Silly me.
Perhaps I was getting over-confident because I have a UBS credit card even on my "L" permit.
I was told that I'll need a deposit of 1000 (yes, a thousand) francs to have a contract because I have an "L" permit.
Now, I've heard Swisscom used to want 500 to get a landline, but FFS Orange, a frigging 1000?
It doesn't matter that I'm EU and the quota has run out - I'm patently untrustworthy.
I've been on a prepay for around 18 months now.
Guess I'm staying that way...
If you have an address and they can bill you, they will send you a sim card.
I have 2.
BTW, don't get too worked up, it is their rules and if you don't like it, you can don't buy from them.
HAT
I know this is a complaint - not a cry for help, but I'll give you some advice anyway
A while ago I looked at the sunrise offers - and I wrote about them on this thread . The interesting thing was that the pre-pay offers actually worked out better than the contract offer (for me). Of course what works for me doesn't work for others - but just don't think that contract is somehow better than pre-pay.
I should have been clearer, but I was ranting instead of thinking.
I've been with Orange Click since the day after I arrived in this green and pleasant land. Only 18 months....
For most people, IMHO, the contracts here are expensive and pre pay offers better value.
The only benefit perhaps is the latest and greatest subsidised handset.
Cablecom, tele2 and some others have 24 month, CHF 20 per month contracts for, er, nothing in return. No free calls, no cheap SMS, nothing.
The 3 free numbers from Orange just now on Optima would work OK for me.
I need a phone anyway coz mine is wonky since I dropped it last weekend, so it made sense...
I know that if you are running a business, you actually can have a lower rate than consumers. However you need to register and announce your company name.
You may like to look up on the Swisscom website.
HAT
Needless to say I told them to forget it and waited for Cablemodem to come to my area... almost two years in the case of my apartment
Strangely, I got a mobile phone contract from Diax (now Sunrise) with no deposit or anything. However, that was SIM-only and I didn't ask for a free phone so that may have helped.
I wouldn't worry too much about getting an mobile contract if I was you. For a lot of things, Pay As You Go is at least as good an option. And don't forget about the cancellation terms on a mobile contract in Switzerland. They roll over for another term (could be up to two years) if you don't cancel them within a specified notice period before they end (usually two months in advance of the end of contract period).
In my opinion, it's not worth it unless the contract suits your usage patterns. I kept my yearly Abo and only changed it to a PAYG one so I could keep the number when I left CH. Based on my usage patterns the PAYG option would work out about 15CHF per month cheaper for me. I should have done it years ago.
Gav
I'm sticking with PAYG now anyway.
That Optima deal did suit me though, but I've lost the will now
Update:
I sent a snottogram via the Orange web site.
They called me after 3 days to explain that if:
- you're on an "L" because the EU "B" quota ran out
- you have the letter stating this (mine is a scabby photocopy)
- you get the low IQ drongo in the Orange shop to call customer services to check this
Then, you may get one subject to usual rules.
So all is not lost, but in my case they can ram it ...
But there was no way to get a contract SIM from Orange.
So Swisscom are making a fortune out of us...
This is about mobile phone contracts... not cheap international calls...