Has anyone else been caught out by Vodafone's 'free' 4G?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Has anyone else been caught out by Vodafone's 'free' 4G?

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#1014254 27-Mar-2014 23:28

My 4G has been free to-date but my current plan ends in April which, according to a message I received, means my 4G access (and everything else associated with the plan) ends as well. Looks like rolling a plan over on a month by month basis is a no no these days.

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oxnsox

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#1014255 27-Mar-2014 23:39

kingjj:
Yabanize: Vodafone: why exactly can't you open up the grandfathered plans and as 4g to them? Or just make it enabled regardless of plan like telecom does. Also why do you have prepay smart and prepay 4g. It should just be one

Probably something to do with all those people still stoically holding on to their old iPhone plans with 3gb data included...

These weren't just for iPhones.

networkn

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#1014270 28-Mar-2014 00:18

Geektastic: The 4G thing is interesting. It seems odd to charge - I do not recall being charged for 3G when 2G was normal...!

Not that it matters - I doubt I am in 4G coverage more than 1% of a year in any case!! My iPhone 5 hates 4G I have noticed: it gets very slow and the touch screen becomes intermittently unresponsive or slow to respond for several hours when I enter a 4G area. I usually end up turning 4G off and the phone goes back to normal.

You are probably holding it wrong..

http://www.dailytech.com/UPDATE+Steve+Jobs+on+iPhone+4+Reception+Issues+Youre+Holding+It+Wrong/article18842.htm

Handsomedan

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#1014347 28-Mar-2014 08:52

I had this discussion when the offer first came out and as I am on a grandfathered plan, I was unable to take advantage of the offer.

I (like so many) thought that a current plan was a plan that is what you are currently on. Several folk at VF cleared that misconception up for me and a very nice CSR at VF agreed that there wasn't a plan on earth that could match my grandfathered plan for my usage patterns, so we agreed to ignore the existence of 4G and carry on unchanged.

Having had a brief time with 4G through another channel, I discovered that it wasn't enough of a wow to convince me to change, despite it being twice as fast as my DC 3G at times.

Happy enough, using (on average) 2.5GB each month of my 3GB allowance and doing it at the stately pace of a mere 20MBPS.

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eXDee

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#1014353 28-Mar-2014 09:17

Looks like this is going to blow up big. Always interesting to watch something like this as it happens.

Question is, does vodafone sit on their hands and take a gamble with the comcom's interpretation - or do they attempt to remedy their mistake before an investigation begins to avoid what could potentially be a legal and PR disaster?

Handsomedan: I had this discussion when the offer first came out and as I am on a grandfathered plan, I was unable to take advantage of the offer.

I (like so many) thought that a current plan was a plan that is what you are currently on. Several folk at VF cleared that misconception up for me and a very nice CSR at VF agreed that there wasn't a plan on earth that could match my grandfathered plan for my usage patterns, so we agreed to ignore the existence of 4G and carry on unchanged.

Having had a brief time with 4G through another channel, I discovered that it wasn't enough of a wow to convince me to change, despite it being twice as fast as my DC 3G at times.

Happy enough, using (on average) 2.5GB each month of my 3GB allowance and doing it at the stately pace of a mere 20MBPS.

Just let everyone else move to 4G and free up the 3G airwaves for you!

kezzanz

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#1014361 28-Mar-2014 09:26

Its with the Comcom now anyway. I lodged a complaint last night.

networkn

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#1014365 28-Mar-2014 09:29

I have a lot of respect for VF, and I like them as a company and service provider, but I think their marketing has got them in hot water enough times it would be reason for management to take issue with the oversight. I would have thought (though I don't know this isn't happening) it would be passed through an external entity to check for potential issues, and if it is, they need someone new!

It even confuses some of their own staff.

Geektastic

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#1014374 28-Mar-2014 09:31

networkn:
Geektastic: The 4G thing is interesting. It seems odd to charge - I do not recall being charged for 3G when 2G was normal...!

Not that it matters - I doubt I am in 4G coverage more than 1% of a year in any case!! My iPhone 5 hates 4G I have noticed: it gets very slow and the touch screen becomes intermittently unresponsive or slow to respond for several hours when I enter a 4G area. I usually end up turning 4G off and the phone goes back to normal.

You are probably holding it wrong..

http://www.dailytech.com/UPDATE+Steve+Jobs+on+iPhone+4+Reception+Issues+Youre+Holding+It+Wrong/article18842.htm

Ah yes, the old 'holding it wrong' defence!

Only, it works just fine in 3G when held the same way...!

Why do they charge for 4G anyway - did they charge 2G users when 3G arrived here?

nigelj

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#1014566 28-Mar-2014 13:28

eXDee: Looks like this is going to blow up big. Always interesting to watch something like this as it happens.

Question is, does vodafone sit on their hands and take a gamble with the comcom's interpretation - or do they attempt to remedy their mistake before an investigation begins to avoid what could potentially be a legal and PR disaster?

Pretty sure Vodafone marketing (to distinguish from the fine tech folk that frequent here) will gamble it, they've been told in the past to watch their wording in advertisements by both the Commerce Commission, and Advertising Standards Authority.

In fact, there is a choice quote from Stuart Wallace from 2012 which I think applies both here and to some people's grumbles about Vodafone's '3x faster FREE' VDSL advertising:

“A key lesson of the case is that, when companies prepare marketing campaigns, they need to make sure that the headline message is not misleading. Under the Fair Trading Act it’s the initial impression given to consumers that’s all important. Fine print qualifiers won’t generally save advertising statements that are misleading at first glance,” said Mr Wallace.

The use of the word 'current' just conveys so many meanings, especially when you remember that not everyone has a BA majoring in English, in fact some barely pass English NCEA Level 1. To hinge a marketing campaign on a specific, unqualified meaning of the word current, doesn't sit right with me.

Geektastic

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#1014574 28-Mar-2014 13:54

nigelj:
eXDee: Looks like this is going to blow up big. Always interesting to watch something like this as it happens.

Question is, does vodafone sit on their hands and take a gamble with the comcom's interpretation - or do they attempt to remedy their mistake before an investigation begins to avoid what could potentially be a legal and PR disaster?

Pretty sure Vodafone marketing (to distinguish from the fine tech folk that frequent here) will gamble it, they've been told in the past to watch their wording in advertisements by both the Commerce Commission, and Advertising Standards Authority.

In fact, there is a choice quote from Stuart Wallace from 2012 which I think applies both here and to some people's grumbles about Vodafone's '3x faster FREE' VDSL advertising:

“A key lesson of the case is that, when companies prepare marketing campaigns, they need to make sure that the headline message is not misleading. Under the Fair Trading Act it’s the initial impression given to consumers that’s all important. Fine print qualifiers won’t generally save advertising statements that are misleading at first glance,” said Mr Wallace.

The use of the word 'current' just conveys so many meanings, especially when you remember that not everyone has a BA majoring in English, in fact some barely pass English NCEA Level 1. To hinge a marketing campaign on a specific, unqualified meaning of the word current, doesn't sit right with me.

Agreed. Saying "currently available", "currently offered" or "currently sold" would have been clearer I suggest.

mouarg

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#1014612 28-Mar-2014 14:27

What a great first post.

nigelj

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#1014616 28-Mar-2014 14:30

Geektastic: Agreed. Saying "currently available", "currently offered" or "currently sold" would have been clearer I suggest.

Actually available/offered would create the same illusion in my opinion, 'currently sold' would be the only one that'd work. Even then, wouldn't it be better to be even more specific to say "On Account customers on the following plans: Plan 1, Plan 2" or assuming all the non-grandfathered plans came into effect on a certain date "On Account customers with a contract start date after 1 Jan 2014* * Other plans may be compatible, contact Vodafone to discuss, or check our website"

Or even "Free for On Account customers on a compatible plan * * Check 'insert URL here' for a full list"

So many ways to do it and avoid the entire interpretation issue with the word "current".

richms

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#1014876 28-Mar-2014 21:34

If you called up because 4g was announced as free but then found you had a $10 a month charge the you may have some justification in getting that credited back if the CSR didnt tell you about the $10 charge when you got 4G added, particually if you called up to have it added "because its free now"

Otherwise I dont see the big deal, you bought a plan on a 3G network so you have had 3G and will keep having 3G. There are additional licences that VF had to pay to get to run a 4G network, the guys that make the equipment wont just throw updates out to the telcos without some money.

Richard rich.ms

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#1014905 28-Mar-2014 22:39

networkn: I have a lot of respect for VF, and I like them as a company and service provider, but I think their marketing has got them in hot water enough times it would be reason for management to take issue with the oversight. I would have thought (though I don't know this isn't happening) it would be passed through an external entity to check for potential issues, and if it is, they need someone new!

It even confuses some of their own staff.

Agree entirely, VF ( and any other telco for that matter) tend to have ads that leave out the finer details where they can get away with it. It's "tricky" but I honestly believe this backfires on the corporate image of the company, hence ultimately the churn between providers. Consumers really only have 3 choices so they can't go too far. Certainly when I worked in the ad world the clients lawyers would absolutely be required to look over the wording of the offer, in addition to the ad agencies lawyers.
There is quite a healthy relationship between the advertising standards authority and the larger ad agencies and it's pretty much considered a victory for an agency when an ad is pulled by or submitted to the authority. Between the brand and the commerce commission however, that's a whole different ball game :)

NonprayingMantis

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#1014907 28-Mar-2014 22:45

richms: If you called up because 4g was announced as free but then found you had a $10 a month charge the you may have some justification in getting that credited back if the CSR didnt tell you about the $10 charge when you got 4G added, particually if you called up to have it added "because its free now"

Otherwise I dont see the big deal, you bought a plan on a 3G network so you have had 3G and will keep having 3G. There are additional licences that VF had to pay to get to run a 4G network, the guys that make the equipment wont just throw updates out to the telcos without some money.

What about if he added 4G when it was a $10 charge, then when Vf announced it was free on all current plans in response to telecom, he thought 'sweet, free on my plan'. Then later found he was getting billed the $10 even though the advertising suggested it should be free.

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