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00:02Millions of you have seen your mobile phone costs rise year after year above inflation,
00:08but in reality your bills should have been cut by hundreds of pounds.
00:12So today I'll show you how to do just that and grab free mobile phone insurance plus
00:19five crucial tips to safeguard the information and data on your phone in case it's nicked.
00:25Then in my news you can use probably the last over four and a half percent fixed savings account
00:30you'll be able to get in 2026 and you'll need to go quick.
00:3355 quid off groceries, a Centre Park voucher and an update on car finance.
00:38Let's do it!
00:47Where do you want this everybody?
00:50Hello, we are back. Hi Jeanette.
00:53Yeah, lots going on tonight. We would like to hear from you as always,
00:56so get in touch with all your questions on the screen right now. The details are there.
01:01But tonight, Martin, where are we starting?
01:03I want to set out my big picture before we begin.
01:06You'll see I have here, this is a graph, as always good place to start,
01:11of how much someone who's been with a mobile phone network on a contract,
01:15their contracts run out and they've just kept with it and they've not switched,
01:17on 30 gig back in January 22 will have paid every April above inflation pay rises.
01:23Just to prove that, here's the CPI, the inflation rate.
01:26If it had only gone up with inflation, it would have only gone up about half the amount.
01:30So that's for people who've done nothing.
01:33Now just take a look at this.
01:37These are the prices of the cheapest SIMs. That's 30 gig, this is 50 gig.
01:42The cheapest SIMs are a fraction of what they were, even three or four years ago.
01:48You can now get a 50 gig, unlimited minutes, unlimited data per month,
01:52and you're paying the equivalent of around £3.50 at the cheapest rate.
01:56So those of you who've been loyal to your mobile phone companies, not done anything and stuck with it,
02:01you've seen price rise after price rise after price rise.
02:05Those of you who push and play the market and who aren't loyal and who do the right thing in
02:09my view,
02:10you've seen price cut after price cut after price cut.
02:13And just look at the divergence between the two of these.
02:17Tonight, the first thing we're going to do is show you how to be one of those and not one
02:22of those.
02:25On this topic, we've got a question coming from Neil actually.
02:29So they used to rip us off with annual inflation increases.
02:32Now they only seem to have two-year contracts that increase by over 20% well above inflation.
02:38What's the regulator doing about this?
02:39Not enough in my view.
02:41So a year ago, the regulator's new proposal came in that said you can no longer do these annual inflation
02:46increases
02:47unless you tell people in advance.
02:49So now when you sign up to a contract, it'll tell you, and frankly, the rises are bigger than they
02:53used to be,
02:54it's going to go up 10% in the first April and 10% the next April and they do
02:58it in pounds and pence.
02:59But we've even seen O2 tell you what the rise was going to be and then increase it by even
03:04more.
03:05Now, the rules state if they don't tell you what the rise is going to be in advance,
03:08you've got 30 days to leave the contract penalty free.
03:11And I encourage many people to do that.
03:13But many vulnerable people or those who aren't keeping on top of it or those who don't notice miss out.
03:18I wrote to the chancellor to complain about the O2 situation.
03:22The chancellor has written to Ofcom.
03:23The regulator Ofcom is looking into it.
03:26But I don't hold up that much hope.
03:27OK.
03:28Well, should we go into the practicals then with this, Martin?
03:30Yeah.
03:30Tina is on our virtual wall.
03:33Tina, good evening.
03:34What's your question for Martin?
03:36Hi, Tina.
03:37Good evening.
03:38My question is, Martin, what is the cheapest SIM only available monthly, please?
03:44How much are you paying right now?
03:46£10.47.
03:48£10.
03:49And how much data do you use?
03:51About five, if that.
03:52Oh, wow.
03:53So, tiny data.
03:54Well, you should be in the three or four pounds a month equivalent.
03:57That's exactly where I'm going to go through now in my big briefing.
03:59Keep watching this.
04:00We'll talk in a moment.
04:03OK, so for Tina and for everybody else, this is my ABC of cutting the cost of your mobile phone.
04:09The first thing to do is check if you're one of 14 million people out of contract.
04:14So, all you have to do is you text info for free to 85075.
04:22If you're on 3 or ID Mobile or Smarty, they'll usually text you back and say,
04:26give us your date of birth to previous you.
04:27That's fine.
04:28What you're then looking at is for early termination or cancellation charge being no pounds.
04:35Now, I got some members of the audience, because many of them had their phones taken off,
04:38because we were in the studio before we came in, to have a go at this.
04:41We had... Can you read to me, if you wouldn't mind, what's your name?
04:43I'm sorry.
04:43Chantal.
04:44Chantal, can you read to me what your reply was?
04:46Yes.
04:47We really hope you want to stay with us, but if you choose to switch today, your early termination charge
04:52will be zero pounds.
04:53If you're on a standard contract, this will include your remaining balance.
04:58Your final bill will still include any airtime you've used and any out-of-bundle charges, like charge to mobile
05:06services.
05:07So, Chantal, thank you so much for that.
05:09That means you are out of contract.
05:11You are free to ditch and switch and see if you can find somewhere cheaper.
05:15That's what you're looking for.
05:16Tiny note, if you're on a multiple phone contract, you won't be able to do this.
05:19My rough rule of thumb, if you've not done anything in the last two years, you're almost certainly out of
05:23contract.
05:23So, Chantal, listen on.
05:25Tina, listen on.
05:26We're going to try and work out what to do.
05:27The next thing, we go to a cheap SIM comparison site.
05:32There are a number of them out there.
05:33They do have different deals and different prices.
05:34They are far cheaper than going direct to the mobile phone companies because they have special marketing extras that you
05:41have on top.
05:41Now, I'll give you a couple of examples of what's out there at the moment.
05:44Unlimited UK calls and texts and free EU roaming on both of these.
05:49You've got 10 gig from Labara that uses Vodafone signal from, because different comparison sites have different prices,
05:55the equivalent of £3.50 a month.
05:57Why the equivalent?
05:59Well, because what it actually does is it says you'll pay £2 for the first six months and you'll pay
06:03£5 for the last six months,
06:05but it's a one-month rolling contract anyway.
06:07And then ID Mobile, 50 gig, equivalent of £3.80.
06:10So, Tina, for you at £10, yeah, you could be paying £3.50.
06:15Just get yourself onto a comparison site, assuming you're out of contract.
06:18You're paying way more than you need to, and that includes EU roaming on the back of that one now.
06:23Now...
06:23Just before we go any further, I've got this success.
06:25It's coming from Amanda.
06:27Amanda saying,
06:28My contract just ended, and with your top tip to go sim only, I switch provider.
06:32Very happy, thanks.
06:33It averages out to £3 a month, saving me £23 a month.
06:38APPLAUSE
06:40So, I mean, just to show you, we never think £23 a month saving.
06:45Let's call it £270, £280 a year, Chantal, and you see why it's so important that you know you're out
06:50of contract.
06:50We're going forward.
06:51Now, what normally happens at this point is someone says,
06:54Martin, it's all very well you to say this, but I really like the signal on my mobile phone as
06:58I have it at the moment, actually,
06:59and I don't really want to switch and move.
07:01If you're saying that to me, even if you're not using that voice,
07:04it's important to understand there are only actually four networks, what are called mobile network operators in the UK.
07:13Every other supplier is a mobile virtual network operator that is piggybacking off their signals.
07:21Let's have a look here.
07:24There we are. There's the piggies.
07:26So, look, with EE, this is just a selection, there are many more.
07:291P Mobile, Torque Home, Utility Warehouse, Your Co-op.
07:31With three, ID Mobile, Smarty, Honest Mobile, Superdrug.
07:34With Vodafone, Asda Mobile, Labara, Torque Mobile.
07:37With O2, Gifgaff, Sky Mobile.
07:39This gentleman over there is on Gifgaff, you mentioned it earlier.
07:41So that's an O2 signal that you've got there.
07:43And Tesco Mobile.
07:44So, if you're with Vodafone, you like your Vodafone signal, and you say,
07:47I don't want to switch, I don't want to switch.
07:48Well, what I'm saying is, you go into a comparison site,
07:51so the good ones will do it by signal, and you don't just look at Vodafone,
07:54you look at Asda Mobile, you look at Labara, you look at Torque Mobile,
07:58to see which of those is the cheapest, because they're using the same signal that you already have.
08:04Yeah, just on this, Martin, Norman's been in touch, and Norman's saying,
08:07my network tells me piggyback companies are not given priority when demand is high.
08:13Is this true?
08:14Well, they would say that, wouldn't they?
08:16But it's a little bit more complicated.
08:18So, some really interesting research came out on this recently.
08:21Will the piggyback be the same as the main network?
08:24Well, first of all, it's a different firm.
08:26Customer service will be different. It's a different firm.
08:28And it might have 5G or might not have 5G.
08:31It might have Wi-Fi calling or voicemail or not.
08:34So, these are things you would check like any new firm that you were moving to.
08:38Now, a mobile analyst Policy Tracker did some really detailed research on this earlier,
08:44probably six months ago.
08:45And they came out and they said the big picture is for most normal consumers,
08:50there is no noticeable difference in signal.
08:54Now, they did in their reports show that sometimes the main networks are faster,
08:58but also sometimes the virtual networks are faster,
09:01and that can vary depending where you are in the country.
09:04So, nothing is perfect here.
09:07The real difference is for the adopters of the latest technology,
09:11there's a thing called 5G standalone,
09:13which is the very fastest where your 5G isn't connecting on 4G to get...
09:16It doesn't matter, it's complicated.
09:18You're only really going to get that at super speed through an MNO,
09:22a mobile network operator.
09:24For the vast majority of you who are just using it to pick it up,
09:27make calls and go on the internet,
09:28it doesn't really make any difference.
09:30And this is way, way, way, way cheaper.
09:32Let me carry on. Yes.
09:35So, a couple of other things.
09:37Maybe there are other networks that have a better signal where you live.
09:41Ofcom's Map Your Mobile Tool is very good for checking that.
09:44And of course, some people will be saying,
09:47I just don't want to leave.
09:48I'm not leaving, I like the one I'm with, then I'm going to stay.
09:50Thank you very much.
09:52If you're saying that, I don't know where this is coming from,
09:55but it could have been worse.
09:56If you're saying that, then use these prices to benchmark what's out there.
10:00And if you are out of contract, you go to your mobile phone company,
10:04and you say, here are the prices I can get elsewhere.
10:07I'd prefer to stick with you, but I'd like you to match these prices
10:10or give me the best deal that you possibly can.
10:11And if that doesn't work, you get through to customer disconnections,
10:15which is internally known as customer retentions.
10:18Their job is to keep you, and you get there by saying,
10:21I'm going to have to leave, and you might get a better deal.
10:23Now, final thing, if you want to keep your number,
10:25you just text PAC to 65075, and you then give the code to the new firm.
10:32But...
10:34Surprise attack here.
10:36If you're just going, this is all way too much hassle,
10:40C is actually pretty powerful.
10:42There is a shortcut in this.
10:43Because what will tend to happen if you text PAC to 65075,
10:47I want you to do A, B, C.
10:49But if you're not going to do anything and you're out of contract,
10:52you do see, you send that text, and you may well get a message back that says,
10:56we're very sorry to hear that you want to leave us.
10:59Here is your PACs code.
11:00But by the way, we can offer you this deal if you're willing to stay.
11:03And it could be, I've heard it being way less than half price than people are paying.
11:07So if you're going to do nothing else if you're out of contract,
11:09why not text PAC to 65075?
11:13OK, well, Jane has been in touch via email, and Jane's asking,
11:17we would like to swap mobile phone contracts using your advice from the show,
11:21but we don't want to lose our right to roam within the EU.
11:25Any thoughts on that?
11:26Yeah, look, I often hear...
11:28Voice coming again.
11:30Look, the problem is it's only O2 who gives you free mobile roaming in the EU.
11:33All the rest don't do it.
11:34That isn't true, right?
11:36Of the big four, it's true.
11:39But loads of the mobile virtual network operators free EU roaming.
11:42There's those two.
11:43There's Gif Gaff as you're on over there.
11:47There's Talk Mobile.
11:49There's Smarty.
11:50There's quite a few of them who do this.
11:52So you are not limited to just going there.
11:54If you want to get free EU roaming,
11:56so you just use your phone in the EU like you do at home,
11:59there's loads of companies offering it.
12:01So find the cheapest one for you on a comparison site
12:03and make sure you tick the box that says EU roaming included
12:05and you could be paying these type of prices, frankly.
12:08Fabulous.
12:08We've got Caleb in the audience.
12:10Caleb, where are you?
12:11Caleb, hi.
12:12You've got a question for Martin.
12:13Hello.
12:13Hi, Martin.
12:14What's the best sim-only contract for frequent travellers to Europe and the USA?
12:20I probably wouldn't do it that way.
12:22What I would probably do in that case
12:24is I'd get myself an inclusive EU roaming sim, as we've just talked about.
12:29Then when I go to the USA, I'd get myself an eSIM.
12:32Do you know what an eSIM is?
12:33So an eSIM, for those who don't know, is you pay for an eSIM online,
12:37you put the details into your phone,
12:39it then routes your phone when you're in another country
12:41through a different number.
12:42So you can't be called on your phone number then,
12:44unless you've got a dual-SIM phone.
12:46But you can still use WhatsApp.
12:48And, you know, you can currently in the USA get 10 gig for £11,
12:52which is a fraction of what you'd pay on your mobile phone.
12:54And actually, if you were going even continentally,
12:56there are some now eSIMs that are continental-based.
12:59So you could get an Asia eSIM or a North America eSIM.
13:03So I'd probably, rather than just trying to find the all-in-one,
13:05I'd get an EU one, which is really cheap,
13:07and then I'd just buy myself an eSIM on top.
13:08You look like a clever young man.
13:10I'm sure you can cope with that.
13:11Does that work for you?
13:11Yeah, thank you.
13:12Perfect.
13:12Fabulous. OK, Caleb, thanks for your question.
13:14One final question before we move on from Maggie.
13:17Are mobile phones covered under your home insurance?
13:21That's a big question.
13:22OK, let's get into that.
13:24The main answer is yes, but it's only really fire and theft,
13:27and it is not the same as mobile phone insurance.
13:29So I'm going to move to my next page here.
13:32And my big question for you is, are you a loser?
13:35I am a loser, ladies and gentlemen.
13:38I am the type of person who forgets where I put my keys
13:40and I forget where I put my mobile phone.
13:42And therefore, for me, mobile phone insurance is pretty good value
13:45because I might lose my phone and I might need it back.
13:48If you're the type of person who's got it locked and clipped to your belt
13:50and you haven't lost anything in 20 years, you might not need it.
13:53So it's your decision.
13:54But let's run through what you can get.
13:57Cheapest standalone insurance policies are about 40 quid,
14:00depending on the handset.
14:02It needs to be under three years old.
14:03It takes about a week to get your phone.
14:05There's a list of the type of companies who do it there.
14:07Let's just hold the graphic onto that so people can read it.
14:09It'll cover you for all the main things.
14:11Loss, theft, accidental damage, faults.
14:14If you've lost your SIM card, too,
14:16then you have to get in touch with your network to cancel the SIM
14:18and they'll send you a new SIM with your order.
14:21The fastest replacement is the network's cover,
14:24usually only for new phones and you get it with the new phone,
14:27but it's way more expensive, £180 a year.
14:29But that's next day.
14:31Working similar to the standalone cover,
14:33this is the real bargain that's on here if it's right for you,
14:36generally for couples and families.
14:37These are packaged bank accounts where you pay a monthly fee for them,
14:42but you get lots of insurance included.
14:45And if you will use that insurance, it can be worthwhile.
14:47But right now, it's way better than normal.
14:50And this is why.
14:52Here we go.
14:53Because a number of these banks are giving you free cash if you switch to them.
14:57That effectively pays the monthly fee for you for a certain period.
15:00So the mobile phone insurance is free.
15:02You've got the Santander Edge Explorer.
15:05£200 for free gives you a £17 monthly fee.
15:08So that's just over a year's free, you know, if you add it up.
15:11It also gives you 1% cash back on bills you pay from it up to £10 a month
15:16and 1% cash back on debit card spending that's in supermarkets and groceries.
15:19It covers all the phones in your household.
15:22So if you're a family of four with two teenagers who've got their own smartphones,
15:25all of them are covered.
15:27And that, you know, for £17 a month is cheap, never mind the free £200.
15:31You also get family worldwide travel insurance
15:33and you get UK and Europe breakdown cover.
15:35A decent alternative, especially for singles or couples, is Lloyd's,
15:38which gives you £250 for free, much cheaper £11.50 and you get Disney Plus thrown in.
15:43But this is only mobile phone cover for the policy holder.
15:47So as long as you've got a trusted relationship, even if your partner won't use it,
15:51make them a joint account holder and then you're both covered for this.
15:54Only European travel insurance and only UK breakdown cover.
15:58Nationwide Flex Plus, similar to Santander, but not as much free cash
16:02and slightly more expensive, but otherwise it works really well.
16:05Does that sound like the type of thing that would work for anyone in here
16:07if you're in a couple of family and you're covering your mobile phones?
16:09Mm-hmm.
16:10I'm seeing some nods going on.
16:11Ooh, yeah, quite a few nods going on over there.
16:13So this is well worth looking at at the moment when they're giving you the free cash.
16:16And a couple of more things to finish on.
16:18Well, this is what Maggie's question was about.
16:20I call it the ET option.
16:22Phone home insurance.
16:24No?
16:25Just me.
16:26So it's fire and theft, but the problem is if you claim on this for a small amount,
16:30it could push up your home insurance renewal and it's very slow, the replacements.
16:33And the final is what I mentioned at the beginning.
16:36If you don't lose your phone a lot, if you've got a very cheap handset,
16:39don't get insurance, put a little bit in a savings account each month
16:42so you've got the money there to cover it in case you lose your phone.
16:45And if not, hey, you've got money in a savings account earning your interest.
16:48And the replacement on the cheap handset is pretty quick.
16:50You just go out to the shop and you buy yourself a new phone and wait for the SIM card
16:53to come.
16:53And that, complicated, but hopefully gets you through the insurance options.
16:58Thank you very much, Markin.
17:02So, coming up, how to protect your crucial data if your phone is stolen.
17:07We'll see you in four.
17:16Thank you, welcome back.
17:18So, just to say, I'm hearing that those people who are texting info to 85075,
17:22you're getting really slow responses, which is both bad because we don't want slow responses,
17:27but good because it means loads of you are doing it.
17:28And that means you might save you a serious amount of money.
17:31We're talking mobile phones.
17:31Jeanette, what's coming in?
17:32Yeah, lots coming in over the break.
17:34I do want to put this to you from Diane.
17:36I need to change my phone.
17:38Should I get it on a contract or buy it outright?
17:40Right.
17:40So, the old rule used to be that you buy your phone and you get a separate SIM-only deal
17:45and that's the cheapest way.
17:46Actually, it tends, and it is case by case, not to be that system anymore.
17:51Now, if you go through a reseller, so that's not direct with the mobile companies.
17:55There are all these other companies who will sell you contracts at a cheaper rate.
17:58What we tend to find is when you add up what you pay over two years, even with, say, a
18:03100-gig SIM,
18:05you're paying less sometimes than you could buy the handset outright for.
18:09So, I would always check going for the cheapest contract on a good comparison site through a reseller first
18:16because that should be the cheapest way.
18:18Okay.
18:19These days it's changed.
18:20Hopefully that's okay, Diane.
18:21Lindsay's also been in touch.
18:23Have a listen to this one, Martin.
18:24I recently discovered that I finished paying for my son's phone contract almost a year ago
18:28and they've still been charging me.
18:30I questioned this with the company and they changed to a SIM-only contract, but they have said I won't
18:36be reimbursed.
18:37Is this correct?
18:38I'll be honest.
18:38I deliberately asked for this question to be asked to the last one
18:41because there is a dirty trick that mobile phone firms play
18:45and it's from the resellers who I just recommended.
18:49They're the main ones who do this.
18:50So, you've heard the good bit.
18:52Now, let's do the bad bit.
18:53If you go for a main network, you'll normally get an airtime cost, so that's your tariff,
18:57and a handset cost that you pay for two years when you get a new handset from them.
19:01And then after two years, if this is paid off, you just pay the airtime cost.
19:05What a lot of the resellers do is they give you one price that includes the handset and the airtime.
19:10And after two years when you pay the handset off, you keep paying the same amount.
19:16So, while you could be getting a SIM that's worth six, seven quid a month, you're paying £30 a month.
19:20So, those cheap reseller deals, note when your contract ends, draw a line in the sand and you need to
19:26get off it that day.
19:28And that's exactly what happens here. It's why there are huge savings.
19:30You're still paying for the handset even though you've already paid the handset off.
19:34The problem is, it's not illegal. It may be immoral, in my personal view, and that's a subjective opinion, ITV
19:41lawyers.
19:42It may be immoral, but it's not illegal. So, you're going to struggle to get it reimbursed,
19:48because they just said, this is the amount that you pay with us and we'll give you a handset as
19:51long as you're paying for two years.
19:52So, you need to get off that quickly. And the rest of you, if you're on one of those cheap
19:55deals, just have it big red in your diary the day that contract ends to get off it.
20:00Wow, wow, wow. OK, right. I've got a question that's coming for you here from Paula Martin.
20:05What can I do to stop access to my bank apps if my phone is stolen?
20:09I have a strong passcode and biometrics to open my phone. What else can I do?
20:14Well, my instant response is biometrics to open your phone isn't enough.
20:17You need biometrics to open your phone, so that's fingerprint or face ID, and to open your banking app.
20:23It should be up on any secure app. You should have that, too. But let's go through now my main
20:28tips for keeping your phone secure.
20:30So, remember, when they're nicking it, sometimes it's just about the handset, but sometimes they want access to your data
20:35or your information, too.
20:37So, first of all, beware shoulder surfing. So, you know, this is what happens.
20:42Pretend if I've got a phone. You've got a giant phone to make it very easy for someone with my
20:45eyesight.
20:46So what they do is, you're in the street, and you're on your phone, and you're putting your pin code
20:49in, and they see your pin code.
20:51Now I've got your pin code in at your phone. And now I can access all your data. You can
20:55have it back, I'm not with me.
20:56And now they can access all your data. The other thing, sounds obvious, use headphones, people.
21:01Put your headphones in, have your phone in your pocket. It's much easier for them to grab.
21:05It also means that you won't be talking on speakerphone and annoying the rest of us.
21:08Now, what I genuinely have to tell you, I actually sat next to somebody in a cafe.
21:14A man in a cafe, he was on his speakerphone, he called his bank, they asked for his password,
21:19he asked for his account balance, and all of us could hear what he said.
21:24I was a little bit scared of him, so I didn't say anything, but I really, really wanted to.
21:27So, look, headphones are a good safety precaution, but be aware about you when you're crossing the road.
21:32Now, look, next one. This one.
21:34Dial star hash zero six hash to get your IMEI image, then screen grab and save it.
21:41So this is your IMEI. This is what will come up.
21:43Screen grab that, email it yourself so you can access it somewhere else.
21:46What this does is if your phone were to be nicked, you give that to the police and they can
21:51block your handset.
21:52The network can block your SIM, but they can actually stop that handset being attached to any other network,
21:56which makes it much less valuable to sell, and hopefully the more of us that do that,
22:00the less encouraged the thieves will be.
22:02Move on to the next one. Use remote tracking apps to locate device and suspend payments.
22:07Find mine on Apple, SmartThings Find on Samsung, Find Hub on most recent Android phones.
22:12Make sure that you have the ability to find your phone if it's lost or track it.
22:16Use biometrics, as I said earlier, not just on your phone, but on all banking and secure apps.
22:19And if you're using a pin and you don't want biometrics, please don't have the same pin for your banking
22:25apps as you do for your phone,
22:27because then if they've shoulder-surfed you, they're getting into everything.
22:29You know, just be as careful as you can.
22:31Mobile phone crime in this country is, I'm afraid, rife.
22:35It isn't a political point, it's a factual point. We need to protect ourselves.
22:39And check out your phone's extra security protections.
22:42iPhone has stolen devices. If your phone's in an unfamiliar location,
22:46what it'll do, it won't let you change the settings or the password for an hour or so.
22:49Or, if you want to pay with it, it'll make you use biometrics first, so it checks that you're really
22:53true.
22:54Android theft protection, it will automatically lock your phone if a quick movement,
22:57like someone's just gone over and grabbed the phone in that way.
23:00We have to protect ourselves at the moment, because there isn't enough protection for our phones out there.
23:04I hope this will help you a little bit.
23:06Yeah, I've got a question that's come in for you, Martin, after the last show, actually.
23:09It's from Red. They've tweeted in,
23:11Is it correct I can leave SkyMobile mid-contract, as they've raised prices without telling me,
23:16only noticed it on next month's bill?
23:19Yeah, very important for any SkyMobile customers.
23:21Remember, I mentioned this earlier about,
23:24if they are doing a mid-contract price hike that has not been pre-notified,
23:27you have 30 days after notification in order that you can leave penalty-free.
23:33Now, the first notifications came on the 6th of January from memory, so we're still within that time.
23:37My problem with this is most people only notice when they see it on their bill.
23:41And if they're telling you now of a rise in three months' time,
23:44well then it's too late, because you're not within 30 days of notification.
23:47So I think you should have it both on notification,
23:50and you should also have the same right once the bill has gone up,
23:52so that we're not missing out on it. But you don't.
23:55So, Red, absolutely, you have 30 days within notification.
23:59You're basically, if you go back to my first three points,
24:02it's like you're out of contract for the next 30 days.
24:04You can haggle with them, you can switch and go to a new provider,
24:07they can't charge you any penalties.
24:09Some of you got charged penalties by O2 when you shouldn't have done it within 30 days of its notification.
24:13If so, let me know. We're trying to fight all of those.
24:16It shouldn't be happening and we're reporting them to Ofcom.
24:18OK, thank you very much, Martin.
24:19Now, coming up in our final part, news you can use,
24:22including possibly the highest rate fixed savings account you'll get this year.
24:26We'll see you in four.
24:34Thank you. Welcome back. It's the last part of the show.
24:36We've been through how to cut the cost of your mobile,
24:38how to cut the cost of your mobile insurance and how to protect yourself.
24:41What are people saying, Jeanette?
24:42Yeah, it's been very busy online.
24:43And Morgan has just emailed in and is asking,
24:46I've recently had my SIM contract end and I entered a new contract two days ago.
24:50Can I exit this?
24:52As I've just realised from watching your show, I can get it cheaper.
24:56Answer, Tester.
24:58You have a 14-day cooling off period if you got it online or on the phone,
25:04but you don't if you got it in store.
25:06It's a bit like when you buy stuff online, you have more rights.
25:09So if you bought it online or on the phone,
25:11which you probably did because you're emailing, let's guess,
25:12hopefully you can, yes, cancel and get a new one.
25:15OK.
25:15Fingers crossed.
25:16And Alan.
25:17Alan's got this question for you.
25:18My mum has a basic mobile phone.
25:21Her network has messaged her about the 3G switch off,
25:24saying she needs a new 4G phone.
25:26Will she need to upgrade if she only calls and texts?
25:29She struggles with the technology.
25:30Plus, if she's got no data, she can't click links in scam texts.
25:33Alan, I totally understand.
25:35And yes, the 3G switch off is imminent for anyone with very old phones.
25:39Now, what will happen in most cases is the 3G will go off.
25:43You can't get data or internet, but you can still do calls and texts using the 2G network.
25:47But the call quality is likely to be worse when you do that.
25:51Unless you're on 3, because 3 doesn't have a 2G network, so it won't work.
25:56Now, some companies are giving vulnerable customers upgrades.
26:00Look, the safest thing to do,
26:02and I totally get what you're saying about your mum and her situation.
26:05I mean, there are phones like the Nokias that people give,
26:08you know, their 10-year-olds who don't want to have a smartphone,
26:10the dumb phones, if you like, which are in tune with a 4G phone,
26:14but don't have the data or things that you're worried about your mum being scammed.
26:17I mean, see how her phone works.
26:20It should be OK for just calls and texts.
26:22But if not, then get us something like a Nokia and speak to the network.
26:26All right, OK, let's get some news you can use, Martin.
26:31Yeah, I wanted to go quite large on this, because I think this is fascinating.
26:33This could well be the last over 4.5% savings fix that we see in 2026.
26:39So it's from Marcus, which is part of giant American bank Goldman Sachs.
26:43It pays 4.55%, and it's a one-year fixed savings.
26:47So the rate is guaranteed for a year.
26:49Now, what is rare here is normally when you put money in fixed savings,
26:52your money's locked away and you can't get it out.
26:54Here, it isn't totally locked away.
26:57You can close this account to withdraw your money early,
26:59and you will lose up to 90 days' worth of interest,
27:02which is a pretty good get-out-of-jail-free card
27:04if you think you can lock the money away,
27:06but there's just a tiny chance you might not be able to.
27:08And this smashes the next Best Buy payer,
27:11which is Shawbrooke at 4.27% for a one-year fix.
27:14And most surprisingly, it even beats the best easy access, Chase at 4.5%.
27:20Now, remember, that's variable.
27:21So if the UK base rates drop as they're predicted to, that will drop too.
27:25They dropped to 3.75% last month, and they are forecast to drop this year
27:29depending on to 3.25% to 3% sometime over the next year.
27:33They're only forecast, they're not definite.
27:35But what is fascinating here, and the reason I really want to explain it to you,
27:40is when they set the rate of a new fixed savings,
27:43they are setting it based on predictions of future rates.
27:47Whereas when they set a rate of easy access,
27:49because it will move with base rates,
27:51it moves after the base rates have been cut.
27:53So when interest rates are dropping,
27:55you would expect easy access to pay a lot more than fixes.
27:58But here we have a fix paying a lot more than easy access,
28:02so it's an outlier.
28:03So you'll ask me, why are they doing this?
28:06My honest guess?
28:07Someone at head office in America said,
28:09we want you to buy more customers.
28:11And Goldman Sachs has big pockets,
28:12so they're buying more customers with a total outlier rate at 4.55%.
28:16So in the future, they can cross sell other products.
28:19But hey, what do we care?
28:20If you need a fix, you know, go grab it.
28:24But fixes are launched in tranches.
28:25They will either say, you know,
28:26we want to sell to 40,000 people, made up number,
28:28or we want to sell 200 million pounds worth of it.
28:31And when we bring that in, it stops.
28:33It was launched last week.
28:34It's been hugely popular.
28:35It would not surprise me, not a prediction,
28:37just saying I wouldn't be surprised,
28:38if it wasn't around by the end of play tomorrow.
28:40So if you want to do this, you're going to need to go quickly.
28:43Now, I should say, just if you pay tax on your savings
28:47and you haven't used your ISA,
28:48and most people don't pay tax on the savings,
28:51but if you haven't, then after tax,
28:53it pays less than the top one year fixed cash ISAs,
28:56which I've listed there.
28:57And there are specialists, this is compliance me doing it,
29:00specialist savings like help to save and lifetime ISAs
29:02and regular savers that pay more.
29:04But for a lump sum one year fixed account,
29:06this is quite gobsmacking in the current environment for me.
29:10There we go.
29:10OK. I shall move on to me quickies.
29:13First of all, I'm being asked all the time
29:15about car finance mis-selling redress.
29:17Yes, there is nothing firm at all,
29:20but the feelers I've put out tell me
29:22they're probably going to make the announcement
29:23on the mass redress scheme in March,
29:26and I would say it's at least 90% likely
29:28they will put a mass redress scheme
29:30so people can get their money back through the regulator
29:32without going to a claims firm.
29:34Now, the timing after that when you pay depends
29:36on whether you're opt-out,
29:38which means you've already put a complaint in,
29:39so it'll be much quicker, or you're opt-in.
29:41You haven't put a complaint in,
29:43but they'll have to find you and it will take longer.
29:45But I hope some people will actually get money
29:48in their pockets this year.
29:49I hope. It's not guaranteed.
29:50If you haven't put a complaint in and you want to,
29:52there's free help available online.
29:53You don't need to pay anybody to get a complaint in.
29:56Next, 55 quid off groceries
29:57if you've never shopped with Asda online.
29:58£23,000 available,
30:00although that could have already started to disappear.
30:02You've got to spend £60 each time,
30:03but then you get £20 off your first shop,
30:05£10 off your second and third shops,
30:06£15 off your fourth shops.
30:08Just go to asda.com, opt into its marketing.
30:10When you register for an online count,
30:11you'll be sent an e-voucher within two hours.
30:13It's a decent whack, £55 off your savings, isn't it?
30:15Off your shopping.
30:16And then after each order,
30:17you'll get it delivered, collected.
30:19£50 off UK Centre Park's breaks.
30:21That's rare.
30:22You go to its website before the 3rd of Feb.
30:23User code FORREST for stays after the 1st of April.
30:26It's not an April Fool's joke.
30:27No minimum spend,
30:28but as always with these things,
30:29there are some exclusions.
30:30And then, I love this one.
30:31Free Franco Man can back my pizza run
30:33if you run £10k plus.
30:34It's saying £1 off your pizza
30:36for every kilometre you run or walk
30:38in a pizza shape,
30:39so a circle or a slice.
30:41You have to record it on your favourite
30:43tracking app that has a map,
30:45Strava Fitbit Runner,
30:46and you show it to your waiter
30:46when you're eating one map per run
30:48until the 31st of June.
30:49This is Georgia May,
30:50who works with me.
30:51That's her pizza-shaped 10k.
30:53She got the pizza for free,
30:54but was slightly annoyed
30:54she had to pay for the garlic dip.
30:56But, there you go.
30:57So, at least 10k is a free pizza,
30:58but it ain't any good
30:59if you only run 100 metres, Jeanette.
31:01Just a tap of water for me.
31:04Just a tap of water.
31:05Next week, what's happening next week?
31:07Next week, how to slash the cost
31:09of your car and home insurance.
31:11There are so many tips and tricks.
31:12People miss out,
31:13and they pay too much.
31:14That's it for today.
31:14Get your questions in.
31:15Hashtag Martin Loose.
31:16Thanks to everybody here.
31:17Jeanette, everybody, bye-bye.
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