There are lots of options available when choosing a mobile deal. Which provider to go for, which phone to choose and whether to go for a contract or pay-as-you-go are just a few. Choice is great but can be confusing, so here’s some advice to help you get the right deal.

Look at how you use your phone
The best way to find a deal that suits you is to look at your bill, or call your provider to get a breakdown of your usage. How many texts and calls do you make? Do you use the internet? Who do you call most, and are they on the same network? You could make savings if they are.
Don’t guess. Most people overestimate how much they use and end up paying extra.

Cut your costs and shop around
One of the best ways to research deals is to use an accredited price comparison website. BillMonitor (www.billmonitor.com) has been approved by Ofcom, so you can be confident you’re getting information about prices that is accurate and up to date. It can also look at your online phone bill and come up with deals based on how you use your phone.

Talk to your provider
You don’t have to switch to get the best deal. If you’ve been with the same provider for a while you may get a better deal by switching to a new package. Ask your provider for a
better deal. But remember, you may need to sign a new contract so check for any charges for ending or leaving your current contract early. Contact your provider to check how long your current contract is as you may have to pay a fee to switch during the contract period.

SIM only contracts

SIM only tariffs are usually rolling one- month contracts. With these you get a SIM card – the small card you insert into the back of your phone – but no new handset which makes the costs much cheaper. Some SIM only tariffs are as low as £5 a month and ideal if you don’t need a new phone.

Contract
Pros
• Phone is often free or subsidised with a number of inclusive minutes and texts each month
• Pay monthly via direct debit – same cost each month if you stay within your allowance
• Wider choice of packages

Cons
• You may be tied in to a longer 18-24 month contract, especially if you want a an expensive handset like the iPhone
• Costs could be high if you don’t keep on top of what calls you’ve made

Pay-as-you-go
Pros
• ‘Top-up’ your phone by buying credits before making calls or sending texts – this can help you budget more easily
• You can change or end your deal any time
• Ideal if you don’t make many calls

Cons
• Cost of calls may be higher than on contracts
• Downloading may also be more expensive
• You’ll have to buy a handset unless you already own one

How to take your number with you
You can take your mobile number with you when you switch by getting a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) from your current provider. They must give you this code in two working days by text, email or post – however, many will issue a PAC straight away over the phone or by text.
Simply give the PAC to your new provider within 30 days and they will transfer your number. The process takes 2 working days and after that you’ll be able to use your number.

Using your phone abroad?
Check the cost of making and receiving calls and texts and using the internet abroad. Don’t assume the cost is the same as at home, or that they’re included in your package. You can apply international call barring before leaving the UK. Remember using voicemail can cost the same as making a call so maybe switch it off before you go.

Which deal to choose?

Top tips to get the best deal
• Look at how you use your phone and pick a deal which suits your needs
• If you’re switching to a new network, check it has good coverage in your area by visiting Ofcom’s web site www.ofcom.org.uk
• Check whether you can return your phone if network coverage is poor
• If you’re unsure about signing up over the phone, ask for the information
to be posted to you
• Switching to online billing can help you save money
• Consider placing a bar on premium rate numbers (eg. 09 numbers, used for
TV voting and music downloads) if you do not use these

What to ask before you sign up
• How much will I be paying each month and what does this include?
• Are there any extra costs, eg. for paper billing or customer service lines?
• How long is my new contract? Am I happy to sign up for this long?
• Will I get phone upgrades? Find out how your supplier will let you know.
• Is there a charge if I leave my contract early? If so, this shouldn’t be more
than the payments left on the contract
• How / when will my provider let me know when the contract ends?

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With the sunshine finally showing his face, people around the UK have something to smile about. Contrasting the cold and miserable weather we are normally blessed with, this week the sun has donned his hat and has scared away the clouds.

The taste of sunshine has got people needing more, with thousands of people booking their summer holidays to catch some more of the suns glorious rays. Let’s face it, the summers here aren’t often great and a get away is just what people need to relax.

As summer holidays can be the highlight of people’s year, it’s vital that they make sure they are staying in the right place. Why not call up the hotel and check they’re as reputable as they make out?

Using Planet Numbers, you can call your potential hotel for as little as 1p/minute and make sure that they can fulfill your holiday needs. Things are often lost in interpretation via email so ensure that both you and your accommodation know exactly what you need by talking to them directly.

Visit http://www.planet-numbers.co.uk/cheap_international_calls.jsp to make these cheap calls.

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The start of this year has been devastating for the world. We were shocked to find out about the recent earthquake in Haiti which killed nearly 230,000 people and the world united to try and help the poor Haiti civilians.

In the worst economical climate we’ve had for almost a century, it was touching to see the world chipping together trying to help rebuild these people’s lives.

This weekend, disaster struck again. The victims this time, Chile, with an earthquake of 8.8 on the Richter scale shattering the lives of millions. It’s time again to scrape together anything we can afford to give and help these people who have so much less than us.

If you have friends and relatives in Haiti or Chile, you can contact them from just 1.5p/minute.

To call a Chilean landline, dial 0844 303 7777 – Calls to this number are charged at 1.5p/minute.
To call a Haitian landline, dial 0871 990 7777 – Calls to this number are charged at 10p/minute.

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As you already know, Cherry Call are the leaders in providing cheap international calls abroad to any destination. Using access numbers and a tiny sprinkling of magic, we can instantly route your call to any destination in the world from just 1p/minute.

Recently, due to popular demand, we’ve rolled out this service for THREE other popular countries. The response we got from our customers was fantastic, with the usage of these numbers rocketing from the second we unveiled them.

To put the CHERRY on the top (see what I did there?) we’re planning to roll out even more services around the world. So before long, we will have rolled out a Cherry telecommunications spider web. You can call from the UK to France, who can call from France to Canada, who can call from Canada to USA, who can call from USA to China who ca……. You get the picture.

To get this ball rolling, check out the sites for our cheap international calls, pick up the phone and get dialing.

http://www.cherrycalls.com

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We’ve all experienced prank calls before and a few of the honest ones amongst us may even admit that they have even performed a prank call once or twice in the past.

With the help of your service providers number withhold facility, it makes it hard to know who’s calling you. What this means is that unless the person owns up to the prank, you might never know who phoned you up.

Although a joke amongst friends might be funny, at what point does an innocent joke become something more serious? When does a prank call become a crime?

I once received a prank call from a friend (I didn’t know who it was at the time) who asked me “if my refrigerator was running.” Confused, I said yes, I believed it was running. The funny prankster then told me ‘to go catch it then.’

Although this might seem all in jest, had I not been a friend of this person I might have been upset with this prank call. It’s often very intimidating getting a call from someone you do not know, however funny it might seem after.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are some pranksters who may take this too far. Some might use the Withhold Facility to make offensive, harassing and threatening phone calls.

If you are at the other end of one of these harassing calls, it is vital to make notes of what the caller is saying. Don’t retaliate or rile the caller up, just stay calm.

It is possible to trace a withheld telephone number although most service providers will not do so without police authorisation. If this call is threatening or harassing then immediately call up your service provider and explain what has happened. They will take a note and tell you to call the police.

In future, if you have CDI display, try not to answer withheld calls if at all possible.

Making offensive and threatening phone calls is NOT funny, even if you do it as a joke. Think twice before making a prank call, it could end you up with the police.

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