Mobile phone ‘cash back’ deals come under fire

Mobile phone ‘cash back’ deals have been blasted for their complicated terms and conditions. It has been claimed that mobile retailers make it too difficult for customers to claim their money back.

SimplySwitch has advice for those wishing to take advantage of such deals.

Karen Darby, of SimplySwitch.com, comments: “Retailers are able to offer these packages because many customers forget to claim their cash. Most companies require customers to send in original claim forms and bills, often within strict time limits, making it difficult for them to reclaim their money. However, if the customer is well organised, keeps their original documents and responds on time, these deals do offer outstanding value.”

Darby has the following advice for those wishing to take advantage of cash back deals:

Before signing up for any deal, make sure that you read and understand the terms and conditions – ‘cash back’ instructions can be fairly complicated and you will need to follow them to the letter.

Set up a direct debit to pay your bills and make sure you that you have enough money in your account for payments. Most companies will remove your entitlement to cash back if you are late paying a single bill.

Make sure you keep all the paperwork that comes with your phone. You will usually need the original claim form as well as the dispatch note to claim back your money.

Keep your monthly bills - you will need to send these in to claim your money. Most companies do not accept copies of bills, so make sure you keep the originals.

Make sure you know when your claims are due. If you send in a claim form late, you will not be able to claim that period’s money. In order to remind yourself when to act, program the relevant dates into your new phone’s calendar as soon as you receive it.

Only take out a deal for as many minutes/texts as you are likely to use. With so many free deals available, it is tempting to take out the offer with the greatest number of minutes/texts. Remember though, you will have to pay the monthly payments before claiming your money back. The more minutes that are included in the deal, the higher the monthly fee will be. If you do happen to miss a claim, the money for that period will be lost.