Omio’s goal was to secure the best deal on the popular Nokia 5800 XpressMusic handset, on a competitive tariff of around 25 per month.
An 18-month, 25 deal on a Nokia 5800 was available in an O2 retail outlet on a package which would include 200 minutes and 200 texts for 24.48 per month. However, the handset itself would cost 48.93.
A clearance deal found on Omio.com charged nothing for the handset – an instant saving of just under 50 – as well as offering more minutes (600) and unlimited texts, as well as half price line rental for the full duration of the contract – the equivalent of paying only 9.80 per month.
Looking at price alone, online retailers consistently offer the greatest savings, as well as enticing buyers with a wealth of free gifts including games consoles, laptops as well as the more traditional mobile cashback offers.
However, when looking at the 400,000 deals on their site, Omio found that deals with gifts included tends to raise the average price of line rental to nearer 35 per month, and were likely to be found on contracts of a longer duration. Automatic cashback and cheaper line rental were more freely available on the 18 month contracts.
When compared to equivalent tariffs on the major networks, buyers do indeed get more texts, minutes for their money from online retailers, with only SIM-only deals from the networks proving unbeatable in value.
Customers participating in cashback schemes should be wary however, as online retailers often have strict criteria on exactly how to redeem these discounts. Ofcom’s recent ruling has seen them step in to make the process more clear, and arm the shopper with all the information they need before they sign on the dotted line.
Networks have also seen the huge potential of online savings and appear to be pushing new customers towards the web, offering unique and internet-exclusive deals that give those signing up better value for their buck.
