Vodafone New Zealand roaming prices changes

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#92121 23-Oct-2007 20:03

That's for any network in Australia - the new Traveller offer lets you connect to any network in the zone and pay the same price. Simplicity is the name of the game.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
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Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

cranz

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#92160 23-Oct-2007 23:30

Paul are you sure those prices you just listed are for the new Traveller scheme in Australia?

From my understanding the traveller scheme charges you your "Standard Home rate per minute" which for me is not what you have listed?

Or maybe I'm confused by the last few posts..

nzbnw

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#92162 23-Oct-2007 23:43

I beleive they are the new standard rates that will apply to all who do not opt into traveller.

nzbnw

mruane

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#92163 23-Oct-2007 23:47

Well Paul, it seems to me that for someone who visits the US regularly (as I do), my best bet is to just leave my NZ sim card at home and buy a US T-Mobile or Cingular prepaid SIM for use in the US. I can purchase a T-Mobile Sim over the net for $US25 which provides 150 minutes anywhere in the US say US0.16.c/min ie NZ0.25c/min.

Your $3 + local calling rate does not sound too good in comparison to me - unless I am missing something.

Mike

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#92182 24-Oct-2007 08:43

mruane: Well Paul, it seems to me that for someone who visits the US regularly (as I do), my best bet is to just leave my NZ sim card at home and buy a US T-Mobile or Cingular prepaid SIM for use in the US. I can purchase a T-Mobile Sim over the net for $US25 which provides 150 minutes anywhere in the US say US0.16.c/min ie NZ0.25c/min.

Your $3 + local calling rate does not sound too good in comparison to me - unless I am missing something.

Mike

Most of our roamers don't make many local calls in their new destination. By far the majority of call minutes spent by Vodafone NZ customers roaming overseas is taken up with calls back home. As such, we configured the plan to make that simple and more affordable.

In your case, however, I think you're saying you spend most of your time in one location and make most of your calls locally within that country. In that case, as I've said elsewhere, you might be better off staying with the existing plan or, as you've pointed out, choosing another option. There may be benefits to buying a SIM overseas but there are also issues, as Mauricio pointed out earlier.

It's a fine balancing act getting price points that are the most cost effective while at the same time making the pricing plan as easy to use as possible, particularly when we're constrained by other companies and what they want to charge. The research we've done says emphatically that customers who travel want simplicity, so that's what we've strived to deliver.

I've just sent a chart of five top destinations to TUANZ so they can see what we're trying to do. Once they've posted it I'll post it here as well so you can compare the old rates with the new. Yes, there are some anomalies but overall I think we're delivering what the customers have asked for: cost effective service with a simple tariff plan.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

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#92230 24-Oct-2007 15:08

Overall, these fee changes look positive to me as they simplify things. As others have commented, they don't meet everyone's requirements. For instance when I spend a few weeks in the U.S. I find it essential to have a local number otherwise there will be people who just can't call me (because they've never called an international number before and/or would be intimidated by the possible cost of the call, etc).

What I'm most interested in however would be changes in data roaming fees. Currently I advise users with Vodafone Mobile Connects cards to minimise their use internationally (which is where they need them the most) as they can clock up an $1800 bill in 10 - 20 minutes of heavy usage - i.e. synchronising 60mb of email/attachments at 500kb/s - 1mb/s.

Paul - do you know if data roaming fees are likely to be reduced in the short term, or will they likely remain the same for the next 6 - 12 months? I realise to do this would involve changed agreements with numerous carriers in addition to Vodafone's various subsidiaries.

Paul Spain
Founder: Gorilla Technology, NZ Tech Podcast

mruane

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#92242 24-Oct-2007 16:11

Thanks Paul (Brislen) appreciate the feedback. In my case, because I travel with my partner, virtually all my calls are to or from her VF handset. So in our case, buying a local US SIM makes perfect sense as it stops the incoming calls from NZ from people who just do not realise that you are travelling and seriously reduces the cost. In the case of Australia though, the new deals do make sense.

Mike

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suthland

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#92341 25-Oct-2007 09:06

VNZ:

The text price (80c) is an approximate average of the various rates to send text messages previously.

Would love to see this calculation, certainly not an average (weighted) of high use locations ie Australia, UK & US.

80 cents for a Text from Australia is the communication's version of "Usury"

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#92343 25-Oct-2007 09:21

suthland:
VNZ:

The text price (80c) is an approximate average of the various rates to send text messages previously.

Would love to see this calculation, certainly not an average (weighted) of high use locations ie Australia, UK & US.

80 cents for a Text from Australia is the communication's version of "Usury"

Hi there, welcome to Geekzone.

Clearly you haven't had a look at the price telcos charge other telcos for sending/receiving TXT messages around the world. 80c a message is not only pretty standard for roaming TXT charges internationally but a great deal better than even we were able to offer under the old plan. The most expensive TXT price was $1.94 (Iceland of all places) with some of our more popular destinations (USA, Fiji and Hong Kong) costing between 90c and just over $1 depending on which network you connect to.

As I've said, the new pricing plan is about simplicity. Instead of worrying about which network to connect to for voice and then swapping to another network to send a TXT because it's cheaper, we've standardised across the board. Go to any network in any country in that zone and you'll pay the same price as the other networks. It's easier that way and customers won't come home to find a shocker of a bill because they've connected to the "wrong" network.

I hope that helps,

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
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Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

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#92346 25-Oct-2007 09:45

I'm still a bit puzzled or confused with this Traveller plan, I know it is an opt-in, can one opt-in and opt-out at will (prior to leaving NZ of course) between existing plan and Traveller plan?

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#92357 25-Oct-2007 10:31

chiefie: I'm still a bit puzzled or confused with this Traveller plan, I know it is an opt-in, can one opt-in and opt-out at will (prior to leaving NZ of course) between existing plan and Traveller plan?

You can opt in and then opt out again at a later date if you want, yes.

New customers are given the choice when they sign up to roaming - traditional or Traveller.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

suthland

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#92369 25-Oct-2007 11:30

Thank you for your kind welcome to Geekzone Paul, I have read these forums for a couple of years but this is the first issue that has annoyed me enough to Register and post.

As the External Communications Manager for Vodafone you are trying to convince us that these changes are all about "Simplicity and Certainty" for your customers and as far as voice calls are concerned I can accept your argument, given that they are an opt-in choice.

Where I believe your credibility is stretched is the issue of Text messages, you tell us that "The text price (80c) is an approximate average of the various rates to send text messages previously" then you start quoting Iceland @ $1.94. (I wonder how many of those you get each year compared to Australia & the UK, which you fail to mention at all)

Is it not more credible that your Text price has been arrived at after reviewing your only effective NZ competitors new roaming price structure, which also appears to be "coincidently" 80 cents per text worldwide?

Why have customers not been given the same option to opt-in to the new SMS pricing structure?, as with the voice calls, or has Vodafone spotted a nice little commercial opportunity to lift its SMS income from high use locations while trying to camouflage the significant increases as "Simplicity & Certainty" ,and pointing out the benefits if you are travelling to Iceland ! What about Moldova? the surcharge is only 20 cent there and it's probably as popular as Iceland.

Vodafone indicates it high use roaming Countries itself when you search "Where can I roam?" on your website as the UK, USA & Australia are group together at the top of the list for easy access no doubt because they are the most commonly used.

I have no problem with a Company making fair & reasonable return on their investment but when we have a duo-monopoly arriving at a cartel like price for a service and then try and slip it through as major benefit for customers (the one’s that shouldn’t be allowed to use a mobile overseas) I get grumpy.

Why is there no opt-in option for SMS as there is with Voice calling?

An upfront answer as opposed to the "spin doctor version" would be appreciated.

VFNZPaulBrislen

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#92380 25-Oct-2007 12:13

suthland:
Thank you for your kind welcome to Geekzone Paul, I have read these forums for a couple of years but this is the first issue that has annoyed me enough to Register and post.

As the External Communications Manager for Vodafone you are trying to convince us that these changes are all about "Simplicity and Certainty" for your customers and as far as voice calls are concerned I can accept your argument, given that they are an opt-in choice.
Where I believe your credibility is stretched is the issue of Text messages, you tell us that "The text price (80c) is an approximate average of the various rates to send text messages previously" then you start quoting Iceland @ $1.94. (I wonder how many of those you get each year compared to Australia & the UK, which you fail to mention at all)

Is it not more credible that your Text price has been arrived at after reviewing your only effective NZ competitors new roaming price structure, which also appears to be "coincidently" 80 cents per text worldwide?

Why have customers not been given the same option to opt-in to the new SMS pricing structure?, as with the voice calls, or has Vodafone spotted a nice little commercial opportunity to lift its SMS income from high use locations while trying to camouflage the significant increases as "Simplicity & Certainty" ,and pointing out the benefits if you are travelling to Iceland ! What about Moldova? the surcharge is only 20 cent there and it's probably as popular as Iceland.

Vodafone indicates it high use roaming Countries itself when you search "Where can I roam?" on your website as the UK, USA & Australia are group together at the top of the list for easy access no doubt because they are the most commonly used.

I have no problem with a Company making fair & reasonable return on their investment but when we have a duo-monopoly arriving at a cartel like price for a service and then try and slip it through as major benefit for customers (the one’s that shouldn’t be allowed to use a mobile overseas) I get grumpy.

Why is there no opt-in option for SMS as there is with Voice calling?

An upfront answer as opposed to the "spin doctor version" would be appreciated.

Customers CAN opt in or opt out - as I've said. It's not a matter of opting in for TXT versus opting in for Voice - it's all or nothing.

And I think if you look at TXT prices for other network operators roaming overseas you'll find that's pretty standard. I've just had a quick look at some telco sites and Optus charges 75c Australian for TXT when roaming anywhere in the world, BT charges 40p
and Telstra's in the same range but the website's awful and I can't find the figures.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

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#92382 25-Oct-2007 12:26

I think he's more interested to know how two competing companies with completely different service structures, technologies, etc - which should lead to different service costs, managed to get to the same price?

Is this the case of "if people are prepared to pay up to $.80 to Telecom, let's up our price too" or is this really a true competition environment?

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#92383 25-Oct-2007 12:33

PaulBrislen: Customers CAN opt in or opt out - as I've said. It's not a matter of opting in for TXT versus opting in for Voice - it's all or nothing.

Also customers can opt-out of Traveller, but SMS is a fixed price regardless of plan and destination, as well as receiving calls. So there's no opt-in and opt-out options for this cost.

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