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Mobile Phone Cashback Deals – How to Succeed

These mobile phone cashback contract tips refer to the increasingly popular free line rental deals, where can get a free mobile phone, free calls and free texts for the entire year.

The only drawback or ‘catch’ if you like is that you need to pay the monthly line rental to the network provider as normal and claim it back in stages from the online retailer as cashback. But if you are prepared to spend just a little bit of time and extra effort with these types of offers you can save yourself £300 to £500 or more on mobile phone line rental.

These tips were written to help ensure you have a smooth and successful experience in getting the best mobile phone cash back deal for you.

1. Find a deal that suits you

The first step is to choose a mobile phone that suits your needs. So work out what kind of mobile phone do you need? Do you want one with a camera, bluetooth, mp3 music player, radio, 3G video calling, quad band, or a simple easy to use phone with long battery life?

Next you need to work out which network provider to go with. The main factor should be signal strength in the area you’ll be using it most; check with friends and relatives as too which networks work best where. Then you’ll need to decide how many free minutes and text you’ll need per month. Obviously you can go for the most expensive one with the most monthly allowance as by the end of the year you’ll receive the full line rental back but you’ll need to factor in that you’ll still be paying the line rental before you claim it back.

2. Read the terms and conditions carefully

This cannot be stressed enough. Once you’ve chosen what deal you’re going for and which online retailer you going to order it from, you’ll need to read their cashback terms and conditions (T&C) carefully. This will describe what is required to successfully claim your line rental back.

If you are unsure about any of the points within the T&C’s simply phone or email the retailer and ask, they will be able to explain anything that is unclear to you.

3. Keep all documents in a safe easy to find place

Once you’ve received your phone and contract keep all the paperwork in a safe place, together and where you can access it easily when you need to.

4. Set a reminder to yourself for when to claim

Work out for entire 12 month contract which bills to send and when, then put a reminder in a diary or calendar on your mobile phone.

5. Claim on time with the right bill(s)

Send off your claim, as soon as you receive the bill(s) you need. Don’t leave it too late as there is usually a time limit of between 15 – 30 days to make you claim when you receive your bill. Some retailers require the original paper bill, others will accept a photocopy or fax – again check the T&C’s or ask but if in doubt always send the original paper bill.

If your paper bill hasn’t arrived on time chase it up with your network provider, find out why and get them to send another one.

6. Send your claim recorded delivery

Always send your claim recorded delivery for peace of mind. For the small extra charge it’s worth it because you’ll know if and when it was delivered since a signature is required at the receiving end.

7. Don’t send multiple claims together

If you have taken out more than one free line rental cashback contract then it is usually specified in the T&C’s that each claim must be sent separately but even if it isn’t you should treat each one individually. Don’t try and save on postage, just post each one on its own using recorded delivery.

8. Always pay your bills on time

This is common sense since defaulting on your bills can affect your credit rating but this is also usually a condition of the cashback T&C’s. You need to pay your bills on time and in full. If the bill you are sending to the retailer shows a late or overdue payment then this could void your claim. Also if your mobile phone line is disconnected then you will be unable to claim any more of your cashback.

9. Do not change your tariff

You will need to remain on the same monthly tariff for the duration of your minimum contract. So if you went for a 12 months free line rental contract then you can’t change to a different tariff for that year while you are claiming your cashback. After the 12 months you can either, cancel your contract and find a new one, continue with it or change tariffs.

10. Inform the retailer of any changes

If you change your address, mobile phone number or any other details affecting your bill you must inform the retailer you ordered with, in addition to your network provider.

The retailer should inform you what you need to do in case of a change in details, for example if you have ported your number in from a previous supplier you might also need to send your first bill showing the original mobile number they supplied to you.

Hopefully these tips will help you to get a trouble free mobile phone cashback contract. Good luck.

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