Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I keep my existing mobile phone number?
- There is a problem with my order / phone
- I click on an offer and the offer has changed / doesn't exist!
- Are these offers only available online?
- Do you have a store I can visit?
- How do the cashback offers work?
- What bill do I send in with my claim? / Do I send them all my bills?
- Are the retailers & cash back offers genuine?
- These offers seem too good to be true, how can they make any money?
Can I keep my existing mobile phone number?
Yes you can transfer your existing number from your old Network Provider to your new contract as long as you are changing Network Providers. For example you can transfer your number from T-Mobile to Vodafone but not from T-Mobile to T-Mobile.
The process of keeping your existing mobile number is done simply by requesting a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) from your old Network Provider e.g. Orange and providing this to your new Network Provider e.g. Three.
The PAC reference number is valid for 30 calendar days from the date of issue. Once you have given this code to your new Network Provider they will port your existing mobile phone number to your new contract within 5 to 7 working days. Once this is complete your old contract will be terminated.
There is usually no charge when transferring your existing number however it's best to double check in case your Network Provider decides to charge an 'admin' fee.
3 Easy Steps to Porting Your Number:- Call the Customer Services department of your current Network or Service Provider and ask for your PAC number. You will find their contact details on a recent bill or statement from them.
- Find the deal you want at Mobile43.co.uk and order your new phone and contract from the online retailer providing the offer.
- On checkout if there is the option, enter your current mobile number, current network and your PAC number.
If not then wait until you receive your new contract with the 'temporary mobile number', then simply contact your new Network Provider and let them know that you wish to transfer your old phone number and give them your PAC reference that you got earlier.
The transfer should then be handled for you within 5 to 7 working days.
Important Notes:- Do not cancel your old contract before requesting your PAC number since disconnected numbers cannot be ported. When you provide your PAC number to your new Network Provider your existing contract will automatically be cancelled once the transfer is complete
- If you have transferred your number from a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) SIM card then any credit you have will be lost so be sure to use it up before you port your number.
- If you are transferring to Vodafone or O2 then you will need to supply your PAC reference when you order as they are currently unable to port your number afterwards.
- Let the retailer know that you have ported your existing number to avoid any problems with claiming cashback. This is because they may only have your new 'temporary mobile number' that you received with your new contract which won't match on your phone bill when you send it to them.
There is a problem with my order / phone
It is important to understand that we do not supply these phones so you don't actually order these offers from us. Mobile43 is a free mobile phone comparison site; we find and list the offers that are available online from other mobile phone retailers.
Therefore if you have any specific queries about your order, you will need to contact the mobile phone retailer that you ordered from since they will have all the details.
I click on an offer and the offer has changed / doesn't exist!
We check and update the offers daily however sometimes the odd expired offer gets through the net. If you find an offer which is no longer valid please contact us and we'll check it for an alternative offer or remove it.
Are these offers only available online?
Yes. You'll find all the best deals are online only because the money retailers save on running a store (i.e. shop rental, electricity bills, staff etc) are passed onto you in the way of more mobile phone offers and better free line rental deals.
Do you have a store I can visit?
No, Mobile43 is a website only; setup to provide you with information on how and where to get a free mobile phone with a free line rental deal. So, since we don't actually sell anything, if we did have a store it would be pretty empty!
How do the cashback offers work?
All the 12 months free line rental deals listed here are through cashback, where you pay the line rental as normal and claim it back in stages during the 12 month contract.
You send the mobile phone retailer the monthly bills that they request (for example 4th month bill, 8th month bill and 12th month bill) to prove you are paying the line rental and they send you the cash back by cheque, bank transfer etc.
However each retailer has their own way for you to claim back the free line rental so please read the instructions they provide carefully and follow it to the letter in order to successfully claim your cashback without any problems.
What bill do I send in with my claim? / Do I send them all my bills?
Again this depends on which retailer you ordered with and what their claim procedure is. In most cases you only need to send them the bill for the month they have requested and usually only the first two pages which show your name, address and mobile contract details.
Also some will request you send the original bill others will accept a copy. Either way it's probably easier to just send the original and keep a copy for yourself if you need it.
However these are things you should double check with the retailer if you are unsure of anything.
Are the retailers & cash back offers genuine?
Yes, we will only list them here if they are genuine. The retailers that offer these deals range from the well known shops like Carphone Warehouse to online only stores such as the The Mobile Outlet and Cool New Mobile.
These retailers have been around for many years so you can be sure that they are genuine as long as you follow their instructions properly on how to claim the cashback, and read the terms and conditions provided by the retailer carefully, which will detail what to do if you change your address, telephone number etc.
They are not difficult to follow but you need to return the claim on time and with the correct bill included. So if they require that you send the bills for months 4, 8 and 12 within 14 days of receiving them then that is what you need to do. We always recommend sending them recorded delivery for extra piece of mind.
These offers seem too good to be true, how can they make any money?
A good question. Obviously the mobile phone retailers aren't a charity and wouldn't offer these deals if they were losing money, so how do they do it? Well they receive a healthy commission from the Network Providers for signing up customers to certain mobile tariff contracts so they can still make a profit from their regular offers which aren't part of their special 12 months free line cash back deals, but most also from customers who forget to claim their cashback in time.
So don't be one of those customers and make sure you make a note of when to claim in some kind of diary. Work out when you need to claim your cashback and make a note as a reminder for when the time comes to claim, so you don't miss out.
