elemobilecom

We started life in 1992 helping bring mobile phones to the masses. Now, with over 25 years experience we are the UK’s leading online only mobile phone retailer and thrive on bringing you the best deals, on all the latest smartphones.

We’re always being asked questions by many of our new and existing customers about our products and services which is great but sometimes, some of these questions do make us chuckle, but really, it is no laughing matter.

You as a customer need to be sure who it is that you are buying from and what it is you are purchasing. That’s why we’re writing this article, to debunk those not so funny questions that we’re rapidly considering to make members of our FAQ’s section!

“Aren’t all your handsets refurbished?”

Quite simply put, no. Although we do sell refurbished handsets, most are brand spanking new! If a handset is a refurbished one, this is clearly stated within the handset title to say for example ‘iPhone 8 Plus Refurbished’ as oppose to just ‘iPhone 8 Plus’. You can return your handset within the 14 day cooling off period as long as the handset is in pristine condition and has not been repaired in any way. For more information on our refubished handsets, take a look at this article by Uswitch - https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/should-you-buy-refurbished-phone/" style="color: rgb(138, 199, 62);">'Should You Buy A Refurbished Phone?'

“You’re deals are too cheap, what’s the catch?”

That’s just it – there is none! We work hard to offer you the best possible deals, on a wide range of handsets. We are often cheaper than going direct to the network as we are purely an online retailer, so have no retail outlets meaning our resource can be solely focused on giving you (the consumer) the best deals that we can.

“I’ve been told you’ll jack up the prices halfway through my contract”

Definitely not! The deal you sign up for it the deal you’ll get, no hidden charges! Your contract is with the network and therefore they bill you directly – being completely honest, the only increase you may see is the Retail Price Index increase as per the terms of your contract. (This is based around the rate of inflation around April of each year and your network provider will notify you should you be affected). Occasionally there will be promotional tariffs which offer discounted line rental for a period of the contract however this will be clearly stated prior to purchase.

“Apparently you can offer cheaper deals because I’d be renting the phone from you and have to hand it back once the contract is up”

This is not the case at all. When purchasing a phone through us, you pay your monthly cost for the duration of the contract direct to the network and once the contract is up, the phone is yours to keep – forever! The only time that we ask for a handset to be returned would be if the contract was terminated early or was deemed faulty within a specified period (as per our terms and conditions).

“I’ve heard you don’t give a full manufacturer warranty”

Oh yes we do! With brand new handsets, you get a full manufacturers warranty as standard which lasts 24 months (the exceptions being Apple, Motorola and BlackBerry with a 12 month warranty). For refurbished handsets, you receive a 12 month warranty on the handset (the exceptions being Apple, Motorola and BlackBerry with a 6 month warranty).

“The networks say you’ll drop my coverage after purchase”

To put it simply, we can’t. The networks provide you with the coverage as it is their network that you are receiving the coverage from! The only party that could do so is the network provider themselves which is something they would not do, so you have nothing to worry about. Should anyone advise you of this, ask for their details and pass them on to us so we can look into this with the network.

“You’ve declined my order, not the network, why?”

We have declined your order but only because we have been instructed to do so by the network provider. Your chosen network will run the credit check with the information you provide to us when placing your order. They will then give us an accept or decline decision or a request for more information. We want to have you as our customer so we will never decline an order where we do not have to. If you have been declined and are unsure why, it’s not the end of the road! Try speaking with Experian to find out what your credit rating is, and how you can improve it or log onto your online order tracker with us to see what finance option is available to you.

“I need you to unblacklist/unlock/blacklist/lock my handset”

This is not a capability that we have. The network provider is the only party that would be able to unblacklist/unlock/blacklist/lock the handset as it is to their network, something of which we do not have access to. As a third party retailer, we sell the handset on their behalf and therefore cannot action such changes.

“The phones you send out are broken”

All handsets are brand new handsets unless stated as refurbished. All brand new handsets are in fact, brand new, not broken! And our refurbished handsets are also in fantastic, as new condition! We make sure all our refurbished handsets are thoroughly inspected, tested and restored to get them as close as possible to the performance and appearance of their brand new counterparts.

“I’ve been told you’ve gone into administration”

Nope. We’re still here, still going and we’re getting bigger and better! As one of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the UK, our continued success is recognised by Sunday Times Fast Track 100 and Profit Track 100 in 2016 & 2017. Our industry accolades and awards include “What Mobile Best Online Retailer” for five consecutive years and “Mobile News Awards Online Retailer of the Year” for four years running!

Got any more questions we can ‘debunk’ for you? Comment them below and we’ll add them on!