Martin Lewis issues warning as millions on mobile plans.

Hello Techie!

Firstly, I want to start this blog post by explaining how much we love Martin Lewis over at The Tech Blog. Numerous news outlets are putting out headlines like ‘Martin Lewis issues warning as millions are being ripped off – ‘no brainer’ way to fix it’.

We’ve read through the news pages and Martin’s newsletter, and we see things a bit differently. This blog post is all about that.

Martin and his team are correct in saying the competition right now is competitive, and the savvy mobile user can indeed secure a great deal as long as they are aware of the pros and cons.

It’s not as straightforward as saying, for example, if you pay £15, you could be paying £8 for the same service, saving yourself £7. Each deal comes with its pros and cons, and you can find this information in the terms and conditions.

Let me give you an example. They mentioned a mobile network, witch piggybacks off one of the main networks in the UK, offering an impressive deal for £7.92, but is it? Looking at the deal, it’s actually £5 for the first 3 months, then £10 per month for the next 9 months. So this deal is actually £10 per month, still a great offer. It also comes with a £15 Currys or Amazon voucher, which is beneficial to some, but once that voucher is spent, it’s still £10 a month for the next 9 months.

Why do we say look deeper when changing your mobile provider? There are other factors you need to take into account when changing mobile providers, such as data speed caps, roaming charges, and coverage. Sim-only deals are really competitive right now, and when changing over, you need to ask yourself these questions:

• Do I use my phone for data a lot? Will my speed be affected?

• Do I have coverage with the network provider?

• Am I going abroad this year? How much will it cost me?

Considering these questions and conducting thorough research, transitioning to a cheaper deal might indeed be a better choice. What we find is that light users who primarily use their phones for tasks like calling, texting, and some light usage of data can likely find a great deal. Just ensure you have coverage; otherwise, you might end up on a cheaper deal without being able to fully enjoy its benefits.

When it comes to people with handset deals, for example, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, this device is worth £1000 or more. To pay for the phone within the agreed contract you have taken will affect your bill, with your plan included, which is x amount of minutes, texts, and data. You will be looking at £60 or more depending on the term of the agreement and if you have taken subscriptions or device protection into account.