Vodafone drop the $99 connection fee

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Lurch

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Topic # 24543 27-Jul-2008 12:59

I dont want the free internet until the end of the year (or even the $30 off). I dont want to sign up for a toll package, all I need is the $90 a month deal, what's holding me back is if I dont go for your current promotion you will charge me a $99 connection fee. The other stinger is I'd still be locked into a 12 month contract.

If you dropped the $99 connection fee and just bill me it if I terminate my 12 month contract early I'd sign up today.

manhinli

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Reply # 151784 27-Jul-2008 13:08

Lurch: I dont want the free internet until the end of the year (or even the $30 off). I dont want to sign up for a toll package, all I need is the $90 a month deal, what's holding me back is if I dont go for your current promotion you will charge me a $99 connection fee. The other stinger is I'd still be locked into a 12 month contract.

If you dropped the $99 connection fee and just bill me it if I terminate my 12 month contract early I'd sign up today.

Vodafone have the 12mth contract on the promotion only.

So, if you don't take the free broadband deal, you're free to do as you wish (but you will get charged the $99 connection)

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exportgoldman

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Reply # 151785 27-Jul-2008 13:10

The rub beening is Vodafone know this, and know there are two more GSM networks due to go live in less than six months, so you cannot get a plan change or new business account without signing up for a contract... even if you DONT want a new phone, or free minutes.

I went to two stores, and talked to the Vodafone helpdesk and they all confirmed this. They are desperately trying to lock people into contracts because their network is crap and they are still price gorging and know when competition arrives they are going to have to spend money on their network blackspots and also drop their prices.

They can delay both if enough people are stuck on contract with high prices.

Oh, and if they can't sign you up to another 2 year contract, the reps sometimes do it anyways to get the bonus, happened to me personally, and it was only because I took careful documentation that I was able to refute their claims. Dishonest.

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johnr

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Reply # 151788 27-Jul-2008 13:27

exportgoldman: their network is crap.

A few dropped calls around the place does not make a network crap! Yes Auckland Harbour bridge and the water front but this does NOT make a network crap.

You sounding like a stuck record on GZ about a few places where calls drop is crap.

You go on and on and on. Its simple don't make calls in these places! As advised before some places can't be fixed that easily cause of the RMA!!

richms

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Reply # 151844 27-Jul-2008 16:45

When I asked a few weeks back, motormouth on account was still available without contract, but was not able to have no term data added to it so there is still no way to use a data capable for both voice and data without going on a term.

Richard rich.ms

Lurch

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Reply # 151870 27-Jul-2008 18:05

Vodafone have the 12mth contract on the promotion only.

So, if you don't take the free broadband deal, you're free to do as you wish (but you will get charged the $99 connection)

States when you sign up it will be $99 and that there is still a 12 month contract. Thats on the online sign up form. Will check it again..

manhinli

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Reply # 151871 27-Jul-2008 18:13

Lurch:

Vodafone have the 12mth contract on the promotion only.

So, if you don't take the free broadband deal, you're free to do as you wish (but you will get charged the $99 connection)

States when you sign up it will be $99 and that there is still a 12 month contract. Thats on the online sign up form. Will check it again..

On the 3rd step, you can choose whether you want a promotion or not.

Select the "I do not want to take any promotional offers" option.

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johnr

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Reply # 151885 27-Jul-2008 19:03

richms: When I asked a few weeks back, motormouth on account was still available without contract, but was not able to have no term data added to it so there is still no way to use a data capable for both voice and data without going on a term.

You can add mobile data without a term on Motormouth on Account!

richms

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Reply # 151919 27-Jul-2008 21:28

Well thats not what the staff in the shop said, they were adament that they could not do it non term when added to a voice plan, and since it was only going to have to surfice till november i wasnt prepaired to entertain the data early termination costs.

Richard rich.ms

exportgoldman

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Reply # 151928 27-Jul-2008 22:13

johnr:
exportgoldman: their network is crap.

A few dropped calls around the place does not make a network crap! Yes Auckland Harbour bridge and the water front but this does NOT make a network crap.

You sounding like a stuck record on GZ about a few places where calls drop is crap.

You go on and on and on. Its simple don't make calls in these places! As advised before some places can't be fixed that easily cause of the RMA!!

No if you also include their now overflowing data centre in albany, with only a few cages free, and the redundant data centre they have been putting off building, and have redesigned 5 odd times yet still never approved it to go live does indicate a lack of spending on basic network resources.

How about the network fault last tuesday which made 90% of calls fail, and from reports seemed to go on in patches nationwide for most of the day.

Perhaps, having travelled to numerous other countries I have been spoilt for quality, choice and cost and should just shut up and accept our mobile performance and cost is the best that little 'old down on the farm New Zealand is able to achieve.

And for dropped calls, I wish I lived in the Auckland where the harbor bridge and water front were the only known, unfixable black spots.

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exportgoldman

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Reply # 151930 27-Jul-2008 22:25

johnr:
exportgoldman: their network is crap.

You go on and on and on. Its simple don't make calls in these places! As advised before some places can't be fixed that easily cause of the RMA!!

Is that a official response?

I just read this line again. Are you serious? Don't make calls in these places? I live in Parnel, in Auckland. The sky tower is around 1200 meters away, and I can see all of the city, but making a call which doesn't drop out, or recieving calls instead of them going straight to voicemail is not possible on Vodaphones network at my home.

But Vodafone tell me on the Television I can have Vodafone at home, unless if you live in parts of the CBD of Auckland I guess.

I can throw a stone and hit fifty buildings which you could put a tower on and provide mobile service to me and the other 12 people in our apartment building. But RMA is holding Vodafone back from putting a site on any of these buildings? Love to hear. I live on Birdwood Cresent.

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richms

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Reply # 151940 27-Jul-2008 23:16

Add to that the coverage checker still giving total misinformation for both here and a lot of other addresses that I have checked on it and you have to wonder whats going on.

How long have vodafone known about the calls dropping on the southern motorway before greenlane and done nothing about it. Thats like one of the busiest roads in the country. How about the downstairs at glenfield mall? Not even gsm coverage in countdown yet telecom have full signal. If there is some political thing about them not being allowed to put a site in the mall they should let it be known.

Richard rich.ms

JoeBloggs

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Reply # 152045 28-Jul-2008 13:11

Lurch, several friends of mine have commented about this. It has clinched their decision so to speak. They simply do not want the $15 add-on or discount but would like to sign up to a normal plan without the $99 connection fee. As is usually the case, I'm sure another promotion is around the corner however, so sit tight.

Export, I know the situation here can be frustrating. It 'is' more expensive per capita to set up and maintain a mobile network here then in most places in the world but they've used this excuse for long enough. Once NZ Coms becomes more active and users start seeing the difference in service, VF will suddenly start supplying coverage to those areas that cost a little extra to set up. At present, try to remember it's a business that may simply not justify installing a $30,000 antenna or moving a COW into place to enable coverage to 20 people who are probably on Telecom already

exportgoldman

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Reply # 152167 28-Jul-2008 19:27

JoeBloggs:

Export, I know the situation here can be frustrating. It 'is' more expensive per capita to set up and maintain a mobile network here and in most places in the world but they've used this excuse for long enough. Once NZ Coms become more active and users start seeing the difference in service, VF will suddenly start supplying coverage to those areas that cost a little extra to set up. At present, try to remember it's a business that may simply not justify installing a $30,000 antenna or moving a COW into place to enable coverage to 20 people who are probably on Telecom already

I'm getting excited about NZComms goes retail live, as well as Telecom bring their GSM online, it's going to be a wild ride for the next few years. I loved the $50/Month Nationwide Text/Data/Pxt/Voice in America. And they would hook me up with a free phone as well.

How are NZComms doing? Love to know what their footprint is going to be like, for some reason my iPhone 3G hangs on network selection so I can't check what the coverage is like in a few places which I've strugged with. My 2G iPhone worked, and I'm wondering if it's a Vodafone setting problem, or a 3G firmware issue.

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JoeBloggs

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Reply # 152247 28-Jul-2008 23:43

Yours isn't the only iPhone to do this. It's a known issue (along with about 352 others). I'm REALLY disappointed with Apple for releasing such an unpolished product. They know better but at least they're keeping up their traditional 'add only one feature with each release' moto. This time 3G, next time, who knows, maybe even voice dialling!!

Someone from Nokia told me they're pushing to have NZ Comms supply very cheap/free handsets with their plans (think free N95's) but tipped that the plans might not be a hell of a lot cheaper. However a consumer report release a while back stated that NZ Comms would have to almost halve voice rates to become economically viable within a reasonable timeframe so the race is on.