Commenting on Ofcom’s guide to unlocking mobile phones, Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, says: “Ofcom’s new guide is very welcome, and we hope that this information helps to dispel the myths of unlocking mobile phones, along with the stigma of it being an illegal or shady practice.
“Unlocking should be done swiftly and without charge once you have served your time on a contract. It’s worrying that most networks charge around £20 just to unlock a phone, which can be done in a matter of minutes.
“One of the most cost-effective options for mobile customers is switching to a competitive SIM-only deal for their existing handset at the end of a contract, and in this case, unlocking may well be required. This stops you from continuing to shell out for a handset that you’ve already paid off, and can reduce your mobile bill significantly.
“We understand that mobile networks often sell handsets at a loss and try to avoid ‘box breaking’ by locking them – especially those on Pay As You Go tariffs.
“Box-breaking, which is when handsets are bought up in large quantities, unlocked and re-sold for profit, is a real problem for mobile operators as they miss out on the revenues from the SIM-card being activated.
“Locking mobiles is widely practised by the networks, although Three completely stopped locking its handsets in December 2013. We hope Ofcom’s guide prompts more networks to follow Three’s suit and give customers more freedom and flexibility to switch providers.”
For more information visit www.uswitch.com or call 0800 093 0607
Maja Hauke
Phone: 0207 148 4663
Email: maja.hauke@uswitch.com
It’s all about “U”!
Thank you for indulging us over the last 20 years by using a small ‘u’ and a big ‘S’ when writing about our brand in your articles.
We are delighted to let you know that you are now off the hook - it’s big U’s all the way (and small s’s) as we undertake our biggest ever rebrand - so let your autocorrect go wild!
Uswitch is the UK’s top comparison website for home services switching. Launched in September 2000, we help consumers save money on their gas, electricity, broadband, mobile, TV, and financial services products and get more of what matters to them. Last year we saved consumers over £373 million on their energy bills alone.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a new business that also owns Money.co.uk and Bankrate.
If you would no longer like to receive our press releases please email prteam@uswitch.com with 'unsubscribe'.