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Price plan cheaper as new customers than existing

  • October 16, 2025
  • 11 replies
  • 192 views

Why is it cheaper to start new contract than upgrade. £6 difference in price monthly and as a loyal customer why are we paying more  to upgrade

Any advice or is it time to leave 

Best answer by JoeKing

@Keast  this will be the case new customers get a better deal then existing customers to draw them in I guess.

 

11 replies

JoeKing
Silver Contributor
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  • Silver Contributor
  • Answer
  • October 16, 2025

@Keast  this will be the case new customers get a better deal then existing customers to draw them in I guess.

 


  • Author
  • New Contributor
  • October 17, 2025

Ridiculous.. Might have to go through carphone warehouse 


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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • October 17, 2025

Hi ​@Keast  

 

Thanks for reaching out! I understand it can be frustrating to see discounts for new customers.

These offers are meant to make joining us easy, and I like to think you got a good deal when you first signed up. Our offers change regularly, so if you’re ever curious about current options or upgrades, please contact the Sales Team on 0207 1391 397 between 9am -6pm.

 

Thanks

 

Natalie 


  • New Contributor
  • November 18, 2025

Why is it cheaper to start new contract than upgrade. £6 difference in price monthly and as a loyal customer why are we paying more  to upgrade

Any advice or is it time to leave 

Exactly this. Time to move on. I’ve just had the same experience: when I compared prices, I realised iD Mobile give better deals to new customers than to the ones who’ve been loyal for years. To make matters worse, my contract expired months ago, yet they kept charging me the same amount as when I was still paying off my phone.

It seems this has become standard practice across the industry. Unless we mark the end of our contracts in the calendar and switch providers every time, we end up overpaying. It’s insulting to existing customers, but sadly that’s how things work now.

I’ve already requested my PAC code to transfer my number (it is easy and takes just a minute), and I’m confident I’ll find a better deal elsewhere.


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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • November 18, 2025

Hi ​@Keast  and ​@TJK , 

Please be advised that, as an existing customer, any upgrade offers available to you are calculated based on your current month-to-month payments. New customer plans may appear cheaper because there is no previous payment history to assess, which means their eligibility is calculated differently. 

When your current plan ends, the system reviews your payment history and generates upgrade options accordingly. These upgrade offers usually provide better overall value for existing customers, even if the monthly prices differ from those shown to new customers. 

 
~ Marquerita 

 


  • Author
  • New Contributor
  • November 18, 2025

@TJK I ended up going on CW having a browse and the day after they phoned me I must of entered sum details in night B4 either way ended up upgrading through them cheaper the direct through ID with no upfront  


  • New Contributor
  • November 18, 2025

Hi ​@Keast  and ​@TJK , 

Please be advised that, as an existing customer, any upgrade offers available to you are calculated based on your current month-to-month payments. New customer plans may appear cheaper because there is no previous payment history to assess, which means their eligibility is calculated differently. 

When your current plan ends, the system reviews your payment history and generates upgrade options accordingly. These upgrade offers usually provide better overall value for existing customers, even if the monthly prices differ from those shown to new customers. 

 
~ Marquerita 

 

Thanks for the reply, Marquerita, but this explanation doesn’t really hold up. The issue isn’t “payment history” — it’s that existing customers are being charged more than brand‑new ones for the same service. My contract ended months ago, yet I was still billed the same amount as when I was paying off my phone. That’s not “better overall value,” it’s simply overcharging.

If loyalty actually mattered, upgrade offers would be at least as competitive as new‑customer deals. Instead, the message we’re getting is: stay put and pay more, or leave and get a better price elsewhere. That’s why many of us are requesting PAC codes and moving on — because the so‑called “value” isn’t visible in our bills.


WelshPaul
Platinum 
Contributor
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  • Platinum 
Contributor
  • November 18, 2025

Hi ​@Keast  and ​@TJK , 

Please be advised that, as an existing customer, any upgrade offers available to you are calculated based on your current month-to-month payments. New customer plans may appear cheaper because there is no previous payment history to assess, which means their eligibility is calculated differently. 

When your current plan ends, the system reviews your payment history and generates upgrade options accordingly. These upgrade offers usually provide better overall value for existing customers, even if the monthly prices differ from those shown to new customers. 

 
~ Marquerita 

 

it’s that existing customers are being charged more than brand‑new ones for the same service.

So, play the game! Unfortunately that’s the way it works across all the networks. You didn’t complain when you got the better deal when you first joined did you? 
 


JoeKing
Silver Contributor
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  • Silver Contributor
  • November 19, 2025

@TJK ​@Keast 

Personally all the network's that I've been on when the time came to upgrade I always got a better deal then a new customer. It's how you as a customer communicate. Likewise with ID Mobile as already stated their offers are to attract new business new customers. Even so one could try calling sale's this give you the opportunity to tell them what you've seen or would like within reason. At time's they do cut you a good deal communication is the key, if that fails and you don't like it there's other options with other networks.

 

 

Joe


  • New Contributor
  • November 19, 2025

Hi ​@Keast  and ​@TJK , 

Please be advised that, as an existing customer, any upgrade offers available to you are calculated based on your current month-to-month payments. New customer plans may appear cheaper because there is no previous payment history to assess, which means their eligibility is calculated differently. 

When your current plan ends, the system reviews your payment history and generates upgrade options accordingly. These upgrade offers usually provide better overall value for existing customers, even if the monthly prices differ from those shown to new customers. 

 
~ Marquerita 

 

it’s that existing customers are being charged more than brand‑new ones for the same service.

So, play the game! Unfortunately that’s the way it works across all the networks. You didn’t complain when you got the better deal when you first joined did you? 
 

The way I see it, the so‑called “new customer deals” aren’t really amazing bargains — they’re just the company’s normal, profitable price point. Everyone can get them if they switch, which means they’re not special at all. The problem is that those who stay loyal end up paying above that baseline, essentially being overcharged for the same service.

So when people say “you got the better deal when you joined,” that’s not quite right. As a new customer, I simply got the standard deal. The unfair part comes later, when loyalty means paying more than newcomers. That’s why so many of us mark contract end dates and move on — because the only way to get a fair price is to churn.

And on the “play the game” point — I’ve already said I requested my PAC code and am confident I’ll get a better deal elsewhere. So I am playing the game. The issue isn’t whether I understand how the system works, it’s that the system itself is backwards: loyalty costs more, churn gets rewarded. A pathological system.


JoeKing
Silver Contributor
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  • Silver Contributor
  • November 19, 2025

@TJK  I fully understand you but like I've mentioned there is a way to obtain a deal as an excexisting customer with all networks. But I'm not to sure if I'm allowed to mention it on here, as to date I've not seen as far as I can remember the method mentioned on here sorry. 

 

Joe