December 2020 (updated in February 2021)

musicMagpie launches mobile phone rental service

Online recommerce retailer, musicMagpie, has launched a mobile phone rental service for a more affordable, flexible and environmentally friendly way to own a phone.

The new subscription-model offering will allow customers to get a great phone without having to pay anything upfront, or sign an expensive and lengthy contract. With monthly payments starting at just £6.99 a month, there is a phone to rent that will fit anyone’s budget.

Although the phone rental concept is new to the UK, it really is no different to leasing a car, renting a home or subscribing to a streaming service - we are already a nation of renters!

As well as being more affordable, by renting, customers will also have the flexibility of being able to upgrade to a newer model every 12 months for free, rather than sign up to the 24-month minimum contracts most carriers offer.

Renting a mobile phone also has huge environmental benefits; it reduces the demand for new products which helps to save precious resources and reduce CO2 emissions. When the phone is returned, musicMagpie will also ensure it is resold or recycled responsibly to prevent e-waste. Renting is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a circular economy where products are refurbished, reused and recycled.

Steve Oliver, CEO of musicMagpie, commented: “We’re very excited to be launching our new rental offering. It is brilliant that we have been able to offer our customers a far more flexible and affordable way of owning a phone, with no major upfront costs and lengthy, expensive contracts.

“We’ve seen a huge switch from the product economy to the subscription economy in recent years and the subscription model is something that is becoming more popular with consumers, so we wanted to give our customers that same experience but with their mobile phones.

“Renting a phone is also a far smarter choice for the environment as it encourages the reuse of products, keeping them in circulation for longer and mitigating the need to create new products which involves mining for precious metals. It will also help reduce the frighteningly increasing problem of e-waste.”

There is a choice of over 16 Apple and Android phones that customers can currently rent, including the iPhone 11, 11 pro and 11 Pro Max. The phones come unlocked so people can simply insert their current sim card, or can consider shopping around for a SIM only airtime plan which can save a lot of money.

The phone also comes with accidental damage cover which will cover it for the most common accidents and faults. This also includes unlimited claims, as well as instant and worldwide cover. In addition to this, the phone will come with a Lifetime Warranty, valid on any phone rented with musicMagpie and will cover for technical defects and any faults caused by workmanship or materials.

For the phone’s extra safety, customers will also receive a free case and screen protector worth up to £40 with the rental, completely free of charge and musicMagpie will even fit the screen protector for them.

These extras are intended to allow the customer peace of mind that the phone is covered if their phone screen cracks, suffers liquid damage or any other of the common accidents that happen with mobiles day-to-day.

The range will continue to expand in the near future to more phones and other tech items such as MacBooks, Wearables and Tablets.

For more information, visit: https://www.musicmagpie.co.uk/store/rental