Vodaphone - Getting out of 2 year contract

redped

dangerman7uk wrote: »

If there is no competition, charge whatever you like, right?

I've obviously missed something, as I was under the impression there is more than one mobile phone company in the UK. So there obvious IS competition.

dangerman7uk wrote: »

Over charge for the handset, over charge for the network

Who says they're overcharging? You. Are you aware of how much R&D time (and money) goes into designing the handsets, let alone the network? The network infrastructure itself isn't cheap to build, and all the companies who ell that kit to Vodafone (and Orange, O2, 3, etc.) all need to pay their staff, as well as making a profit.

dangerman7uk wrote: »

I'm a business man.

dangerman7uk wrote: »

I think that they should charge for what it's worth, not what they can get.

Is that what you do in your business, or do you charge as much as the market will allow?

dangerman7uk wrote: »

But I don't want businessmen growing fat on honest people's hard earned money, taking gluttonous amounts of profits each year!

This'll only happy for as long as people are willing to pay large sums for the latest phones. Supply & demand works both ways - if there's no demand for a phone because it's too expensive, nobody will buy it.

dangerman7uk wrote: »

Your talking hundreds of pounds a year for what actually costs them pittance!

So again, you know how much it costs to expand and maintain a telecoms network, as well as paying for advertising, CS staff, running their shops, etc.? I used to work for one of the main telecom equipment manufacturers who supplied to phone companies, and am aware how much some of that kit costs. To say it costs a mobile operator a pittance per customer per year is wrong.

T_T_2

dangerman7uk wrote: »

Dude, do what you like. You're obviously well clued up on where you spend your money. But all you're doing is justifying these companies over charging for things.

If there is no competition, charge whatever you like, right? As long as you can make people cough up ridiculous amounts of their money with glossy enticing advertisements and 'must have' handsets, why not?! Over charge for the handset, over charge for the network... And then tie them in for two whole years! Excellent!

I disagree. I think that they should charge for what it's worth, not what they can get. I believe that profit is good. That's business. I'm a business man. Money makes the world go round. But I don't want businessmen growing fat on honest people's hard earned money, taking gluttonous amounts of profits each year!

I allow for the benefits of having a bigger better network. As you say, better coverage and sometimes it's handy to have customer services. I agree that this will cost more, and so I would be willing to pay more. But not that much. Your talking hundreds of pounds a year for what actually costs them pittance!

You make me chuckle and your comments suggest one of two things, either you have never owned or managed a business or worse still, you own or manage a business that isn't being managed very well.

Business is about exposing yourself to risk in order to receive a reward. Often the greater the risk the greater the reward and rightly so. A well managed business either reduces risk over time or increases reward. Why would a business ever charge less than the market can support? That isn't good business practice.

dangerman7uk

T_T wrote: »

You make me chuckle and your comments suggest one of two things, either you have never owned or managed a business or worse still, you own or manage a business that isn't being managed very well.

Business is about exposing yourself to risk in order to receive a reward. Often the greater the risk the greater the reward and rightly so. A well managed business either reduces risk over time or increases reward. Why would a business ever charge less than the market can support? That isn't good business practice.

It's basic ethics. I recycle bicycles for a charity. A 'non-profit' charity. Which obviously profits, of course. Maybe I am a bad manager. But it's my ethic. I find out the value of a used reconditioned bicycle and make sure both parties get a good deal.

dangerman7uk

redped wrote: »

I've obviously missed something, as I was under the impression there is more than one mobile phone company in the UK. So there obvious IS competition.


Who says they're overcharging? You. Are you aware of how much R&D time (and money) goes into designing the handsets, let alone the network? The network infrastructure itself isn't cheap to build, and all the companies who ell that kit to Vodafone (and Orange, O2, 3, etc.) all need to pay their staff, as well as making a profit.



Is that what you do in your business, or do you charge as much as the market will allow?


This'll only happy for as long as people are willing to pay large sums for the latest phones. Supply & demand works both ways - if there's no demand for a phone because it's too expensive, nobody will buy it.


So again, you know how much it costs to expand and maintain a telecoms network, as well as paying for advertising, CS staff, running their shops, etc.? I used to work for one of the main telecom equipment manufacturers who supplied to phone companies, and am aware how much some of that kit costs. To say it costs a mobile operator a pittance per customer per year is wrong.

Well, I know it's not hundreds of pounds of year per customer per year indefinitely to construct and maintain a telecoms network. How much would you say it costs a company like vodafone on average?

I say they're over charging based on, for example, this:

Talk Mobile offering a £99 phone (Samsung Galaxy 2 which would cost £450 about the same as the iphone) with 400 minutes, 1000 texts and a gig of data for a £30pcm for 12 months TCO of £460. Theoretically, you could buy another contract in 12 months and get a similar deal and a new phone.

Vs

Vodafone offering the same phone for the same price with 900 minutes unlimited texts and 750mb internet for £36pcm fo 24 months TCO of £964.

So, as you can see, Vodafone are charging more than double for a very similar contract, yet you're only getting one phone for the two years.

robt_2

dangerman7uk wrote: »

I'm a business man

dangerman7uk wrote: »

I think that they should charge for what it's worth, not what they can get.

You couldn't make it up :rotfl::rotfl:

robt_2

dangerman7uk wrote: »

If there is no competition, charge whatever you like, right?

dangerman7uk wrote: »

Talk Mobile offering a £99 phone (Samsung Galaxy 2 which would cost £450 about the same as the iphone) with 400 minutes, 1000 texts and a gig of data for a £30pcm for 12 months TCO of £460. Theoretically, you could buy another contract in 12 months and get a similar deal and a new phone.

Vs

Vodafone offering the same phone for the same price with 900 minutes unlimited texts and 750mb internet for £36pcm fo 24 months TCO of £964.

So, as you can see, Vodafone are charging more than double for a very similar contract, yet you're only getting one phone for the two years.

So, by your own admission, there IS competition.

You are a walking contradiction.

dangerman7uk

I didn't say there wasn't competition, that was a point I was making regarding if there were no rules in regard to business and toward that individuals attitude to how these companies should do business. For a long time, speaking of iphones, there was no competition. O2 succeeded to charge ridiculous money for their contracts and iphones and they fought tooth and nail to keep that hold too.

Stop putting words into my mouths people! You're taking my statements out of context. Muppets.

dangerman7uk

robt wrote: »

You couldn't make it up :rotfl::rotfl:

See my above occupation. I'm not a dishonest person. Even though you seem to imply all business must be.

Guys_Dad

dangerman7uk wrote: »

See my above occupation. I'm not a dishonest person. Even though you seem to imply all business must be.

I accept what you say at face value about your occupation - no reason to think you are lying.

However, let' s get back to basics.

I have just got a 12-month contract with Vodafone -
600minutes, unlimited texts and 500mb data for £10.00 per month - no handset.

I also run an Orange contract just renegotiated - 400 minutes, unlimited texts and 500mb data. I paid £22.50 contribution for an Optimus one Android and that costs me £10.50 per month.

I can get a decent basic handset for my Vodafone contract for well under £50. - in fact I am using a Nokia 2730 that is 18 months old and works perfectly.

Now I admit I got a decent deal from them because I ran my previous contracts to the end, caused no fuss and just told them what I wanted at upgrade time.

Now I don't think that this is exceptional and virtually anyone could do the same.

That doesn't seem to be a rip off to me and the reason I get that sort of a deal is that I curb my desires for the latest shiny gizmo.

So, it's not the rip-off networks that are at fault - it's the "dollar-down and dollar-a-week, bang it on credit, oops I've run into financial problems" brigade that bring it on their own heads.

dangerman7uk

Guys_Dad wrote: »

I accept what you say at face value about your occupation - no reason to think you are lying.

However, let' s get back to basics.

I have just got a 12-month contract with Vodafone -
600minutes, unlimited texts and 500mb data for £10.00 per month - no handset.

I also run an Orange contract just renegotiated - 400 minutes, unlimited texts and 500mb data. I paid £22.50 contribution for an Optimus one Android and that costs me £10.50 per month.

I can get a decent basic handset for my Vodafone contract for well under £50. - in fact I am using a Nokia 2730 that is 18 months old and works perfectly.

Now I admit I got a decent deal from them because I ran my previous contracts to the end, caused no fuss and just told them what I wanted at upgrade time.

Now I don't think that this is exceptional and virtually anyone could do the same.

That doesn't seem to be a rip off to me and the reason I get that sort of a deal is that I curb my desires for the latest shiny gizmo.

So, it's not the rip-off networks that are at fault - it's the "dollar-down and dollar-a-week, bang it on credit, oops I've run into financial problems" brigade that bring it on their own heads.

Totally agree. They sound like good deals. And I've never said that you cannot get good deals. It's what's right for the person, innit?

The reason I get bet out of shape, though, is when they close up gaps like allowing you to reduce a contract after nine months (which I always though was handy in case circumstances changed while serving a long contract). Or when they extend a contract without giving the customer something in return?

Am I repeating myself now? Sorry about that.