A year ago I got a good deal from my operator Three to stay with them, but they couldn't supply a smartphone I liked. In the end the deal was so good I opted to buy a Sony-Ericsson P1i myself, which still worked out cheaper than a standard contract and fancy phone elsewhere.

I got a call from Three yesterday, saying my contract was due to expire. Now I'm perfectly happy with it, and my P1i, and would have willingly signed up for a further 12 months without incentive, but basically the guy on the line was offering me a 'free' upgrade handset, gratis. At first I declined, but he said I may as well and keep it as a spare, eBay it even, so I finally agreed as it seemed stupid not to.

So effectively Three have given me something I didn't need, or want, for no reason I can see other than the cost of it is already budgeted into their business model and so they can just hose them around willy-nilly.

Paris 'cos I bet she gets lots of stuff for free.