So I’m just checking my mobile phone tariff with Orange to make sure that I’m not paying too much. As usual, all the good offers are either only available to either new subscribers (for which read, people who move networks), or me, if I wanted to take out an 18 month contract. I took out an 18 month contract last time for the sake of getting a new phone cheaper, and I won’t be doing so again. If the phone’s not as great as it might have been (something you can only find out when you’re “in the field” using it), you’re a bit screwed.
Anyway, I do have the very valuable commodity of an ultra-cheap unlimited data package which I certainly can’t match on any tariff Orange offer to anybody at all at the moment, so I’m not giving that up. Similarly, my inclusive minutes package beats any “Core Tariffs” that Orange currently offer, so I’m not going to change that either.
The only thing I was looking at was text messages. I don’t text a great deal – it’s certainly never hit three digits in a month. But I do pay for each message as I don’t have any kind of inclusive texts. So perhaps a text package would be a good idea. But that’s where it gets strange. The cheapest package is £3 for 30 texts – except that I already pay 10p a text so that’s precisely no saving at all. Indeed it just ensures that if I don’t text much this month I pay £3 anyway. The next package up is for 100 texts at £6. That means that it only works out worthwhile if I send 60 or more texts a month. I might occassionally achieve this but not often. So it’s not worth my while. Finally, I realise that the reasoning behind the packages is that instead of 10p, texts, which are surely the most lucrative thing in a mobile operator’s inventory, are standardly charged at 12p these days unless you have a legacy talk plan.
Much examination of everything leaves my current plan untouched. Oh well – it was worth checking, if only to see what good deals you can get if you become a Panther or Rat or Crocodile or whatever other stupid marketing nonsense Orange are talking about this month.
Now – can I synchronise one Outlook account to two mobile phones? I rather suspect not.