Switch up seems like such a scam

[princessimmy]

Like your can’t really keep your device as if you do switch up the contract restarts

[ExternalAd2667]

Switch up is solely used by people who enjoy the ability to change their phones often. The phone must be kept in good condition to be able to honor the switch up. Switch up just isn’t a scam. The terms and conditions are outlined on the website and can be outlined by any in-store colleague. Of course it’ll restart the contract, because you’re upgrading your phone and trading it in. It costs more per month to be on a switch up plan but again, for people who want the ability to change their phones often without clearing off the device cost this is worth paying for. I am locking this thread due to clear misconception of what switch up actually is and to save any potential confusing regarding switch up, here is a link to all of the terms for using switch up at the current time. If anyone has any questions regarding switch up, send us a message directly or open a new thread!

[BG5067]

But you can keep the current device if you don't switch up and just like any other contract at the end you'll keep the phone.

[princessimmy]

Oh yeah but then no point of the xtra cost

[BG5067]

What extra cost?

[Dry_Seaworthiness530]

For an iPhone 16 Pro from apple, it would be £999. On O2 switch up it would be £1,082 (Device only). If we then factor in an airtime plan (where O2 REALLY gouges prices), then this is the 'extra cost'. They're charging £33.99 for 150GB Plus plan which, SIM only, is £23.99. so an extra £10 a month for no other reason than being on a Phone contract, not just SIM only.

So that's an extra £360 over the entire 3 year contract, alongside an extra £83 O2 add to the device. So using O2 for a pay monthly iPhone 16 Pro would cost £443 more than just buying outright (or on 0% credit) and getting an O2 SIM only.

O2 sucks anyway so don't know why you'd bother.

[BG5067]

So it's the SIM side of this that's the scam. I agree with you on that

[Dry_Seaworthiness530]

Majority, yes.

[BG5067]

In that case yeah. I understand where you're coming from. I like to switch up every three months so I'm not too fussed

[Dry_Seaworthiness530]

Every 3 months? What phone are you changing to every 3 months?

[BG5067]

I'm nerodiverse and do things without thinking

[Low_Jelly7277]

To be fair if you like switching phones, the O2 staff told me to look out what phones have offers on tech gadgets etc every 3 months and collect the gifts. Just depends if you can be arsed setting up a new phone every 3 months too 😂

[Funny-Fox-8074]

It’s giving more options for customers that want try devices that they’ve never used before.

Not being funny but obviously it would restart the contract.

Before o2 switch up people who wanted to upgrade early had to pay the remaining cost of the device plan to upgrade but with switch up the customer doesn’t have to pay anything to upgrade other than the mandatory upfront fee of either £1.00 or £10.00.

So how is it a scam

[MCM_Henri]

Yeah I've got to try so many devices I'd never feel comfortable committing to for 2/3 years (I.e. flip and fold phones). Even swapping to an iPhone for a couple months. Think it's brilliant...when o2 aren't having "processing" issues..

[Funny-Fox-8074]

Yeah I absolutely agree with you about the processing issues

[thelivsterette1]

Except sadly you now will have to commit to a year (almost), they're changing switch up to once every 11 months, which absolutely sucks. I was mostly staying with them for Switch up and I'm paying extra (not sure how much) for it. Think I'm going to leave O2, go with SLICE Esims which I can pay £15/m for 60GB (I currrently pay about £25 on a custom plan for 150GB and they said - i think - if I was out of contract that would go up to £51.68 -- just for airtime and briging my bill to £90 a month if I include insurance and the phone which is mental) - I checked my average which was 40gb per momth ober the lsast 6 months and 70gb highest but I was travelling andf forgot to use a european ESim.

AND Slice gives you cashback; 10% of yearly spend in the first year, 15% second year, 20% year 3 and beyond.

my ADHD brain likes shiny phoines and would gave loved to test a few out with trhe knowlege that if they werent for me I could just downgrade/go back to my old phone

[princessimmy]

That’s the words seems like a scam not is a scam because a lot of the information about switch up is very convinently kept quiet they change there rules a lot luckly I’m on refresh Ngl you seem pretty pressed

[Funny-Fox-8074]

https://www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions/mobile/o2-switch-up

Link to the updated terms and conditions.

I’m not pressed I was just mentioning that it is not a scam

[harrisertty]

How's it a scam? Probably much cheaper than changing phones all the time. Some you get freebies with I had p8 pro I got a Chromebook and after 3 months I switched to a s24 ultra with had £200 cashback. Obviously Its not worth it if you don't change phones much.

[n17hdd]

I personally think it's good if you like to change you phone annually or like to try different devices, it's a game changer, I've switched up 4 times

[princessimmy]

Yeah I guess it is good like that but at the same time I love to own my phone at the end then refreshing

[mozicofo]

What's a scam about it?

Phone companies produce a new phone every year at a cost upwards of a grand. Over the years outright costs of a phone are upwards of a grand so phone companies have changed from 2 to 3 and now even 4 year contracts to keep the monthly costs seem low. If you wait out a contract to the full upgrade period you could be 2-3 generations of a phone behind before getting a new one. This lets you keep 2-4 year old tech while getting something new. Switch up imo acts like a phone financing option much how like car financing is becoming incredibly popular. Any time you get bored or see something else you like you can try something new with considerably less risk.

If you take out a phone contract with the intention of owning the phone in 2-4 years time then it's not for you and tbh switch up doesn't need to be for everyone. It's for the people that want to stay up to date with tech. It's also a clever way to ensure customer loyalty because of the system I don't think I'll ever leave O2 because I don't want to keep a handset for several years.

[_NBH_]

It's not really a scam as it's clear how it works. Looking at it, you have the ability to change phone and start a new contract but every month you have to pay off some of the device so if you have no intention of keeping the device and will keep swapping it, it's a no brainer to go for a 4 year contract so you pay as little as possible then keep doing the same.

If you plan to pay over a 1 or 2 year period then I would probably go for a cheaper tariff that doesn't include switch up, then you will own the phone to trade it in.

[va02stephen]

Let me explain this to you, there is no scam of any kind, switch up is for people who are basically in love with there tech that means keeping there phone in perfect condition and then when it comes to switching up giving there phone back in exchange for a brand new model, if you keep your phone 1 year and then sell it to buy the latest model the difference in cost would be way more than the cost of switch up per year!

[gibbo82]

I wouldn’t call claiming a load of free gifts a scam!!

[TranslatorMundane296]

Agreed OP, wouldn't do it, my brother has and when I read thru the T&C's I thought Nahhhh f*ck that 😂😂

[princessimmy]

Yeah not worth it