Advice to consumers- Buying a mobile phone

Information and advice about buying a mobile phone.

Advice and support for consumers in Solihull is provided by Citizens Advice. The Citizens Advice consumer service provides free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues. Citizens Advice works in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards Advice Services offering first level advice and information on a wide range of consumer issues. More complex problems, or complaints requiring further investigation or assistance are referred to Trading Standards or other advice services.

To speak to Citizens Advice, please call 08454 04 05 06. Opening hours are 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday - Friday (Textphone users should dial 18001 followed by Citizens Advice consumer helpline number 08454 04 05 06).

A wide range of consumer information and advice is also available online from the Citizens Advice website at http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/

Buying a mobile phone

• Shop around. There is a vast amount of choice in terms of different phones, tariffs and other incentives such as free phone case, hands-free kit etc. Look at the phones and their different features.
• Decide how you intend to use your phone and what you will be using it for. Decide if it's for emergencies or as a replacement for a fixed phone. Find out what the tariff rate is. Many companies offer free minutes, but there may be restrictions as to the time of day you can use them. Estimate how often you will be using the phone and work out the best tariff rate for you. Take care that there are no hidden charges.
• Check that the phone company (network provider) you choose can cover all of the areas where you will be using your mobile phone. If you need to use your phone overseas, make this clear before you buy. As an additional precaution write on the contract, in the presence of the seller, where you need to use the phone.
• Ask how long the contract is for and what period of notice you have to give if you want to end the contract.
• Is insurance included? If not, shop around as the policy offered to you in the shop may not be the cheapest available. Check if your household insurance covers you for the loss or theft of the phone.
• Don't get bamboozled into signing a contract you don't understand. Ask for a copy of the contract and read it before you sign it. Some people receive cold calls over the phone; before agreeing, check how much you will have to pay and be aware that what is offered verbally during the call can be difficult to prove later. See our Distance Selling Guidance for more information.
• Unsolicited or 'cold' calls; If you are called from a telephone company that sell mobile phones you have certain rights under the Distance Selling Regulations 2000. It allows you to return certain goods within seven days of receiving them, for whatever reason.

What to do if you have a faulty phone

• If the phone itself goes wrong, complain to the shop. They may want to send the faulty phone back to the manufacturer or network provider, this is acceptable as long as it is repaired or replaced within a reasonable time. If you are without your phone, make sure you are compensated for any air time period you haven't been able to use.
• If the problems are with the service, reception or billing: Contact your network provider.
• Contact the company's helpline and register your complaint. Again, ask for compensation or a refund of all or part of your subscription.
• If the reception changes: Unfortunately, no mobile phone company will guarantee reception quality, unless you are unable to use your phone anywhere, it becomes difficult to argue it is faulty.
• Check all your bills carefully. The main companies offer many different schemes and it is easy for the billing to be incorrect. If you find a discrepancy, be prepared to be persistent if initially you don't get a satisfactory response. It is also worthwhile putting your complaint in writing.
• OFCOM is the regulator or 'watchdog' for the UK telecommunications industry. If you have a complaint against your network provider which you are unable to resolve to your satisfaction, contact OFCOM.
• OTELO are the office of the Telecommunications, the Ombudsman (Otelo), the Ombudsman service set up to sort out disagreements between public communications providers and their customers. Otelo can be reached by mailing or emailing to this address.
  Otelo
  PO Box 730
  Warrington
  WA4 6WU
  enquiries@otelo.org.uk
  0845 050 1614

Contact Details

Consumer Advice and Information in Solihull, is now provided by our partners at Citizens Advice. The Citizens Advice consumer service provides free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues. If you do need support or assistance from Trading Standards, you will of course be referred to them by Citizens Advice.