FAQ

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Purchasing

1. How can I pay for my online purchase?

Thelink.co.uk accepts all major UK credit and debit cards, while mobile phone contracts are paid for on a monthly basis via direct debit.

2. What happens if the product I have purchased is out of stock?

Product availability is clearly displayed on each product page. Should the product you require be out of stock, check back soon as stocks are replenished regularly.

In rare cases, it is possible that a product will become out of stock while you are completing your transaction. In this case, you will be notified at the ‘checkout’ screen or we will contact you as soon as possible by telephone or email.

3. Can I order over the phone?

While we make every effort to ensure our online service is 100% secure, we recognise that some customers may still prefer to make their purchase over the phone. If you would like to order a product via telephone, please call 0870 060 3587 where our dedicated sales team will be happy to help.

4. How do I return a product?

Should you for any reason be unhappy with your new purchase, you can return it to us at any time up to 7 working days following the delivery date. If your product is faulty, please contact us and we will respond to your individual circumstances. In all cases please notify us as soon as possible on 0870 060 3587. For our full returns policy, please click here. This does not affect your legal rights as a consumer.

5. Why do I need to give you personal information?

If you are purchasing a new telephone with a contract, we will need you to provide your bank details along with your current, and possibly, previous address. We need this information to run standard credit checks and to set up Direct Debit billing with your chosen network. We keep this information strictly confidential between ourselves and your network provider and in full compliance with UK government Data Protection Act guidelines.
For more on our privacy policy, please click here

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Delivery

1. When will my purchase be delivered?

We aim to ensure that all orders are delivered on the next working day as long as you place your order before 3pm*. Please click here for full delivery policy.

* Pay Monthly Mobile Phone orders are subject to further network checks and delivery may take up to 48 Hours

Delivery is dependent on products being in stock. Should the product you ordered not be in stock, you will be contacted by our Customer Service team (Click here for full details of our delivery terms).

Please note: all deliveries will need to be signed for. Please ensure that someone is available to accept delivery. If no one is home, the courier will leave a card with instructions on how to contact them directly.

 

2. How much does delivery cost?

At thelink.co.uk, we provide free standard delivery on all orders.

3. How do I know where my order is?

By logging in to your www.thelink.co.uk account and clicking on the ‘My Order Status’ button on the left of the screen, you will be able to track your order online. Alternatively, you can call us on 0870 060 3587, quoting your order number.

4. My purchase is damaged, wrong or missing – what can I do?

We always strive to ensure that your purchases arrive with you in perfect condition. However, should you be unhappy with your delivery please take the following steps:

•    If part of your order is missing, please check that the missing items are not being delivered separately, and whether they have been dispatched. This can be done by logging into your www.thelink.co.uk account and clicking on ‘Order status’. If you still need to contact us, please call 0870 060 3587

•    If your product has been delivered but is faulty, missing a component or damaged, please call us on 0870 060 3587 within 48 hours, to enable us to rectify the situation swiftly.

To read our full returns policy please visit www.thelink.co.uk/returns
This does not affect your legal rights as a consumer.

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About my phone

1. I want to buy a new phone and contract, but I don’t want to lose my old number: What can I do?

If you want to transfer your existing number to your new contract, you will need to take the following steps:

•    BEFORE THE END OF YOUR EXISTING CONTRACT, contact your old network provider and ask them for your PAC Code (Port Authorisation Code). They may send this as a text message or via the post.

•    Contact your new network provider as soon as you receive your phone and provide them with the PAC code.

Your new network provider should be able to transfer your number over within a couple of days. They may ask you to leave the phone switched on, and to not take it out of the country during this period.

Please note that a PAC code is only valid for 30 days from the day it is generated, so you must transfer your number within this timeframe.

2. My phone’s arrived, but I can’t make any calls. What’s wrong?

Probably nothing. Firstly, you will probably need to charge the telephone, which can take up to 14 Hours (check the manufacturer’s instructions first). Secondly, it can take networks some time to set up your new account or transfer your existing number. This may mean that your handset isn’t yet connected to the network.

3. Should I bother with insurance?

Theft of mobile phones is, unfortunately, on the increase in the UK, with a phone being stolen every 12 seconds*.

That’s why we offer all our phone customers the opportunity to sign-up to the Linkplan, a cost-effective service agreement which protects your phone from theft, loss**, and accidental damage, and protects you from the cost and hassle of replacing your phone should the worst happen.

The Linkplan can be bought with your phone or up to 30 days after you placed your order for a small monthly fee. For further details, please click here


*Source: Halifax Home Insurance, May 2006.
**Pay as you go handsets are not covered for loss

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Online security and website operation

1. Is it safe to buy online?

Thelink.co.uk uses industry standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and the latest online payment software to ensure that your information is kept safe from would-be fraudsters.

2. Is there anything else I can do to ensure I’m safe online?

We would recommend against you using shared machines (in schools, colleges, internet cafes, etc) to make any online purchases. You should also ensure that your computer has a firewall installed, along with recently updated antivirus software.

3. How can I check my purchase online?

Simply log in to your www.thelink.co.uk account and click on ‘My Order Status’. The site will provide you with all the details you need to check your order and track its delivery status.

4. I’ve forgotten my password. What do I do now?

No problem. Just go to the log-in page as normal and click on the ‘forgotten your password?’ link. Enter your email address as prompted and we’ll send your password straight to your inbox.

5. I’m having problems viewing some of the images and videos on the website. What’s wrong?

As thelink.co.uk uses Flash images, you may need to download a plug-in in order to enjoy the site at its best. You can download the flash player by clicking here.

We are not responsible for this third party software though and recommend that you read the applicable Adobe terms and conditions before commencing your download.

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Information and newsletters

1. How can I stay up-to-date on all the latest handset releases?

Our regular newsletter will keep you informed of all the newest handsets in stock, as well as all the best deals on phones and other tech gear. Subscribe to the newsletter at www.thelink.co.uk/subscribe

2. How do I subscribe / unsubscribe from thelink.co.uk newsletter?

Just click on the appropriate link below and link and enter your email address where prompted.
Subscribe: www.thelink.co.uk/subscribe
Unsubscribe: www.thelink.co.uk/unsubscribe

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Your personal information

1. Do you pass on my personal information to other companies?

We will only share your contact information with our trusted partners and then, only where you have permitted us to do so. If you have submitted financial details in relation to a phone contract, we will also need to provide these to credit reference agencies to enable us to set up your account.

We adhere strictly to the Data Protection Act 1998, the UK government legislation governing the use of personal data.  For our full privacy statement, please visit www.thelink.co.uk/privacy

2. Contact us

If you need to contact us directly with any issues relating to our FAQs or anything else, you can email us at customerservices@thelink.co.uk or call us on 0870 060 3587

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Billing Enquiries

1. Billing enquiries

For queries relating to billing, please contact your network provider directly. A list of providers’ contact details are available below:

2. How are "Cashback" offers billed?

If you have purchased a contract featuring a Cashback offer, you will be billed the full line rental fee for the duration of your contract and will need to download the appropriate form from the following link to claim your rebate: www.thelink.co.uk/cashback

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Recycling of Electrical Products

1. What are WEEE Regulations?

From 1 July 2007, new government regulations called the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations came into force to encourage people to arrange collection or recycling of old electrical products, rather than throwing them away.

2. Why should waste electrical goods be recycled?

Recycling unwanted electrical products is better for the environment. The amount of electrical waste, from hairdryers to washing machines, that is thrown away is increasing by around 5% each year.  This means that in one year the amount of electrical waste created in the UK could fill Wembley Stadium 6 times!

Over 75% of waste electrical goods end up in landfill, where lead and other toxins contained in electrical goods can cause soil and water contamination. This can have a very harmful effect on the natural habitat, wildlife and also human health. When situated near populated areas these toxins can cause problems to communities as their water and soil is polluted.

Many of the electrical items that we throw away can be repaired or recycled. Recycling items helps to save natural resources and also reduces the environmental and health risks associated with sending waste electrical goods to landfill.

3. How can I recycle my old electrical and electronic products?

The Link offer free in-store take back of your electrical items via our sister stores, Currys and PC World.  You can take your items to any Currys or PC World store, even if you’ve not bought anything from the store and we'll recycle your old appliances for free. With larger items, such as televisions, our home delivery team will take away and recycle your old TV when they deliver the new , so no need to worry about recycling it yourself.

4. How will I know whether the new products I buy can be recycled?

All new electrical and electronic products sold now carry the ‘crossed out wheelie bin’ logo to help you identify which products are recyclable. You do not need to have purchased new equipment to be able to recycle your old appliances.

The Crossed Out Wheelie Bin Symbol:


This symbol on the product or in the instructions means that your electrical and electronic equiement should be disposed at the end of life separately from your household waste.

5. What do I need to do to ensure my old appliances are ready for you to take away?

Your old appliance must be empty and safely disconnected prior to our arrival.

Please note if you are buying a PC we cannot accept any product entailing personal data for recycling. You will need to have removed any personal data from your old product prior to us collecting/receiving it as once received/collected we will not carry out any data removal.

6. What happens to old appliances?

The products are sent to our recycling centre and around 85% of the materials are recycled.

Many electrical products contain a small proportion of non-recyclable materials or are returned with non-recyclable materials. For Whatever the product, best efforts are made to recycle as much of it’s content as possible once the product arrives at the recycling centre. The current overall recycling rate is 85% and we are aiming to improve this to 90%.

7. How long does it take from arrival at your depot to being back on the shelf as a new product?

The period of time taken to process the WEEE at the factory is relatively short (e.g. within 24 hours). However, there are a number of factors thereafter that affect how long it might take before the recycled steel for example is fully recycled into new steel and thereafter into the manufacturing process as part of a new product.

A period of 2 to 3 months before this takes place is very much dependent on supply and demand.

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DealMatch

1. What is Deal Match?

You tell us the combination of phone, tariff and gift you're looking for and we'll try and make it happen. We have a wide range of phones, free gifts and tariffs to choose from and where possible we want to make sure you get the package that's right for you. 

2. How do I do it?

Call us on 0800 093 6700 and tell us what you'd like. Our sales team will take all your details and try and put together a custom deal just for you.

3. Where's the catch?

There isn't one. One of the biggest benefits of shopping with TheLink.co.uk is that we're big enough to get you fantastic deals on the latest mobile phones but small enough to cater to your very needs. This means we can create a custom package that's right for you. What are you waiting for? Give us a call on 0800 093 6700 and we can talk about it. 

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