VAT Watch: Orange, 3 and Carphone Warehouse announce their VAT cuts

Three of the big boys on the block have just kicked off their tax breaks for the UK mobile telephone market place, some for handsets others for tariffs and all for the greater good.

First up, Orange put into play their cuts starting from today and way ahead of the new tax initiative being launched next week.

These ideally are for new customers to Orange who will benefit from a full two days worth of buying, both on prepay and contract deals.

We’ve been told these will appear in their actual stores, online stores and even over the phone through their telesales, in fact in every possible avenue they sell.

Existing Orange customers will see their bills affected from December the 1st, which is a decent enough start date and not at the end of the month which some were predicting.

To a lot of people we’ve just reached the very last payment day before Christmas. Seeing as these have been introduced on this very day, it could benefit the muggles out there who believe they are getting a better deal.

Next up, 3 has introduced their cuts too but to their tariffs as well starting from today, on both prepay and contract customers.

Orange really are only hitting up new customers and leaving the rest out in the cold this weekend.

Although in saying that, 3 will still display the old tax rates online and in store with the figure being introduced at the point of sale.

We believe this is only the case as a wide scale price mark down of this magnitude would have been a big big issue to introduce, which is why Orange perhaps have stayed clear of this.

Carphone Warehouse has introduced a similar policy on hardware only, leaving the carriers to fight it out amongst themselves. How very wise, diplomatic and astute of them.

Others we’re sure will make their initiatives clear very soon we believe. It just goes to show who stands head and shoulders over the rest and have decided to help those out in these troubled times.

See more on the Orange announcement here, the 3 details are here and the Carphone Warehouse
here.