200,000 to 20 in 2 seconds - is there really any comparison?
Mobile phone technology is racing ahead quicker than Lewis Hamilton on slicks, it would seem. Whilst handset manufacturers rely heavily on their adeptness to making our lives easier and more entertaining, the conveyor belt of new devices continues to roll. But if the must-have factor is driving Britain’s fiercely competitive consumer market (and most of us to the check-outs), how many of us still dash for our credit cards without so much as a pit-stop to check the maths? Well, perhaps it’s less of us than you think, considering the price-comparison revolution.In direct response to fuel and food costs, an imminent recession and the collapsing property market, price-comparison websites have banked on our new-found frugality and quickly affirmed their status as household names in the process. Have we finally woken up to the benefits of seeing the bigger picture?Jonathan Kelly of mobile phone price-comparison website, mobilesure.co.uk, certainly seems to think so: “It’s not entirely a case of looking after the pennies, more a spend them wisely approach. The beauty of price-comparison lies in its ability to strengthen consumer confidence. With the majority of these services being offered online, there’s no salesman pushing you into a corner. The process is completely transparent, which removes any doubt surrounding the claims of one supplier over another. That’s great news because the customer can now decide what is most important to them, then ask the whole of the market for its best answer.”“And by accessing a daily feed of up to 200,000 offers, mobilesure.co.uk can display a best-match comparison table in bite-size chunks. Often this equates to 20 or so deals and it’s all done in around 2 seconds. It’s quick, it’s painless and what’s more, the customer is in complete control.”Price comparison websites have been around for a while now, covering all sectors from energy to travel, automotive to consumer electronics. The majority claim to offer a comprehensive sweep of the market based on the preferences you select. What you get back is a shortlist of deals to match. After that, of course, it’s entirely up to you.So what of the future? Has the credit crunch really thwarted our tendencies toward brand loyalty and impulse buying? Probably not. But for now, it seems consumers will continue to make comparisons.Compare the latest handsets and offers at www.mobilesure.co.uk