How To Negotiate The Best Pay Monthly Mobile Phone Contract

By Author: Peter C. Williams
Total Articles: 10
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By being savvy with your mobile phone contract negotiation, you can talk your way into saving a nice amount of money on your call minutes, texts and other media services.



The following guide will give you the top ways to brush up on your contract negotiation skills, so you can get the best pay monthly phone deal possible.



Using Mobile Network Competitiveness to Your Advantage


The fact is that having leeway to negotiate your mobile contract is much more in your favour if you have an existing contract with a network provider than if you're a new customer. The reason for this is that in the fiercely competitive mobile market, networks will bend a long way to ensure they don't lose you to a rival with a better deal.



If you are a new customer, you will best benefit from simply comparing the different mobile contract offerings that are currently available.



Firstly, be aware that many mobile networks will either match or beat a competitor's offer, allowing you to receive discounts with them that they had not ...
... widely advertised. This would be a particularly effective move if for example the majority of your friends and family are with a provider that allows free calls to people on the same network but who isn't necessarily offering the best package on the marketplace.



The Main Negotiation Tactic for a Better Contract Deal


If you have an existing mobile phone contract, the main thing to do to get a better deal with your network provider is threaten to leave. The best way to go about this is to check when your contract is due to expire (most contracts last 18 or 24 months). About one month before it does, compare the mobile phone pay monthly deals currently available online to get a good idea of what you could get for about the same money each month with a rival network provider.



Once you're bolstered with this knowledge, ring up your existing mobile network and let them know you have compared mobile phone offerings and found better packages with rival networks. Usually, they will then either offer to match one of the competitor deals or offer you a revised mixture of minutes, texts and other media such as mobile internet for a better monthly fee.



Don't Get Pressured


Once you enter into discussions for a revised deal with your existing network provider, they will normally ask you to sign-up for a new contract lasting anywhere from 18 - 36 months.



Many mobile network companies will however attempt to pressure sell during negotiation by saying "this is a time limited offer". Don't allow yourself to fall for this - if at any point you feel you're being pushed into a corner or are unhappy with the deal, simply tell the sales representative that you want to think about it and will call them back later. Remember that your mobile network really wants to keep you from switching to a competitor, so they'll always offer you the best incentive not to.



Negotiating a Cheaper Mobile Handset


Securing yourself the best price for your mobile phone is also a crucial part of getting a great deal from your pay monthly contract. Here, the same factors described above apply to you as an existing customer as when negotiating for a competitive mobile contract price.



You will either be given a tidy discount on the normal price of the handset or get it free, depending of course on the mobile model you've set your sights on. There are exceptions to this practise however - these include the very latest and most popular smartphones which can be highly sought after and pricey. As an example, even if you are an existing customer, most networks will still probably ask you to pay for the Apple iPhone, although perhaps at a slight at a discount.



Conclusion


If you do your research thoroughly on what's currently available in the mobile marketplace, contracts for pay monthly phones can be negotiated with network providers to offer you the best value possible for your money as well as your choice of handset.



About the Author: Peter C. Williams is a mobile communications consultant and retailer of pay monthly phones.