Vodafone claim of Sony PlayStation phone theft a hoax

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › Vodafone claim of Sony PlayStation phone theft a hoax

LennonNZ

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#83561 18-May-2011 17:14

Taken from:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/vodafone-claim-of-sony-playstation-phone-theft-a-hoax/story-e6frgakx-1226058113389

VODAFONE New Zealand has admitted that it made up a claim that a shipment of new Sony Ericsson PlayStation phones had been stolen.

Vodafone last night used its official Twitter site to announce the theft.

The company said it intended to delay the launch of the phone in New Zealand because of it.

“[We] regret to advise the Xperia Play launch will be delayed,” Vodafone New Zealand said on Twitter last night.

The tweet said Vodafone has suffered a major security breach and the shipment of phones had been stolen.

However Vodafone New Zealand spokesman Matthew East told The Australian this morning the company had made up the claim on Twitter for marketing purposes.

The theft comes ahead of the phone's launch in the US on May 26.

The Xperia Play also has been the subject of production delays because of Japan’s tsunami and supply chain interruptions.

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#470661 18-May-2011 17:17

I wonder if this has been submitted as an "EPIC FAIL" yet?

From their latest tweet, it's some facebook competition.

Morons. (in the marketing dept., obviously)

corksta

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#470668 18-May-2011 17:27

Definitely worthy of their 'Vodafail' hashtag.

Beccara

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#470675 18-May-2011 17:33

Still, just goes to show reporters and news sites shouldn't use twitter as their only source for a story!

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tardtasticx

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#470688 18-May-2011 18:09

Pathetic

Finch

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#470689 18-May-2011 18:10

You know I was possibly interested in buying one of these even if they havent been selling well worldwide. Not now.

heavenlywild

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#470690 18-May-2011 18:16

It's plain dumb and disrespectful to lie to customers. This is not creativity, rather, stupidity.

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freitasm

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#470692 18-May-2011 18:21

Beccara: Still, just goes to show reporters and news sites shouldn't use twitter as their only source for a story!

I think the main problem is that the announcement came from the official account. It brings credibility to the claim. Now how can people trust that account?

They should have "leaked" the "theft" through another account, possibly one created a month or so ago, with some followers already that would lend credibility to the "theft" without making it "official".

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kyhwana2

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#470693 18-May-2011 18:23

Yep, now everything from their official twitter account will be "lol, marketing are being dumb again and it's not actually true" in usual vodafail tradition.

Technofreak

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#470801 18-May-2011 21:35

Perhaps they have engaged "Dumb and Dumber" as their PR consultants.

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heavenlywild

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#470802 18-May-2011 21:38

I think Vodafone tried to be "smart viral marketers" and failed.

Large corporations need to realise the internet now - their website, Facebook, Twitter, etc - is the main channel for communication. You can be funny, creative and "out there" but a blatant lie definitely crosses the line.

gehenna

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#470803 18-May-2011 21:44

They're doing it wrong.

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dclegg

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#470819 18-May-2011 22:12

Also, they have faked a "security breach" for a product from a company who has had a recent real security breach that still has many of us smarting. Pretty poor taste, IMHO.

Technofreak

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#470824 18-May-2011 22:18

I'm not sure Sony Ericsson would that happy having their name associated with such a dumb PR campaign, with or without their own recent troubles with SPS.

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GH33

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#470878 18-May-2011 23:36

Not good from Vodafone NZ, very unprofessional really

muppet

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#470903 19-May-2011 06:51

Yesterday the phone they're advertising was trending on Twitter in New Zealand. The #vodafail hashtag wasn't.

So while I agree this is pretty pathetic, I bet the marketing dept are beaming from ear to ear because it's got everyone talking about it. I had no idea they were getting these phones.

I couldn't care less, of course,as a once loyal SonyEricsson customer (the P-series phones were awesome and ahead of their time), this new thing looks as exciting as mouse poo.

Audiophiles are such twits! They buy such pointless stuff: Gold plated cables, $2000 power cords. Idiots.

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