There has been much criticism of the sales term ‘free laptops’. The cost of the laptop is actually factored in to the monthly payments through the contract, which normally spread over two years. They are more like hire purchase arrangements, but with little (if any) extra interest added, making them a very tempting proposition for many.
Almost half of mobile broadband sales made after comparing products at Broadband Genie are still laptop deals, despite the fact dongle only and pay-as-you-go deals are significantly cheaper. Deals where the laptop isn’t ‘free’, but greatly reduced in price, are also proving extremely popular.
This figure has not changed significantly over the past year, despite the fact broadband suppliers have pulled back from promoting and advertising these deals, with some stopping them altogether. Despite this, the public’s desire for them is still very strong.
These figures are even more surprising when you account for the fact mobile broadband networks tend to reject around 75 per cent of online applications made for ‘free’ laptop deals, due to credit ratings not meeting their required standards.
Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling said: “Mobile broadband is getting a bit of a hammering from all sides at the moment. Average speeds are a fraction of those advertised, and haven’t gone up significantly for what seems like an age a far cry from the challenge to home broadband some predicted.
“At the other end of the scale, the mobile has become a real challenger on data. Smartphones are getting cheaper and more sophisticated at the same time, while an ever growing abundance of ‘apps’ make surfing the web, getting email and hooking up to social networking sites a breeze.
“But so-called ‘free’ laptop deals are still hugely popular with the British public. In hard economic times, when savings have dried up, it’s nice to know you can get a great laptop, and get online, as soon as you sign the deal often with no initial financial outlay.”
