Sammie Ellard-King
I’m Sammie, a money expert and business owner passionate about helping you take control of your wallet. My mission with Up the Gains is to create a safe space to help improve your finances, cut your costs and make you feel good while doing it.
Quickfire Roundup:
Raylo is first and foremost a technology company that offers a new way for you to have the latest smartphone, laptop or tablet.
They provide a range of phones, MacBooks and iPads, which customers lease – but don’t earn.
I can here you saying what’s difference, well price is the difference and Raylo actually can save you money each month!
Raylo offer a way for you to save money on your mobile phone contracts or finance deals by leasing smart devices.Â
When you’re done you decide whether you want to keep it or return it. It’s just like leasing a car.
There are different benefits to acquiring a phone in this way. However, for many people, it is a much more cost-effective way of owning a brand-new iPhone or the latest Samsung offering.
Over recent years the cost of these handsets has increased significantly as they become more intricate and offer more.Â
The newest technology within these handsets can be beneficial, but not everyone can afford the hefty price tag and/or monthly cost that comes with owning one of these – which is where Raylo and their different way of operating have offered a new way to get the latest phones for less!
In this Raylo review, we look into the company but also why they have me seriously considering rentals as a new way forward.
Raylo Rating
- Price / Fees
- Useful Products
- User Experience
- Suitable For Beginners
- Customer Service
- Customer Feedback
I’ve rated Raylo 4.83 out of 5 stars.
This is because of the cost savings, available gadgets and delivery (we like the swoosh box the devices come in).
I think the only downside can be that if you don’t pay your monthly agreement it can affect your credit score but this is the same as not paying your mobile phone contract or finance deal.
At least you can always maintain the latest phones, MacBooks and tablets.
Start saving on your monthly deals right away!
Table of Contents
How does it compare to the cost of a phone contract?
Forget expensive mobile phone contracts! With Raylo, you can get the newest smartphone on the market without breaking the bank.
Unlike traditional mobile phone providers, Raylo only charges for the handset itself, leaving you free to choose from a range of cost-effective sim-only deals on the market.
For instance, an Apple iPhone 13 with 12GB of data will set you back £44 a month plus a £30 upfront fee with a typical mobile phone provider like Three.
But with Raylo, you can get the same phone, the same capabilities, and the same amount of data for just £14.99 a month with no upfront cost. Add a cost-effective sim-only deal for just £15 a month, and you’ll only pay £29.99 a month in total.
That’s a saving of £15 a month and nearly £400 over 24 months!
Start saving on your monthly deals right away!
Raylo Review - Company Overview
Raylo prides itself on being a tech company – which means they not only offer technology solutions to its customers but also makes use of technology itself.Â
They say their internal systems have been built from the ground up with the aim of giving their customers an amazing customer service experience every single time.
Their website says that they have 65 team members across the company with various roles, but all with the aim of offering something different from the big phone companies like EE and Vodafone.Â
The company was founded in 2019 and has started to take off in popularity over recent years thanks to a number of big-name investors.Â
Interestingly the O2 owner Telefónica recently took a £6.5million stake in the company so it shows they must be worried about the business model taking off.
Raylos website currently offers the option to lease phones, tablets and laptops however that’s not to say that they won’t expand their offering to other electronic devices in the future.
What's on offer?
The idea behind Raylo is that people get to ‘own’ the newest smartphone and smart devices without the worry of a high monthly cost or a one-off fee to purchase.Â
For a long time now, it has been the norm for people to lease-hire brand new cars for a set number of years & then decide at the end what they would like to do with the car. Once it gets to the end of a lease, you then decide to give it back or swap it for a new one.
Raylo has taken inspiration from this and offers a similar idea with smartphones and devices. Users can have their smartphone or tablet to use for the length of their contract – never actually owning it but being able to use it as if they do.
At the end of the fixed term, you have a range of options – return it or keep it and pay it off a set fee. The third option is you can also carry on using it and paying the monthly fee as usual.Â
Their website talks you through all of this in a transparent way, as they’re keen to ensure that everyone knows what they’re getting into and that there are no hidden costs involved.
Start saving on your monthly deals right away!
What devices can I get?
This wouldn’t be a Raylo review if we didn’t concentrate on the goodies. Yes, Raylo offer smart devices for lease, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have an impressive catalogue of products to choose from.Â
Even though they’re offering a low cost of entry, they still have a huge range of popular devices available to order right away.
Popular choices include:
- iPhone 14 (including Pro and Pro Max)
- iPhone 13 (including Pro and Pro Max)
- Macbook Pro 13 inch
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
On their website, they offer both brand new handsets and refurbished ones (that have been checked to ensure that they are up to standard) at a lower cost.
They also have a range of tablets on their website, including the top-selling 10.2″ iPad and a range of iPad air products. Laptop-wise, their products stick with the Apple theme, with the MacBook Air 13″ one of the best sellers on their website.
Their range of Apple products is pretty comprehensive, but for Android fans, they also have a huge range of Samsung smartphones for people to choose from too.
Surely there's a catch?
Honestly no.
Overall if you look at any Raylo reviews they are pretty good and people who use them seem to rave about how easy it is to get one delivered.
For some people, the fact that they don’t own the phone is something that they may not like – although, of course, it is worth noting that you are able to purchase the phone at the end of your term and it’s yours to keep forever.
For those that can get their head around leasing the phone in order to save money, realistically, there isn’t much that isn’t likeable in this offering by Raylo.
That being said, if you’re already sim only and own your handset outright then this will be a more expensive option.Â
Additional features to know about
- Free Accessories – When you get a phone from Raylo it comes complete with a free eco-friendly case and screen protector to help keep your device safe.
- Refurb and Reuse – They reuse and refurbish technology as much as possible, helping to keep costs down and of course, do their bit for the environment.
- Additional Extras – They’ll help you set up additional extras such as affordable mobile phone insurance underwritten by Axa.
- Lifetime Warranty – Their devices come with a lifetime warranty
- 30-Day Cancellation – Once out of your minimum contract (you can choose from 12 months or 24 months) you enter a rolling contract where you can cancel with 30 days’ notice.
With varying contract lengths, a great customer service team, free accessories and a whole host of other additional features on offer when you sign up to Raylo, it is easy to see why they’re a company that continues to grow in popularity.
Start saving on your monthly deals right away!
What do customers say?
Reviews for Raylo are generally favourable, which is backed up by their 4.5 out of 5 stars review score on Trustpilot, leaving them with an overall rating of Excellent.
86% of their TrustPilot reviews are excellent, with just 5% rating bad reviews – to which the company always responds and tries to offer an answer/solution.
Although they are quiet on social media, the platforms where they do have a presence aren’t filled with disgruntled customers desperate to get hold of someone. How unusual, right! Â
Therefore a good sign that, for the most part, it seems Raylo customers are happy with what the company are offering.
Mainstream Media have been keen to write about Raylo for a number of years, including websites such as UK Tech News, where they have featured news reports on the funding and investment that Raylo have received recently.Â
The Evening Standard featured them as far back as 2019, where they talked about them being a promising new start-up. The Daily Mail also featured them in 2021 with a write-up about how it is a subscription service that is kinder to the planet; another part of Raylo that helps to keep them growing in popularity.Â
A quick Google of the company shows that most people’s experiences and reviews of the company really do just show Raylo in a positive light. I’d love to find a fault but I can’t!
Generally, the talk of Raylo is positive, with their customer service team receiving rave reviews from people who have been pleasantly surprised at just how good their teams are at dealing with issues and responding to questions.
FAQ
What happens if I stop paying Raylo?
If agreed in advance with Raylo, you can cancel your subscription with no extra charge if you return the phone in the original packaging within 30 days.
Does Raylo affect your credit score?
It’s similar to any direct debit, and Raylo will report your payments to the credit reference agencies. Paying on time will help maintain or even increase your score but missing a payment could harm it.
How do I pay my Raylo bill?
Raylo accepts payments via Direct Debit, which needs to be set up to activate your subscription.
Conclusion
We’re yet to see any significant faults with the business model, pricing and business idea. It’s a pretty great business to be honest!
Not many out there have a brand presence in this market as they do, and I’m all for any company that can save me some money but still lets me have the latest gadgets.
We hope you enjoyed our Raylo review and we hope it says you some money!
