Orcon new plans! (any gossip?)

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Orcon new plans! (any gossip?)

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#386662 1-Oct-2010 10:43

Ive confused myself now....
Looks like Im now being moved upto a Silver+ plan with 15gb but lose my phone services but is costing me a fraction more.... do I keep the 5GB with smartphone services or get the 15gb and lose the smartphone services. Wife gives me a budget of $80 a month for net etc :-p

CallerID/Voicemail has been handy.... but the data is handy... argh.

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#386670 1-Oct-2010 11:07

Here is the information you want:

Orcon introduces new plans

Orcon has a range of new plans – which feature increased base data allowances up to three times greater than existing plans. They all now come with maximum upload and download speed.

Orcon’s Taryn Hamilton says the company took a look at its prices in light of GST increasing and decided to boost data across the majority of residential plans. Orcon had already increased data caps on several plans in May.

“We have also looked at individual customers’ usage over the past six months and will be emailing all @home and @home+ product users with a recommended plan based on their individual needs. I’m really proud of this initiative and it sits well with our customer ethos.

“Too many people trundle along on a plan that simply isn’t suited to their needs, and we want to fix that.”

Hamilton says new customers will automatically be signed up to the new plans, and existing customers will be able to switch whenever they choose.

He says Orcon has also increased upload speeds. “While it may seem like a small thing for the casual web surfer, many of our customers have been asking for higher upload speeds. We have flipped the switch to max for every new plan.”

The data allowance changes are:

Home+
1) Increased Bronze+ base data allocation from 2GB to 5GB. $70 a month
2) Purple+ base data allocation remains at 25GB $80 a month
3) Increased Silver+ base data allocation from 5GB to 15GB. $80 a month
4) Increased Gold+ (with unlimited national calling) base data allocation from 10GB to 20GB. $100 a month
5) Increased Platinum+ (with unlimited national calling and unlimited calling to one overseas destination) base data allocation from 25GB to 30GB. $120 a month

Home
1) Bronze with calling. Data cap 5GB. $35 a month
2) Bronze without calling. Data cap 5GB. $40 a month
3) Gold (with unlimited national calling). Data cap 20GB. $110 a month
4) Platinum (with unlimited national calling and unlimited calling to one overseas destination). Data cap 30GB. $130 a month

A range of data bundles, including 300GB for $245, have also been added.

As part of the data plan increases, Hamilton says a number of other changes have been implemented, including making smartphone features an additional bundle, and re-pricing of the international calling plans.

Full details are available at Orcon.net.nz

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bazzer

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#386674 1-Oct-2010 11:27

OK, so now I look at it it seems I get no real advantage. I guess I'm in a similar situation to xpd, I was on Silver+, 5GB with the 10GB addon = $92. Now Silver+ includes 15GB for the same price ($80) but what they haven't mentioned is that they removed the smartphone features and made it a chargeable extra ($10).

I actually think it's just a typo, because it does say (as it always has) "Next generation Broadband with xxGB of data (data upgrades available), and a fully-featured homeline." I find the Voicemail, call waiting and caller id (when it works) pretty useful, but don't think I'd explicitly pay $10 for it. If it wasn't included, I'd have switched down to Bronze+ ages ago ($10 cheaper and only 3GB less).

Now, Bronze+ is still $10 cheaper but you get 10GB less so the value proposition is less appealing. If this ends up being true, then Silver+ looks like the big loser in this "upgrade".

On top of this, they've taken the opportunity to increase the cost of their data upgrades (again). 10GB now costs $15 rather than $12 (GST would make it $12.27). I guess I'm just miffed because I happen to use the two products that seem to have been hit the worst.

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#386676 1-Oct-2010 11:27

So... no change for people like me on Purple + then? How underwhelming, Orcon.

Ben

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#386678 1-Oct-2010 11:35

It's rubbish. Platinum+ gets +5GB, but also gets smarphone (Voicemail etc) removed. If you want it back that will be $10 per month.

Guess what the extra 5GB would have cost per month?

"Best Value Ever"?

bazzer

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#386682 1-Oct-2010 11:42

pedrogarcia: So... no change for people like me on Purple + then? How underwhelming, Orcon.

Well, you did get a big change just recently. I just take a small exception to the assertion that the new plans are "the best value we've ever had!". To get the same value I had before, I'll have to add on the $10 smartphone package. That brings my total package price to $90. It is better value, sure, but barely worth mentioning. One hand giveth (extra data), the other taketh away (smartphone features). Not to dissimilar to the tax cuts/GST hike really...

I suppose if I stay on my old plan it will change to ($79.95 + $12) / 1.125 * 1.15 = $93.99. Or even worse $79.95 / 1.125 * 1.15 + $15 = $96.73 depending how they handle the data package repricing.

In that case, it's a no brainer I suppose. Maybe $4 or $6 a month saving is considered revolutionary pricing these days, I was just expecting more I suppose. It's not the new pricing so much, as the spin they put on it.

CutCutCut

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#386686 1-Oct-2010 11:54

ChrisNZL: Wiring and maintenance insurance is no longer free - costs $3 now. And it looks like Gold only has free local calling now? (have asked @Orcon for confirmation)

And the only difference between Bronze and Silver now are the GB usage limits - you can add smartphone features to any plan for $10. No free single-port modem rental with Bronze, though.

So I wonder if I stay on my old plan will wiring insurance still be included? and does my additional data package stay at the original price?
hmmm

Ben

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#386687 1-Oct-2010 11:55

bazzer: I just take a small exception to the assertion that the new plans are "the best value we've ever had!".

I've asked for a formal statement on this, because it's provably false that people with some data bundles will get "the best value ever".

bazzer

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#386692 1-Oct-2010 12:03

Ben:
bazzer: I just take a small exception to the assertion that the new plans are "the best value we've ever had!".

I've asked for a formal statement on this, because it's provably false that people with some data bundles will get "the best value ever".

I'm not sure that can be construed as false advertising though. After all, you can just stay with the status quo and be no worse off (GST exclusive). On the face of it, the plans are better value, barely. Although there may be some edge cases where it doesn't hold, those cases don't have to change, so as a whole the statement is reasonably factual.

Take your example, I don't know your exact plan, but Platinum+ was $119.95 (was it?) if you got the 5GB upgrade (was $8, I believe), that would be $127.50 = $130.80 with 15% GST. The new plan plus smart phone = $130. So it is slightly better value.

Your twitter example, Platinum+ + 50GB, it will really depend on how they handle legacy data bundles (I suspect they move to the new pricing, so it's moot). In any case how can you compare 75GB to 80GB, it's a bit subjective.

I'm not that happy with the new prices, I was expecting more, but I haven't seen one example where the new pricing is actually not the "best" value, however small that best is. I haven't taken time to analyse the new pricing indepth though.

xpd

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#386734 1-Oct-2010 13:41

Id be happy with a plan that gave me back my phone services and 10GB for $80........ Im not saving anything no matter what I choose at this point.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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Aaroona

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#386774 1-Oct-2010 14:56

So in other words... Orcon didn't live up to the hype, which a few of us predicted.

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#386781 1-Oct-2010 15:07

If I still had Orcon internet (thanks for cancelling it!!) I get an extra 3GB a month for $5 less.

Until this afternoon I was paying $40 for 2GB, $50 for 50GB and $10 for the fullspeed/fullspeed addon. Now that the addon is included in the plan, I save $10, but because the 50GB is now $5 more expensive ..

alliao

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#386783 1-Oct-2010 15:11

i think it's safe to say their marketing department is excited easily :P

slamming words like best value left and right like that...
keep calm and carry on i suppose! XD

Though I'd really like to see a clear before and after diagram, English being my second language, I whole heartedly support Plain English Campaign.. ;)

Ben

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#386789 1-Oct-2010 15:19

Official PR-ese response from Orcon has arrived. Basically they've taken Best Value Evah! and turned it into:

Best Value* Evah!

*depending on what you "value".

Idiotards.

http://www.ben.geek.nz/2010/10/orcons-best-value-plans/

bazzer

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#386833 1-Oct-2010 16:45

Ben: Official PR-ese response from Orcon has arrived. Basically they've taken Best Value Evah! and turned it into:

Best Value* Evah!

*depending on what you "value".

Idiotards.

http://www.ben.geek.nz/2010/10/orcons-best-value-plans/

That's a bit rough, dude. Clearly, there are people who won't be any/much better off. On the other hand, there would be quite a few who a far better off. "Idiotards"? Really?

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