge bill, it might be a good idea just to leave your phone at home. If you do need to travel with your phone then it’s worth looking into roaming packages. Most operators offer special deals on roaming if you buy a package, and these will be much cheaper than just using your normal calling plan. You will have to add these packages on top of your contract, and they are opt-in packages, they’re not standard. Depending on your operator you will save a lot of money by purchasing a roaming package.
How To… Leave Your Operator Mid Contract…
You can leave your operator whenever you want simply by calling them and telling them that you no longer want service. But if you’re in the middle of a contract you’re going to have to pay. This will probably be a fixed fee (the amount of which depends on the operator) multiplied by the number of months remaining in your contract. Plus, if you have an incentive contract you’ll have to pay the amount of money still owing on the phone that you received. These fees will be quite high, so it’s better to stay until the end of your contract if at all possible.
The top mobile tariffs were readily available to Sam Jones. He simply turned to online services such as uSwitch and made sure that he had the latest information from the top providers.
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