Telecom u-turn over upgrading t-stick

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom u-turn over upgrading t-stick

nitrotech

1285 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 168

#37848 20-Jul-2009 11:52

Last month I wanted to upgrade my CDMA t-stick to XT but the only way it was possible was if I purchased a new device eg $200-400 however they are offering the device free to new connections or 99 for the 885 card.

The original discussion is here http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=39&topicid=34866 and I checked instore at telecom plus the person instore also rang their headoffice to check the facts and the above was the case.

Now when I have called them to cancel the contract they offered me a free device if i was to sign a new 24 month contract and no disconnection fee on the existing plan - something I was perpared to do last month but not now.

Nothing has changed on the telecom website to indicate this change in policy.

While i guess there is nothing to stop telecom from making different offers from time to time it would be helpful to communicate them to customers.

zCelicaDude

171 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 5

#237165 20-Jul-2009 13:45

What!! I have been trying to do something like this, since the XT network launched.

I'm now going to call them up when I can, and say I want to cancel my T-Stick contract and see what happens....

cheers for the info... I also agree that they forgot about the "people wanting to upgrade to the new faster network..."

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 4

#238783 24-Jul-2009 22:55

One point here is subsidy, Telecom have already subsidized one device and now are being expected to subsidize another most likely before the payback and break even is reached.

Although I understand your position & I have had this issue with some of muy rural clients, it is tricky, but you simply want to get a new card with faster speed than the one you recently got.

In few other industries or markets do we expect a company to not only give us a device and then when something new comes out expect them to cancel any payback and contract and give us the new one.

Now you do have a contract, if they are letting you take up an XT device with no termination fees for open term pricing with only the existing contract to see out and a new XT plan, thats pretty good.

Telecom is a business after all and USB cards have a value as does mobile data.

I personally am not a fan of subsidies as they give the market and end user the wrong perception of the value of a product. Offering less or no subsidy whilst offering far cheaper rate plans and deals would be easier to manage. finance offers could take care of the cost of hardware.

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nitrotech

1285 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 168

#238822 25-Jul-2009 08:21

I don't disagree about the subsidy what I do disagree with is that mobile BB and mobile customers were treated differently in this situation.

Lets remember that if you were on a phone plan and signed up even 2 days before launch then you got a subsidy on a CDMA device and another subsidy on an XT device.

Telecom had constantly, through it's advertising, said 'sign up to CDMA and we'll look after you when we launch the new network' yet made no reference to it not being available to mobile bb customers.

All that was being asked for here was to be treated the same as mobile customers, lets face it the reason to upgrade is not just speed as CDMA speed was fine its coverage the new device covers 97% of NZ and the old device was 87 (from memory).

There were pleanty of places where the CDMA device dropped back to X1 but XT is fine.

Upshot is that telecom sent a clear message that it would look after customers when the new network was launched, I would suggest that it's in their best interests to do so for ALL of their customers.

bbman

646 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 4

#238843 25-Jul-2009 10:00

Actually that's a good point, Telecom should have been offering the voucher offer for data as well.

In the early days that was the intention I think, $150 off the price of a card would be totally acceptable.

www.ultimatebroadband.co.nz
Delivering better broadband services

UFB fibre, Rural fibre on EA networks, RBI wireless, Ruralnet & Ultra wireless, wireless networks