Which? calls for mobile operators to unlock better deals as research reveals lack of consumer trust in providers
Consumer rights group Which? has called for mobile operators to unlock their handsets automatically at the end of monthly contracts after research showed it can discourage people from switching operators.
Which? interviewed 2,111 UK adults, 2,014 of which have a personal mobile phone and 1,184 have a contract, in May, and found that only one in four people trust their mobile operator to put them on the best deal for their usage at the end of their contract and many believe it unfair phones are locked to one provider.
The research also surveyed all the main mobile companies and received responses from Vodafone, Virgin Media, O2, GiffGaff, Three and Tesco Mobile, although EE did not respond.
The majority of the operators surveyed admitted that do not contact customers proactively about the date their contract is due to end, despite the fact more than half of people said they would like to be notified, according to the report.
More than two thirds of consumer respondents said if operators were to do this they would spend more time considering deals or haggling with their current provide, while 78 per cent said this would encourage them to hunt for better deals.
Most phone companies charge people to unlock their phone and will often only do it when asked, which can act a barrier to switching, according to Which?.
The report revealed that two thirds of people think it is unfair their phones are locked to the provider’s network and three quarters say it’s frustrating that phones need to be unlocked to use them on a different network.
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said: “Mobile phones are an essential part of daily life for many people and consumers shouldn’t be locked into contracts that do not suit their usage. We want to send a message to mobile phone companies that they should help customers get a better deal by alerting people that their contracts are about to end and by unlocking handsets for free.”
It is now calling for mobile operators to unlock the best possible deals, providing customers with their contract expiry data one month before their contract ends, along with details of best-match deals.
It is also calling for them to unlock handsets for free and automatically at the end of the contract, and sell pay-as-you-go handsets unlocked.
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