Help with Mobile Phone Contract Decision

ianefc1 on 17/10/2014 - 14:07

Hello Everyone, I have a strange situation to share.

I had an iphone 5 on contract $75 per month with optus and i left it in a taxi 1 day (well done), I was 4 weeks away from a free upgrade from optus but they refused to help me out (after 4 years of service)so i decided id just get a S5 with telstra and see my contract off.

Then it happened again while on holiday in Thailand, but i had insurance or at least thought i did, turns out i never took it out (or the guy didnt file the papers because i remember taking it out), So my optus contract ends tomorrow, I haven't even put my new telstra sim in the phone because my optus deal was better and had the same number.

I bought a Note 3 off gumtree and really like it ($500)

Telsta have said i can pay the lost s5 off ($750) and they will waive the other $550 left cancel my contract.

Im thinking of doing it and getting a BYO plan off optus/voda that will be less money and more mins/texts/data.

If you were me (and less of a phone losing idiot) what would you do.

Thanks in advance.

Mobile

Comments

  • cypher67 on 17/10/2014 - 14:32
    +4

    If I were you I would reread your post and then rewrite so its easier to follow …. Or at least summarise it.

  • scrimshaw on 17/10/2014 - 14:41

    OK. The fact that you lost your iPhone 5 (which I assume, is long ago) is irrelevant to your current problem.

    Right now you have a contract with Telstra, but you have lost the phone you got from them.
    Your old optus contract ends tomorrow. This is not relevant either, since you've already pretty much paid off any outstanding fees you had with them.

    You would like to end your current contract with Telstra by paying $750 dollars and you are considering on a BYO plan that uses Optus or Voda.

    You haven't mentioned if your new BYO plan was going to be month to month or pay as you go. How much are you willing to spend a month?

  • Woodyg22 on 17/10/2014 - 21:03

    The real difference is the $550, spread $550 over say 20 months* then that works out to only $27.50 a month which is pretty damn cheap for a Telstra plan.

    *based on big assumption (guessing how long your contract has left based on post, could be 22-23 but was conservative)

  • hikaru78 on 17/10/2014 - 22:32
    +1

    Did you have travel insurance?

  • ianefc1 on 20/10/2014 - 10:11

    Thanks for the replies, i spent a morning on telstra chat with a rep, she was awesome and helped a lot.

    She offered me the following, pay them off the s5 $481 (instead of $742.13)

    Then she will renew my contract to a Note 4 on a $75 plan.

    I just have to wait for them to get the note 4 in stock but I think i am going to do this as i'm sure I can get $400-$500 for my note 3 as it is in next to brand new condition.

    • malkakas on 20/10/2014 - 10:53

      If you are happy with your note 3 then you can sell the Note 4 (while it's in the sealed box) to minimize the financial loss.

      • ianefc1 on 20/10/2014 - 11:10

        While right now I am happy with the note 3 I can imagine by the time i near the end of the next contract it will be a bit dated.

        The way I see it, if i do this upgrade deal now I am just starting a fresh contract with a new phone (which i can insure with them) and put the whole mess to bed.

        Before i lost that iphone 5 i had never lost my phone/wallet, since then things have fell apart!

        • cypher67 on 20/10/2014 - 14:55

          By the time you recieve the Note 4 it will be a bit dated.

          You paying $500 to get out of a contract, just to sign a new one and stuffing a perfect fine Note 3 in the draw or best case sell for a few dollars.

          If I were you, I'd do what Malkakas said. Sell the Note 4 and not be out of pocket from the experience. I still have an Iphone 4 because it does everything I need to do and I'm on a $15 plan. People drop so much coin just to have the latest phone if only for a moment, I dont get it. Add to that your recent history of losing stuff, come a months time you could be down $500 and have no phone and an $1800 contract. Is it really worth it?

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