Realistic prepay data pricing?

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richms

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#17359 22-Nov-2007 23:31

how about it vodafone? Those of us with pda phones etc who have to not configure the data options for the fear of going online and blowing all our credit when we thought it was on wifi or bump IE when in out pocket would like options.

This is especially relevant since you have admitted that you cant do credit limits and tell people to use prepay if they want to control spending

Richard rich.ms

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#96487 22-Nov-2007 23:57

This is of course an interesting topic for both Telco's. Also in Australia it is possible to have one of their 'cap' plans and pay by purchasing a voucher. I wonder if we would ever see anything like that here, as it would make it possible for people who are worried about a large bill to control their spending, and expand the reach of account type plans to those who can not currently receive their benefits (i.e. those with bad credit, or under 18).

Of course the 12 month minimum contracts throw a spanner in the works there...

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dman

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#97104 27-Nov-2007 11:03

Agreed! I have in the past always used pre-pay, for both my vodafone and telecom phones. Is so much easier and simpler. If I don't use my vodafone for months and months, then I pay zilch. No constant monthly fees. Same with my telecom phone, as I mainly only txt that means I only spend $10 per month. No need at all to spend any more than that ever month for minutes that I wouldn't use.

Unfortunately however when I've been looking at new phones to buy, I find out the Telecom Okta phones are not available on pre-paid because of the data charging can't be done with pre-paid! arrghh... will have to be on a plan perhaps? Paying $40 or so per month compared to the only $10 per month I'm paying now....

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lchiu7

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#97119 27-Nov-2007 12:36

Maybe import the GSM version of the Touch

http://www.htc.com/product/03-product_htctouch.htm

Then you can get prepaid data

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

sbiddle

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#97124 27-Nov-2007 12:57

Somebody seriously needs to introduce the concept of "prepaid" data to the market. Let a customer buy a Supa Prepay or You Choose addon that gives them 1GB of data for say $70 that is valid for say 3 months from the time of purchase.

Mobile carriers just don't get the whole mobile data thing despite it being essential for them to drive data growth. Not everybody wants a fixed monthly fee when they have erratic data usage and nobody can afford to pay $10/MB for casual use.

I've been suggesting this now for several years on here and every time I do there are always quite a few posters saying they love the concept and would use it. Why do VF and Telecom choose to ignore something that customers obviously want?

I've heard for quite some time that Vodafone were in the process of rolling out such a plan but publically they say they aren't.

dman

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#97134 27-Nov-2007 13:29

lchiu7: Maybe import the GSM version of the Touch

http://www.htc.com/product/03-product_htctouch.htm

Then you can get prepaid data

Sticking with telecom for my main phone. There is the $10 txting and have been using this 027 number for years anyway. Though... I do have a second number which is vodafone. But that phone is not quite so old, and not really feeling like I'm going to spend vast sums of money twice in a row to buy a Touch on BOTH networks. However, when I do get my next vodafone cell phone I'll most probably get something similar. The one I'm the most keen on is the Neo1973 (www.OpenMoko.com).

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xcubed

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#97136 27-Nov-2007 13:34

And now that Vodafone have their new billing system sorted, they should have no excuse for not providing prepay data.

Paul Brislen, do you want to join this discussion?

tonyhughes

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#97139 27-Nov-2007 14:08

xcubed: And now that Vodafone have their new billing system sorted, they should have no excuse for not providing prepay data.

Watch this space, and you should all see exciting things happening...

downhill

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#97153 27-Nov-2007 15:44

I hope you are right Tony - things need to shift drastically in NZ for kiwis to take to data plans in a big way... the current data chargine is too restrictive and over priced.... my iPhone surfed up 1mb of data the other day when a friend was playing with it and turned the edge service ON...(I have it disabled until I require it using the 'Services' 3rd party app) $11.25 and he didn't even know that he had done it.

VFNZ - are you hearing us? yes us, the customers! I hope so.

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#97159 27-Nov-2007 15:59

tonyhughes:
xcubed: And now that Vodafone have their new billing system sorted, they should have no excuse for not providing prepay data.

Watch this space, and you should all see exciting things happening...

Way to go Tony, bring it on, can't wait...

Unfortunately I left my Telecom EV-DO Data Card behind in Auckland last time we visited the kids. So today I have had to resort to "HEINOUS" GPRS as Jama would say. And it truly is heinously slow and has been costing me $10 per MB

I hope that Telecom will soon introduce a Prepaid Data Plan where I can pay in $50, $60 or $70 to buy a GB of data like Sbiddle suggested above. To consitute a fair deal in my view, the credit should not expire for a year.

That would be an awesome deal which would satisfy the many erratic mobile data users out there without us needing to think ahead and switch plans every time our usage changes.

I am waiting with baited breath for something along these lines to come to the market...

What better time to do it than at the start of summer where everybody is heading off to the beach

allan

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#97179 27-Nov-2007 17:31

dman: Unfortunately however when I've been looking at new phones to buy, I find out the Telecom Okta phones are not available on pre-paid because of the data charging can't be done with pre-paid! arrghh... will have to be on a plan perhaps? Paying $40 or so per month compared to the only $10 per month I'm paying now....

Sorry OT I know in a Vodafone thread, but you could always look at Telecom Onebill as an option, which is what my Titan is on.

cokemaster

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#97181 27-Nov-2007 17:39

dman:
Unfortunately however when I've been looking at new phones to buy, I find out the Telecom Okta phones are not available on pre-paid because of the data charging can't be done with pre-paid! arrghh... will have to be on a plan perhaps? Paying $40 or so per month compared to the only $10 per month I'm paying now....

If you have a Telecom landline, have you considered One Bill? It gives similar rates as what is offered on prepaid but is postpaid.

You should also be able to throw your choice of data plan on there as well.

No minimum term contracts - but a landline requirement.

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#97192 27-Nov-2007 18:21

Yup, I've realised already one-plan looks like my only option. Still running the risk of a $1,000 bill at the end of the month, which I wouldn't have with pre-paid. Going to switch off the mobile broadband options on the phone, which would reduce the risks.

Do have a land line I could use... but it is not my own, is my parents. Soo.... hardly ideal, but probably will be ok.

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cokemaster

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#97194 27-Nov-2007 18:31

If you are simply using a PDA, use of a program like SPB's GPRS monitor is highly recommended.

This program works on CDMA pocket pcs and allow you to monitor how much data you have used, and alert you when you are close to exceeding that usage. If you use your pocket PC as a modem, it might not count but it gives you a good indications if you don't use it often.

Couplied with usage alerts and a plan such as the 200MB or 1GB plus, with $10 for another 200MB or 1GB (data after that would be charged at $0.50c per MB) - you'd be fairly safe.

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dman

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#97211 27-Nov-2007 19:15

Even the amount they are charging for 200mb sounds waaaaaay too unreasonable to me. Perhaps if it was that amount for a couple of gigs instead, then I might consider it. But when I'm currently only spending $10/month on my phone (the 500txt/month) this would be a very steep increase upon my current expenditure per month.

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tonyhughes

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#97214 27-Nov-2007 19:26

I would like to remind everyone that this thread is for discussion about Vodafone Prepay data. Please move unrelated conversations to new threads.

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