Former Phones 4u exec launches no frills phone site unshackled.com

UK startup mobile phone etailer unshackled.com has been launched by the same people that brought you Phones 4u, with the stated aim of offering more control to the consumer.

The CEO of unshackled.com is John Whittle, a veteran of former high street phone retailer Phones 4u, who was Chief Commercial Officer when it collapsed in 2014 following the breakdown of its business relationships with Vodafone and EE. It’s understood that the founder of Phones 4u, John Caudwell, who sold the business for over £1 billion in 2006, is an investor in the new venture.

“We want to readdress the injustice that has been going on for far too long and educate consumers that it’s possible to get a much better deal than what is advertised on the high street,” said Whittle. “Many people don’t trust the mobile phone industry, mainly because the interest of the consumer is not at the heart of everything it does – that’s where unshackled.com is different. The business is truly independent and therefore our only interest is helping our customers save money and time when buying a new mobile phone.”

The USP is a complete decoupling of the handset and the mobile contract, with financing of the former available via a partnership with peer-to-peer lender Zopa, in its first venture into mobile devices. Unshackled.com aims to offer as many of the handsets and mobile deals currently available as possible.

“Separating the phone and SIM purchase is the best option for the vast majority of consumers,” said Whittle. “Major networks and mobile phone retailers know this but actively choose not to explain it to their customers as they’re focused on profit not people. With our MobileWatch service, we scan the market and do all the research, notifying our customers when a better deal comes along, so they’re always on the best possible tariff.”