Vodafone's new ads = dodgy?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Vodafone's new ads = dodgy?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#37333 31-May-2006 19:17

lokinz:
Yes it is, If you use your 100 mins then you ARE paying 15c a min. Kinda logical I thought, but hey not everyones brain functions that way.

So we agree that if you do use 100 minutes worth of airtime that it costs 15c per minute.

The problem is that if you don't use 100 minutes of airtime then the cost isn't 15c per minute, it is more. Since included minutes are rounded up to the next minute (ie if you talk for 1:01 you get 2 minutes deducted) then unless you make every call under 60 seconds then there is no way you could get calls for 15c per minute, if you only get 80 minutes worth of actual talk time out of your 100 minutes then it's costing you almost 19c per minute. I would almost guarantee that not a single customer would make every call under 1 minute.

There is nothing wrong with rouding included minutes up and both Telecom & Vodafone do this. Vodafone trying to convert included minutes back to x cents for minute is just asking for trouble and to be honst I am very surprised they were dumb enough to do it.

paradoxsm

3000 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#37335 31-May-2006 19:24

This is quite typical of ALL ads. not just Vodafone, take a look closer and the text size difference between the "up to", "selected items" and the "50% OFF!" in ANY ad.

We need to attack all the "free minute" plans, they give you 15c off peak calling for the first 200 minutes and then if you go over your "free" minutes, the price skyrockets to 49c!, funny, I remember my off peak 200 minutes plan "Go Free Anywhere" was 20c after off peak when free mins used up,,, so was the old Talk200, 20c after minutes are used up. Get200 is 49c and you get 20 SMS..

Suggestion to Vodafone: have a minimum charge of say $30 replace the silly peaktime "base plan" and let users have any combination of "you choose addons" to make up that value. And also allow more than one of the same "add on" per billing month.

I hope someone at Vodafone sees this and makes some worthwhile changes.

paradoxsm

3000 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#37341 31-May-2006 19:35

Oh this opens another can of lovely squishy worms, Do they really round up the minutes? on the included minute plans (they aren't free minute plans are they?) I thought they added up all the elegible calls at the end of your billing cycle then rounded that total up to the nearest minute. I have never got a clear answer from either telco.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#37396 1-Jun-2006 06:42

paradoxsm: Oh this opens another can of lovely squishy worms, Do they really round up the minutes? on the included minute plans (they aren't free minute plans are they?) I thought they added up all the elegible calls at the end of your billing cycle then rounded that total up to the nearest minute. I have never got a clear answer from either telco.

No they are simpled rounded up as you use them. I asked Vodafone about this at one stage but like most attempts to get an answer out of them you get nowhere. I instead started experimenting myself to find out the answer.

If you look online @ MYA or your bill included minutes calls are shown as min:sec however if you look at your included minutes balance this is always rounded down (ie if you have 200 mins and make a 9:30 call your balance will be deduced to 190 minutes). I kept track of this over a period of time including te last billing day of the month when I purposely got down to 1 minute and then made a 1 min call and then a call which was chargeable and I was charged at my per min rate correctly for minutes & seconds.

I didn't realise that people didn't know that this was rounded up, I guess people just assume that because networks round by the second after the first minute that this is how included minutes would be handled as well.

nzbnw

2374 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Spark NZ

#37409 1-Jun-2006 08:53

paradoxsm: Oh this opens another can of lovely squishy worms, Do they really round up the minutes? on the included minute plans (they aren't free minute plans are they?) I thought they added up all the elegible calls at the end of your billing cycle then rounded that total up to the nearest minute. I have never got a clear answer from either telco.

Yes paradoxsm they do round them, I see it all the time in my favourite program starting with 'I' =D

Stu

Hammered
8336 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#37450 1-Jun-2006 17:06

nzbnw:
paradoxsm: Oh this opens another can of lovely squishy worms, Do they really round up the minutes? on the included minute plans (they aren't free minute plans are they?) I thought they added up all the elegible calls at the end of your billing cycle then rounded that total up to the nearest minute. I have never got a clear answer from either telco.

Yes paradoxsm they do round them, I see it all the time in my favourite program starting with 'I' =D

From the Vodafone website:

Once your included minutes are used up, you pay for each additional minute separately as per the standard pricing rates for your plan, and of course we'll only charge you by the second!

So does this mean calls made on your included minutes are rounded, but once you run out and start paying for calls there's no rounding?

nzbnw

2374 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Spark NZ

#37464 1-Jun-2006 21:01

NeoTech:
nzbnw:
paradoxsm: Oh this opens another can of lovely squishy worms, Do they really round up the minutes? on the included minute plans (they aren't free minute plans are they?) I thought they added up all the elegible calls at the end of your billing cycle then rounded that total up to the nearest minute. I have never got a clear answer from either telco.

Yes paradoxsm they do round them, I see it all the time in my favourite program starting with 'I' =D

From the Vodafone website:

Once your included minutes are used up, you pay for each additional minute separately as per the standard pricing rates for your plan, and of course we'll only charge you by the second!

So does this mean calls made on your included minutes are rounded, but once you run out and start paying for calls there's no rounding?

For the 1st min its rounded (included or charged), then after that it is my understanding you are then charged on a per second basis? But I am not 100% sure, will try to confirm tomorrow.

Cheers

Sharesies kids

Free kids accounts - trade shares and funds (NZ, US) with Sharesies (affiliate link).

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#37478 2-Jun-2006 07:58

NeoTech:So does this mean calls made on your included minutes are rounded, but once you run out and start paying for calls there's no rounding?

Yes. Calls using included minutes are all rounded up to the nearest minute (1 min minimum). After included minuted are used you are charged per second after the 1 min minimum.

simon14

1889 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#37978 8-Jun-2006 15:42

I think their new TV ads and billboards are a typical example of confusion marketing.

See my blog on this matter if you want to read more: http://simonpauljames.blogspot.com

You'll also find a video of the latest Vodafone TV ad on the blog site.

Cheers.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#37979 8-Jun-2006 16:22

simon_nz90: I think their new TV ads and billboards are a typical example of confusion marketing.

See my blog on this matter if you want to read more: http://simonpauljames.blogspot.com

You'll also find a video of the latest Vodafone TV ad on the blog site.

Cheers.

But we all know that cunfision is used as a chief marketing tool. Now that Theresa has pointed this out Vodafone might be out of luck!

simon14

1889 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#37981 8-Jun-2006 16:41

exactly.....

Vodafone didnt used to market in this way, its only been recently.

richms

28173 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#38001 8-Jun-2006 21:35

Well I have put my complaint into the asa, so if anyone else thinks its naff advertising then they should go to www.asa.co.nz and fill in the extremely simple form to lodge a complaint too.

Richard rich.ms

alasta

6704 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#38006 8-Jun-2006 22:13

richms: Well I have put my complaint into the asa, so if anyone else thinks its naff advertising then they should go to www.asa.co.nz and fill in the extremely simple form to lodge a complaint too.

If my memory serves me correctly, the ASA only uphold complaints about advertising that is deemed to be 'offensive' (for example, ads that feature horrifically offensive language like 'bugger').

This latest Vodafone advertising needs to be raised with the Commerce Commission.

nzbnw

2374 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Spark NZ

#38007 8-Jun-2006 22:15

richms: Well I have put my complaint into the asa, so if anyone else thinks its naff advertising then they should go to www.asa.co.nz and fill in the extremely simple form to lodge a complaint too.

Really have we got nothing better to-do in this country, but to complain? Anyone who reads the information about the plan (on the website, or hardcopy) will know what it’s all about, and you have Customer Service Reps to help you with your understanding.

Disappointed.

cokemaster

Exited
4929 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#38009 8-Jun-2006 22:31

nzbnw: Really have we got nothing better to-do in this country, but to complain? Anyone who reads the information about the plan (on the website, or hardcopy) will know what it’s all about, and you have Customer Service Reps to help you with your understanding.

Disappointed.

Excuse me? They make a possible misrepresentation about the true cost of their service and all objections about this possible misrepresentation should be dismissed because 'we got nothing better to-do in this country but complain'?

Yes, its very disappointing, disappointing that statements like that are made.

webhosting

Loose lips may sink ships - Be smart - Don't post internal/commercially sensitive or confidential information!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5