Vodafone new 1GB data add-on

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freitasm

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#51231 27-Nov-2009 13:51

From December 10, Vodafone will make available a new optional data add-on for customers on iPhone or Smart plans. Customers seeking more data than that included in their existing bundles, can purchase an extra 1GB for $49.95 per month which can be added and removed as users require.

Customers on iPhone and Smart plans already enjoy either 250MB, 500MB or 1GB of data – depending on what plan they’ve taken. The extra 1GB gives customers the ability to add-on more data, allowing them to take full advantage of tethering. In the event that this 1GB of data is used up another 1GB is automatically triggered for only a $10 additional charge.

Along with this optional data add-on, customers on iPhone and Smart plans will receive 100 PXTs each month, for free. This will be added to customers accounts automatically.

This refresh replaces Vodafone’s recent promotion that began in July and which will finish on December 9, 2009.

I just me or are our mobile operators still charging like a bull when it comes to data options? I would expect by now to have unlimited* data for $49.95...

(* And by "unlimited" I don't mean the joke Vodafone UK calls 500MB).

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#276928 27-Nov-2009 14:32

Frankly, I'm a bit stunned... chucking an extra $50 onto my plan so I'm not tied down to 250MB/month seems crazy, especially after 3GB for "free" the past half-year. Paul acknowledges that the promotional offer made a rod for their own back, but following with this is almost offensive.

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bcourtney

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#276936 27-Nov-2009 14:42

TBH, I hardly ever go over my 250MB limit BUT I wouldn't mind the option of an extra 250MB for $10 if I do go over.

Similar to the standard data plans where you can double your allowance for $10 - this should be extended to the iPhone/smartphone plans

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#276990 27-Nov-2009 16:20

Is this supposed to be something new??

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#276999 27-Nov-2009 16:43

Nightwyrm: Frankly, I'm a bit stunned... chucking an extra $50 onto my plan so I'm not tied down to 250MB/month seems crazy, especially after 3GB for "free" the past half-year. Paul acknowledges that the promotional offer made a rod for their own back, but following with this is almost offensive.

What? you mean the ol' "Trust me, there will be something else really awesome - but no I won't tell you what it will be, just sign your 24 month contract thanks" line didn't ring true?! I'm shocked. Truely. ;)

raydenl

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#277007 27-Nov-2009 16:54

Yep, they lured everyone in, myself included, with a really awesome deal, then pulled it away and replaced it with something quite ridiculous.

You would think that Vodafone would have learned from there initial $80 iPhone plan bomb that people want cheaper realistic options.

$10 for an extra 250MB would have been such an option. Still expensive, but acceptable.

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#277010 27-Nov-2009 17:02

Laughable...

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bcourtney

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#277011 27-Nov-2009 17:02

raydenl: Yep, they lured everyone in, myself included, with a really awesome deal, then pulled it away and replaced it with something quite ridiculous.

You would think that Vodafone would have learned from there initial $80 iPhone plan bomb that people want cheaper realistic options.

$10 for an extra 250Gb would have been such an option. Still expensive, but acceptable.

hey I'm no VF fanboy but I think that the comments about luring people in with awesome deals and then pulling them is pretty weak.

It was advertised as being for a limited time from the get-go. I re-signed on to my $80 plan (which works out brilliantly for me and is saving me money over my previous plan) taking the 3GB/1000 PXT deal as simply a limited tmie bonus. It was never guaranteed for the duration of my contract so I never expected it to be. If you were wanting a plan with 3GB of data and 1000 PXTs guaranteed for the 24 month duration then you signed up to the wrong plan.

Vodafone indicated that something would replace this bonus deal. The deal was then extended for another 2-3 months (bonus in itself I'd have thought) and now it's been replaced by adding 100 free PXTs to the standard makeup of the iPhone/smartphone plans.

You sign a contract for what is being offered at the time, not what you'd LIKE to see GIVEN to you for nothing extra in the future. That argument is a weak one. Nothing more to be added.

Back on topic - The cost of the data add-on for what is generally thought of as being a rather expensive set of plans SHOULD be cheaper in my opinion. I can sign up to a 24 month data only plan and pay $49.95. Surely I should be able to get this discounted if I'm already paying a minimum of $80 in other plan fees for my voice plan??

raydenl

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#277038 27-Nov-2009 18:43

bcourtney:
hey I'm no VF fanboy but I think that the comments about luring people in with awesome deals and then pulling them is pretty weak.

I stand by my comment. I agree you don't sign up to a plan wholly because of a running promotion. But when VF puts on a promo that, lets face it, 3GB is pretty awesome...you can not say with a straight face that that was for any other reason than to get as many sign ups as possible.

Now they drop back to a pretty pathetic option. If the promo and after promo deals were more closely aligned then I would be more sympathetic.

It's like, hey you can drive this Ferrari for a few months, after that I'm taking it back, but you can have this toy replica. I don't want your toy car VF, it doesn't have to be a Ferrari, but give me something I can drive!

bcourtney

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#277039 27-Nov-2009 18:55

raydenl: It's like, hey you can drive this Ferrari for a few months, after that I'm taking it back, but you can have this toy replica. I don't want your toy car VF, it doesn't have to be a Ferrari, but give me something I can drive!

Nope, it's not like that at all.

It's more like "here's this Ferrari that you can lease from us and as a special sweetener we will give you 3 months of free petrol". After the 3 months are up you still have your Ferrari on lease but you will now have to pay for your petrol.

You still have exactly the same iPhone plan as the one that you signed up for (except it's not because they've now added 100 free PXTs). The bonus items have now gone, but you still have exactly the same plan that you singed on the dotted line for at the beginning. You have not been disadvantaged in any way.

If, after a couple of months, they decided to take away, say, all of your free 600 text allocations from the iPhone plan that you signed up for, then yes you would have a valid argument.

imadog

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#277040 27-Nov-2009 18:57

A ridiculously expensive offer and I won't be using it.

Whilst in Australia last month I paid $10 per 300MB on Virgin mobile for proper 3G over which I could use skype with excellent quality. In Lower Hutt where I live I am lucky to get 2 bars of 3G coverage which constantly falls back to GPRS.

sansom

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#277050 27-Nov-2009 19:44

The 1GB add on for iPhone customers is at a $10 discount to the current 1GB of data available from Vodafone. The "no term" price normally $59.95 is the relevant comparison.

Comments have also been made on this thread about the underlying iPhone plans in general. The iPhone plans represent a good deal- but it seems many overlook three very important aspects:
1. the up-front rebate (iPhone subsidy)
2. the included mobile data and MMS
3. the true cost of the iPhone

Taking the example of the $80 iPhone plan: customers who sign up to this get $780 off the price of the iPhone. This is $780 of hard cash out of Vodafone's pocket. Other costs include the sales person's commission, the minutes, voicemail, customer service, etc.

The iPhone plans are priced at $20 more per month than comparable account plans. The extra $20/mth covers at least 250MB of included data and 100 MMS.

The price for the iPhone 3GS is at least $1179 before subsidy.

If $1200 is too high then Vodafone has a lower cost touchscreen smartphone for $149 (the Vodafone 541) , on Prepay, and this price includes a free prepay SIM card.

Hamish

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#277694 30-Nov-2009 09:23

Hamish, I think the main point to it all is that "its nothing new" we were all told that something great would be coming etc, then you (vodafone) just roll out a standard data plan as a "add on" and throw a extra 100mms (which is kind of pointless as iphones etc have email).

The real kicker is that you don't add the $10 double your data to iphone/smart plans at the moment, so someone that is on a iphone $80 plan and using 400megs a month get a nice big bill for over usages when they really don't need another gig (for $50) of top of their 250megs.

It almost seem that vodafone NZ only did the 3gig free thing to see the amount people would use then setup the pricing around how to get max $$$ return (And i know that is what business is about) but its getting to the point where vodafone is still screwing people by doing as little as they can.
It sounds like someone at vodafone is good friends with Theresa Gattung and using the Gattung book on "how to keep customers happy"

cyril7

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#277702 30-Nov-2009 09:44

I would happily trade my 100 MMS for data, come to think of it never used MMS.

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#277751 30-Nov-2009 11:38

mrtoken,

I would doubt there are any friends of Teresa at Vodafone (FOTs I believe they were called). There used to be one, but she didn't last long...

Your comments about bill shock are valid and we are investing to resolve this. The problem of bill shock affects more than iPhone users and is only getting worse as speeds on the mobile data network increase.

Your double data suggestion for the iPhone plans is worthy of a second look. I recall that the issue with this approach is it really prices tethering at $10/mth for most customers, and only in the months needed, so we weren't ever going to get payback on the multimillion $$ fibre rollout. Just 1 customer buying the $49.95/mth tethering addon is equivalent to about 10 customers utilising a double data pricing. But, as I said, we'll look at it again.

Yes, the 3GB offer was a useful exercise for us, but please don't lose sight of the value that this represented to the customers who took up the offer, especially those who got in early. It wasn't a cynical low cost piece of market research dressed up as a promo, it was a customer focussed promo of as close to "unlimited" tethering as possible. Unfortunately the costs of supporting the largest data users on a mobile data network are very high, these costs now primarily relates to the impact on the radio interface.

We stand by our initial pricing of 1GB for iPhone tethering. Not saying it won't ever change though!...

Hamish

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#278212 1-Dec-2009 11:42

I'm guessing the 100 PXT are to VF only?

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