New phone for free (kinda)

spunkymunky

Well maybe not free.
Currently i have a bill phone and am paying the monthly insurance of 5 euro. My year is up and im dabating wether to go back to ready to go. Might save a bit!! But first i was thinking of taking advantage of the insurance by saying woops i lost my phone give me a new one, mofo(vodafone). (My phone at present is a bit dodgy as well on account a few drunken meetings with the ground, the phone that is)
Wats the craic here? Firstly will they replace my phone? Will vodafone give me the same old phone or do they give new a version of the model i presently own. Any little thing they might do to stop me?
SM

kasintahan

You are what is wrong with this country.

Jim

Check your insurance policy.

Btw, this is called Insurance Fraud.

spunkymunky

I dont think so. Ive paid my bills, ive paid my insurance. Ive paid vodafone a lot of money in the last year. 600 or 700 bucks. Why not try getting something back. My phone is not in good form. Am i not entitled to a new phone. Im not doing anything wrong. Thats what the insurance is for, if something happens.

spunkymunky

And im not eligible for an upgrade.

Gone West

thats not really fair to others. VodaFone/O2/meteor dont owe you anything. Insurance in this country is expensive partly because of people like you falsely claiming it. This is FRAUD. It is a crime. It is stealing.

spunkymunky

Ok i didnt really look at it that way, and yes i do get annoyed at all that insurance fraud stuff you here about. Just thought it maybe a better idea than getting it fixed.

Gone West

insurance is in case you are robbed or your phone gets broken. Not because you
got bored with your current model and wanted a new one. If you dont like the cost of mobile phones and calls you dont have to have a phone.

spunkymunky

Excuse me guys, long day, bad thread, My bad. Wofully withdrawn while i crawl back thowhere i once came from and start saving.

Blisterman

When I got the extended warrenty on my MP3 Player, the salesman said "All you have to do is drop it on purpose in 3 years and get the new model"

Good point. I know he's working on commision, but good point.

I say go for it. Its not like car insurance, where if you claim, everyone elses rates go up. It's a set price.

Sarky

If you want a new phone, buy one.

If you can't afford it, tough cheese. It's a luxury item you can do without.


Alternatively, you can feel trendy and down with the kids with the latest god-awfully annoying ringtones and pointless useless features while you gently starve to death. You won't have learned anything about the value of money, but hey, you'll have a badly composed polyphonic ringtone of the Dallas theme tune.

spunkymunky

Sarky wrote:

If you want a new phone, buy one.

If you can't afford it, tough cheese. It's a luxury item you can do without.


Alternatively, you can feel trendy and down with the kids with the latest god-awfully annoying ringtones and pointless useless features while you gently starve to death. You won't have learned anything about the value of money, but hey, you'll have a badly composed polyphonic ringtone of the Dallas theme tune.

A little harsh there!! Who are you to tell me of the value of money. I buy stuff that i want for reasons i want. Ok, what i posted is the wrong way to go about it but if i want a bling phone then i'll buy one. Whats wrong with that? Main thing i want is a good battery and a good reception. The new phones have that. Cameras are good to capture the moment and why not capture it the best way possible. if you are happy with a 3210 then fine. But let me enjoy my treats.

cormie

Just ring them up and say you need a new phone and you are not prepared to pay for it. Say you can get a new phone for basically €10 if you switch to meteor (you get €80 credit etc). See if you are entitled to a new phone then

Sarky

spunkymunky wrote:

A little harsh there!! Who are you to tell me of the value of money. I buy stuff that i want for reasons i want. Ok, what i posted is the wrong way to go about it but if i want a bling phone then i'll buy one. Whats wrong with that? Main thing i want is a good battery and a good reception. The new phones have that. Cameras are good to capture the moment and why not capture it the best way possible. if you are happy with a 3210 then fine. But let me enjoy my treats.

So go buy your new phone then, if you have no problems with paying for stuff.

spunkymunky

I had intended to do something, but why not try save a few quid in the process (maybe legally though )

steveland?

spunkymunky wrote:

I dont think so. Ive paid my bills, ive paid my insurance. Ive paid vodafone a lot of money in the last year. 600 or 700 bucks. Why not try getting something back. My phone is not in good form. Am i not entitled to a new phone. Im not doing anything wrong. Thats what the insurance is for, if something happens.

Err... that's like saying "I've been paying health insurance for ages.... I better hit my knee with this hammer as hard as I can so I can get some money back..."

Insurance fraud is insurance fraud...

Random

In theory they can block the IMEI of the phone from all Irish networks if you report it stolen...

billy the squid

spunkymunky wrote:

I dont think so. Ive paid my bills, ive paid my insurance. Ive paid vodafone a lot of money in the last year. 600 or 700 bucks. Why not try getting something back. My phone is not in good form. Am i not entitled to a new phone. Im not doing anything wrong. Thats what the insurance is for, if something happens.

vodafone is not a charity. for the money you paid vodafone you were given service and use of their network and the ability to make and receive the calls on their network.

besides you have to cough up 30 euros to make a claim on vodafone insurance (for the first time) and 70 euros the second time you make a claim

your probably better off either getting the phone fixed or porting over to another network.

In theory they can block the IMEI of the phone from all Irish networks if you report it stolen...

this is true its called blacklisting

ferdi

FuzzyLogic wrote:

thats not really fair to others. VodaFone/O2/meteor dont owe you anything. Insurance in this country is expensive partly because of people like you falsely claiming it. This is FRAUD. It is a crime. It is stealing.

while it is fraud its not the reason for the high premiums. the reason for that is the same reason everything in this country is so expensive - greed.

halenger

Slight flip side on this. I have a Nokia 8310. Got it with Vodafone (on billphone - worst...mistake...ever... (for me anyhow)) and got the insurance too. A year and a half later my phone had an incident where it was kicked into the leg of a chair. Software ended up being screwed. So as you do you go to the Vodafone people and tell them the situation. "Nothing we can do" was something like the response. They had two different insurance options. The one I was on only covered the basics (water damage/theft). Well hot damn that was another waste of money. Anyhow... It was suggested to me (by shop staff) that I should drop the phone into a toilet/bowl of water/similar and return it with water damage. ... Being the good natured/goodey two shoes/wuss that I am I just paid for the repair (60 euro or so) quite angrily and cancelled my bill and moved to Meteor.
At the time if felt to me like abuse of the system. Thus why I didn't do it.

cormie

I don't know why toilet was your first choice.... you know you'd have to fish it back out???

gurramok

spunkymunky wrote:

I had intended to do something, but why not try save a few quid in the process (maybe legally though )

Another way is too go up north where a sim-free phone can be half price of what you would pay down here and get it unlocked.
If your bill is 600-700 euro, i assume you have checked other networks for possible savings ? (it might help !)

petes

Why is it that when you are paying for the insurance monthly that you have to pay the 30 euro to claim on the insurance. Seems a bit strange. I have done it in the past when I was using a bill phone but kind of felt cheated as the phone I had was cack to begin with. Im not sure how other insurance policies work. Do you have to pay to claim on insurance for say your car?

Boggle

Looking at the 'HOLIER THAN THOU' responses here makes me fear for my soul.... but I still say go for it. They are making a fortune on the back of us idiots so a phone or 2 won't break them. (Unless you fancy spilling something on the way into the shop and slipping on it on the way out!! - that bit was oly a joke incase I get mauled by the bible belters!!)

halenger

cormie wrote:

I don't know why toilet was your first choice.... you know you'd have to fish it back out???

Well it wasn't my choice at all. It was shop staff suggestion. I think it's common enough so drop it in a bucket of water and tell them it was the toilet (maybe that was more what the staff meant). I also remember that it did actually happen to my Dad - he dropped his phone in - not a used toilet mind you, it was clean.

rocco

Go for the claim vodafone and o2 have been ripping people off for years with there crazy tarrifs and rip off insurance policies . I had a bill phone for years and an insurance policy also, never missed a bill payment or insurance payment . Was out one weekend phone got stolen didnt get a chance to report it till the monday (phone was stolen on a friday night -saturday morning ) they told me they didnt think I was entiteled to a replacement as It took me over 24 hours to report it stolen. It took 3 letters of complaint and numerous phone calls to get a replacement phone . They have been ripping people off for so long now with there monopoly on the mobile market .F*ck them .

spunkymunky

gurramok wrote:

Another way is too go up north where a sim-free phone can be half price of what you would pay down here and get it unlocked.
If your bill is 600-700 euro, i assume you have checked other networks for possible savings ? (it might help !)

well its not 600 a month, over the year. Went a bit nuts some months but still a lot of money and still no sign of an upgrade. As far as the claim goes never thought about the legal issue and probably wont do it. Im not really a bad person and i bet it would come back and bite me in the ass!!!

Pythia

People do this all the time. It's no big deal. They want a new phone so smash the screen or drop it in water or whatever. If you did do it, you'd probably get a new phone no problem. Just remember that insurance company (through the shop you go to) will decide which phone you'll get replaced with.
I'm not saying you should do this but it happens all the time and it's no problem. What are they gonna say to you if you tell them it fell out of your pocket and the screen got wrecked? 'No, we don't believe you?!'

Guy:Incognito

rocco wrote:

Go for the claim vodafone and o2 have been ripping people off for years with there crazy tarrifs and rip off insurance policies .

The insurance is done by a third party.

Divine

****ing Knacker! (SpunkyMunky)

The_Conductor

Blisterman wrote:

Its not like car insurance, where if you claim, everyone elses rates go up. It's a set price.

Funny you should say that.....
I got an information note from Vodafone earlier this evening, advising they are increasing their phone insurance by 10%.......

I'm cancelling my insurance- its cheaper for me to save the 6 Euro a month and buy a replacement phone every year than it is to pony up every month.

Were I to claim on the insurance- I would get a working secondhand phone back from Vodafone. Only in exceptional circumstances would I get a new phone- and even then, I'd get the exact same model. I would not be "upgraded" to the latest model- nice idea, but no, reality is a bit different......

They have a cut-off spend that entitles you to a discounted upgrade- typically about 1200 Euro (and an upgrade interval of at least 12 months, and up to 24 months).

Whether we like it or not- they are a company like any other, and their raison d'etre is to make money. That they are good at it, shows how good they are at running their business- along with the apathy Irish customers have towards getting up off their arses and moving to alternate service providors.

The_Conductor

RachG wrote:

People do this all the time. It's no big deal. They want a new phone so smash the screen or drop it in water or whatever. If you did do it, you'd probably get a new phone no problem.

Water damage is specifically excluded in my mobile phone insurance policy from Vodafone.

S.

spunkymunky

On a slightly related note, im cancelling my bill phone, too expensive, and going back to ready to go. Do they do insurance on the phones then? It'll probably happen that i lose it just after i change!!

And Divine... poor form , check the rest of my post on this topic!!!

The_Conductor

If you buy a ready-to-go phone in the Carphone Warehouse, I believe you can take out a policy with the Carphone Warehouse on the phone (as opposed to the Vodafone inhouse insurance policy).

spunkymunky

I have a phone, well when its fixed and cant afford a new one for a bit. Can i just start paying carfone warehouse insurance? i bought in a vodafone shop.

The_Conductor

No.
You would have had to have bought the phone in the Carphone Warehouse first of all, and even then you have to take out the insurance policy within a certain length of time after purchasing the phone (think its 3 weeks).....
No use to you, sorry.

Gothic Warrior

spunkymunky wrote:

Well maybe not free.
Currently i have a bill phone and am paying the monthly insurance of 5 euro. My year is up and im dabating wether to go back to ready to go. Might save a bit!! But first i was thinking of taking advantage of the insurance by saying woops i lost my phone give me a new one, mofo(vodafone). (My phone at present is a bit dodgy as well on account a few drunken meetings with the ground, the phone that is)
Wats the craic here? Firstly will they replace my phone? Will vodafone give me the same old phone or do they give new a version of the model i presently own. Any little thing they might do to stop me?
SM

I've done this twice and it's piss easy. Firstly, NEVER say it's broken, because they will just take ages to fix it. I want a NEW phone dammit (usually within a day or 2) - here's what to do:


1) Turn your phone off at 11:45pm one night.
2) Ring Vodafone at 12:15am and tell them to disconnect your line because you left it in Brogans on Dame street (or any other packed pub).
3) Go down to a Vodafone shop the next morning and get a new SIM card - tell them what happened. Also get an insurance claim form.
4) Ring Brogans (or the pub of your choice) at 10am and tell them you left your phone there last night, and ask if your phone was handed in - they will say 'no', and this will be extra backup (just in case). Leave your name and phone number just in case it turns up.
5) Fill in your claim form and get it stamped by the Gardaí (they will stamp it without question). Send it off.
6) In the meantime, use your new SIM card in an old phone until your brand new one arrives.
7) Wait for your new phone.


It's fool proof.

The_Conductor

Gothic Warrior wrote:

It's fool proof.

Its unethical, immoral and illegal. Thats what it is.

Shane

pickarooney

smccarrick wrote:

Its unethical, immoral and illegal.

Ethics, morals and laws - is there any fun they can't spoil?

spunkymunky

Gothic Warrior wrote:

I've done this twice and it's piss easy. Firstly, NEVER say it's broken, because they will just take ages to fix it. I want a NEW phone dammit (usually within a day or 2) - here's what to do:


1) Turn your phone off at 11:45pm one night.
2) Ring Vodafone at 12:15am and tell them to disconnect your line because you left it in Brogans on Dame street (or any other packed pub).
3) Go down to a Vodafone shop the next morning and get a new SIM card - tell them what happened. Also get an insurance claim form.
4) Ring Brogans (or the pub of your choice) at 10am and tell them you left your phone there last night, and ask if your phone was handed in - they will say 'no', and this will be extra backup (just in case). Leave your name and phone number just in case it turns up.
5) Fill in your claim form and get it stamped by the Gardaí (they will stamp it without question). Send it off.
6) In the meantime, use your new SIM card in an old phone until your brand new one arrives.
7) Wait for your new phone.


It's fool proof.

Well everybody seems to think that as soon as alcohol is involved the insurance company just says no you were intoxicated, so your not covered. so maybe not fool proof?

(insert name)

If spunkymunky still reads this thread, cancel your service, buy a new bill phone and cancel your service again. You will still get to keep the phone, and get a ready to go SIM card.

You will have made a saving because pay monthly phones ar much cheaper to start with

Voila, a cheap but top of the range mobile

StupidLikeAFox

Except when ya sign up ya sign a 12 month contract.....