Telecom increases additional data charge on phone plans.

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom increases additional data charge on phone plans.

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6434 posts

Uber Geek

#969195 17-Jan-2014 23:10

surfisup1000: In my opinion Telecom are having some cash flow trouble. Shedding staff, profit, and a loaded with a cumbersome and inefficient corporate structure.

Past management has been weak , despite high salaries.

Just look how slowly telecom is reacting to the UFB rollout.

You know they launched ufb before Vodafone and slingshot, right?
(The second and third largest ISPs in Nz)

And launched vdsl before Vodafone, slingshot and orcon.
(The second, third, and fourth largest ISPs)

Linuxluver

5828 posts

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#969196 17-Jan-2014 23:11

JamesL: Interesting, I threw away the letter assuming that 30c/MB was a reduction that but I see you're right it's an increase.

Might look into Vodafone

I concluded either / or doesn't work for me. So I use both. But if one is better in a given context, I use that one. Whoever is mainly better gets more of my money...and whoever is less 'better'...gets less. I adjust the shape over time and as circumstances require. But then I probably spend $200 month on 3 cell phone accounts.

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maslink

131 posts

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#969197 17-Jan-2014 23:12

Linuxluver:
ahmad: Sneaky yes. Legal yes. They only have an obligation to give notice of changes. Which they have. Don't like it don't stay with them or complain to them.

There really isn't much competition (sorry, JohnR). I carry both Vodafone and Telecom phones with me everywhere....and the first one to lose coverage - voice or data or both - 9 times out of 10 is the Vodafone phone. My current job sees me travelling a lot...and I just can't be without coverage....as much as possible, anyway.

I was with my wife at Mosquito Bay (South Head) last weekend...and we were separated for a while. I was sending her txts...and she got none as she was on Vodafone and had no coverage while I was on Telecom and had 4 out of 5 bars. That's just one example. So Telecom still win the competition battle unless they REALLY screw up their pricing. Which they could do. I've also been a Vodafone customer for almost 20 years. They are a good company.

I agree that this is a sneaky move...and that the discrepancy between planned use and unplanned overage is unjustifiable - however there isn't a monopoly here, so it's perfectly legal unless there is colusion between all the players. I'm pretty sure that they are hoping for one of two things:

a) people don't notice, and incur higher overage charges (although this seems pretty short sighted as it could lose you customers in the long term)

b) people do notice, and start paying for a regular monthly data package to cover them for the one month a year that they go over (presumably the more lucrative option)

While you may well be right on the coverage issue, surely you do have some choice in who your "main" phone is with? While you might be in fringe areas some of the time, presumably you are in areas with coverage from multiple providers for the vast majority of the time? So you could switch your provider on the primary phone if you wanted to make a point...(yes, I understand that you keep an eye on your usage and so this doesn't directly affect you, and that your post was more of a warning to others. )

I have (open term) data plans with all three main cellular providers - and I swing between them depending on what suits my use best...at the moment that's 2degrees with the carryover data plans and I have built up quite a healthy buffer to cover any busy months. They also have the advantage of getting the combined coverage of both Vodafone plus 2degrees own towers. Telecoms coverage is probably still slightly better overall for the locations I frequently visit, but 99% of the time there's nothing much in it.

Linuxluver

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#969199 17-Jan-2014 23:14

maslink:

I have (open term) data plans with all three main cellular providers - and I swing between them depending on what suits my use best...at the moment that's 2degrees with the carryover data plans and I have built up quite a healthy buffer to cover any busy months. They also have the advantage of getting the combined coverage of both Vodafone plus 2degrees own towers. Telecoms coverage is probably still slightly better overall for the locations I frequently visit, but 99% of the time there's nothing much in it.

SNAP. We both said much the same thing at the same time. :-)

I'm pre-pay pseudo-account on 2Degrees, but I have monthly plans on both VF and TNZ.

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maslink

131 posts

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#969200 17-Jan-2014 23:14

Linuxluver:
JamesL: Interesting, I threw away the letter assuming that 30c/MB was a reduction that but I see you're right it's an increase.

Might look into Vodafone

I concluded either / or doesn't work for me. So I use both. But if one is better in a given context, I use that one. Whoever is mainly better gets more of my money...and whoever is less 'better'...gets less. I adjust the shape over time and as circumstances require. But then I probably spend $200 month on 3 cell phone accounts.

Completely agree!

tripper1000

1619 posts

Uber Geek

#969209 18-Jan-2014 00:34

Your cynicism is well founded. What you are saying is the same thing that Theresa Gattung, former CEO of Telecom said back in 2006:

"Think about pricing, what has every telco in the world done in the past? It's used confusion as its chief marketing tool. And that's fine ... But at some level, whether they consciously articulate or not, customers know that's what the game has been. They know we're not being straight up."

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k1wi

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

#969249 18-Jan-2014 09:24

I got the text too. To be honest my reaction was more 'hah' than anything. Nothing that is going to cause me to threaten to change my provider with a hiss and a roar though. If it did actually affect me then I'd happily shift, because consumers should be making decisions based on the best deal for them.

That said, I don't understand their need to increase this fee by 300%, given they do have top up packages etc... The reason I don't understand why they would do so is because the perception of it that many people will probably (quite rightly) have is that they're trying to take advantage of people who accidentally go a little over their data-cap. I would have thought that perception would offset any fiscal gain from it...

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NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#969260 18-Jan-2014 09:56

Prices change. Sometimes they go up, sometimes they go down.

In the telco world, prices have mostly been plummeting over the last couple of years, the value includedin a plan is massively higher than it was. Only a few years ago you would pay $30+ for 500MB. Now you can buy 500MB for $15

so to moan about an increase in price on something you probably never use, and can easily avoid anyway by buying a small data extra just makes you seem like spoiled children.

Just my opinion.

Toledo

67 posts

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#969299 18-Jan-2014 11:09

I have (open term) data plans with all three main cellular providers - and I swing between them depending on what suits my use best...at the moment that's 2degrees with the carryover data plans and I have built up quite a healthy buffer to cover any busy months. They also have the advantage of getting the combined coverage of both Vodafone plus 2degrees own towers. Telecoms coverage is probably still slightly better overall for the locations I frequently visit, but 99% of the time there's nothing much in it.

Im obviously biased but agree with the above, In fact it would save you $49 a month!

Unlimited calling, texting and 1.5 gb date - $69 open term + 3gb add on $50 = the same as what you get on Telecom plus aus calling and text and carry over data for $119 a month.

*sales hat off now - I do think the wording in the sentence is trying to dodge the fact they are informing you of an increase and to be honest I cant see a reason for the increase unless they were increasing the price of all data including packs.

My opinions are purely my own and are not at all those of my employer 2degrees.

kiwirock

685 posts

Ultimate Geek

#969366 18-Jan-2014 14:05

Now I'm not happy.

Telecom are taking it upon themselves to charge me a minimum of $3 a month for a post paid phone I just finished switching from pre-paid a month ago.

I find that quite offensive, charge me for something without asking if I want to talk up to 15 minutes a month. So if I don't use it, they're entitled to charge me $3 for not using it, awesome. I'd like to send a bill to Telecom to charge them $3 a month for the privilege of using my email and mailbox to deliver me an invoice if they choose to use it or not. I wonder if they will pay their bill or find that offensive.

Gavin.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#969375 18-Jan-2014 14:44

kiwirock: Now I'm not happy.

Telecom are taking it upon themselves to charge me a minimum of $3 a month for a post paid phone I just finished switching from pre-paid a month ago.

I find that quite offensive, charge me for something without asking if I want to talk up to 15 minutes a month. So if I don't use it, they're entitled to charge me $3 for not using it, awesome. I'd like to send a bill to Telecom to charge them $3 a month for the privilege of using my email and mailbox to deliver me an invoice if they choose to use it or not. I wonder if they will pay their bill or find that offensive.

Gavin.

What?

kiwirock

685 posts

Ultimate Geek

#969385 18-Jan-2014 15:02

They are "introducing a flat fee of $3 a month. This will give you 15 anytime minutes to any standard NZ landline or mobile".

Currently I am on casual rates, but even on casual rates they are forcing me to take a $3 monthly fee regardless if I want it or not. So I guess casual rates are now out the window because there's nothing casual about a $3 monthly flat fee being introduced.

Yet I also now get charged 69c per minute for casual rates, when technically I'm not exactly on a casual plan anymore.

I let the Telecom man on the phone suck me in to switching my phone off pre-pay to post paid because it won't cost me any different. 1 month later, Telecom are imposing a new $3 monthly fee lol. Way to go Telecom, last time these dictatorship fees started happening they lost me as a customer, I'm not feelin' the love again!

kiwirock

685 posts

Ultimate Geek

#969387 18-Jan-2014 15:04

kiwirock: They are "introducing a flat fee of $3 a month. This will give you 15 anytime minutes to any standard NZ landline or mobile".

Currently I am on casual rates, but even on casual rates they are forcing me to take a $3 monthly fee regardless if I want it or not. So I guess casual rates are now out the window because there's nothing casual about a $3 monthly flat fee being introduced.

Yet I also now get charged 69c per minute for casual rates, when technically I'm not exactly on a casual plan anymore.

I let the Telecom man on the phone suck me in to switching my phone off pre-pay to post paid because it won't cost me any different. 1 month later, Telecom are imposing a new $3 monthly fee lol. Way to go Telecom, last time these dictatorship fees started happening they lost me as a customer, I'm not feelin' the love again!

And sorry for getting a bit off topic, the letter I got was about calling and data. My data is on the up to 30c a MB too. $30 for 100MB is just stupendous.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek

#969391 18-Jan-2014 15:25

kiwirock: They are "introducing a flat fee of $3 a month. This will give you 15 anytime minutes to any standard NZ landline or mobile".

Currently I am on casual rates, but even on casual rates they are forcing me to take a $3 monthly fee regardless if I want it or not. So I guess casual rates are now out the window because there's nothing casual about a $3 monthly flat fee being introduced.

Yet I also now get charged 69c per minute for casual rates, when technically I'm not exactly on a casual plan anymore.

I let the Telecom man on the phone suck me in to switching my phone off pre-pay to post paid because it won't cost me any different. 1 month later, Telecom are imposing a new $3 monthly fee lol. Way to go Telecom, last time these dictatorship fees started happening they lost me as a customer, I'm not feelin' the love again!

you can switch back though, right? the casual postpaid has no contract with it.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#969405 18-Jan-2014 16:19

nakedmolerat: I have to agree with that one. I was that close to sign up to Vodafone thinking that the network has improved in Tauranga area. Unfortunately it hasn't improve at all. I decided to stick with Telecom for now (maybe forever?). It seems like they care much about 4G but not wanting to improve their coverage.

As advised work is still ongoing in Tauranga region and when adding 4G the 3G is getting upgraded to 3G on 900Mhz dual carrier from just 3G 2100Mhz

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