Ovivo New Network. 200 minutes 200 Texts Free indefinitely.

billpine

dealer_wins wrote: »

I see billpine, I see I see I see!!!!!!!!!

Mmmm, too much coffee!

mikegahan

The free element has been much reduced. Now just 50 mins, 50 texts, and 100mb, plus free Ovivo to Ovivo calls. Implied that this is due to issues with their business model. They now offer paid for packages much like Giffgaff, but their packages are significantly inferior to the Giffgaff versions as the latter offer unlimited mobile internet. They are still offering a Vodafone service at a very cheap price, as long as they last. It seems that the advertisng element has been withdrawn

POSTSCRIPT -A message from their CEO implies that a major problem was misuse of the free entitlement, with people buying multiple sims and switching them between phones

Guys_Dad

d123 wrote: »

Just left a comment on that blog, bet it is censored at moderation...;)

Your comment is awaiting moderation.
September 1, 2012 at 1:36 am

What a bunch of dishonest, conniving, thieving swine.

Attract people in with a decent price plan and less than a month later more than TRIPLE the charges and cut the allowances by 80%.

Shysters

I hope it does get censored as there is no call for you to take this approach.

A number of MSE members questioned the sustainability of their business model, but it doesn't mean that, because it didn't pan out as planned, the directors are thieves, shysters,dishonest swine.

They offered a free service but now find that they can only offer fewer miniutes/texts/data, again for free.

Did they take loadsamoney from you? No. They just overreached their service.

Some people are like thick vultures that can't wait to feast on a carcass. And then boast of the OTT post on another forum.

Unimpressed. :mad:

Ypaymore

Message to Our Customers from the CEO

Dear All,
As a loyal customer of Ovivo Mobile, I wanted to take the time to personally comment on the changes to our service over the past two weeks and explain to you the reason why we have had to make the changes we have.
Ovivo Mobile was created, to drive about a necessary change in the industry and move away from the traditional method of providing phone service. By giving away the free usage we have each month, we sought to use Advertising to drive revenues and subsidise that which we provided for free, all the while, aiming to provide the best customer service possible.
After three months of operating the business, we have been the target of fraudulent use of our service. Whilst the number of these fraudsters is small, they have sought to attack the core business model that Ovivo practices and undermine our business. Some of these people have used the service excessively, purchased multiple SIM cards, in some cases in different names (swapping these SIM cards between their phones in order to just use the free voice, text and data we offer) and in some cases actively promoting ways in which our advertising systems could be bypassed.
It is personally a huge shame that the greed of a few has undermined a service that so many enjoy fairly. Customers that fraudulently use our service, breaching our terms and conditions and undermining our company’s stability, will not be tolerated and will actively have their service revoked.
We aim to keep providing the service we have to date to the best of our abilities. Our intention is to reintroduce our advertising components over the coming months, so that we can return to the previous model we enjoyed offering, when possible.
It was personally for me a great pleasure to see so many people enjoying the service we offered, however in contrast a huge disappointment to see some actively seeking to take advantage of us. Hence when the action was taken at the end of August I had mixed emotions of regret, but determination to prevent this company from being jeopardised by a small group of fraudulent users.
Going forward, we will continue to identify these users and take action accordingly, whilst still aiming to offer great value and service to our loyal customers.
Many thanks,
Dariush Zand
CEO and Founder

grumbler

Ypaymore wrote: »

...After three months of operating the business, we have been the target of fraudulent use of our service. Whilst the number of these fraudsters is small, they have sought to attack the core business model that Ovivo practices and undermine our business. ...
Many thanks,
Dariush Zand
CEO and Founder

Was this something really unexpected and unpredictable? It's hard to believe that "the core business model" was so flawed from the very start and that a small number of culprits were able to endanger it.

Unless you are amateurish dilettantes, I am sure you have predicted everything and switching after attracting customers was a part of the plan. If so, you are telling lies, Mr. Dariush Zand

Paul_Varjak

Dariush Zand was fully aware that his business model could flounder, that is why the original price of the SIM card was £20, to discourage the fraudsters.

During an interview, Zand claimed his service was aimed at 'poor students' but, in the same interview, he also claimed that over 50% of students have iPhones and even more have Android phones. :embarasse

No doubt, these very same students could not afford the £20 SIM card, forcing OVIVO to reduce the cost of the SIM card to just £5. Not suprising then that the fraudsters moved in! Zand had already predicted it would happen!

Just prior to Zand's letter to his customers, blaming some of them them for OVIVO's failure, there was another email from OVIVO with the ludicrous claim that their service had been ENHANCED.

OVIVO's customers easily saw through this and when those customers complained, Zand's response was to blame them for the reduction in service!

Hardly the best public relations exercise!

Silk

Ypaymore wrote: »

.
We aim to keep providing the service we have to date to the best of our abilities. Our intention is to reintroduce our advertising components over the coming months, so that we can return to the previous model we enjoyed offering, when possible.

I don't see this happening as they have introduced non smart phone users now.
So how would those users be able to view adverts as before ???

I was also surprised to see that the Ovivo-Ovivo free calls are first deducted from the free minutes allowance...which I think is going to be a bit misleading to anyone now considering using them as it's not made clear

marvin

They have today increased the free allowance to 100 mins/text and 200mb of data.

This largely makes the £5 offer redundant as you would be paying £5 for 100mb extra data and makes it clearly better for low users than GiffGaff who offer nothing data wise with calls/texts for less than £10 a month and they have just whacked on a 20% increase on the unlimited data (provided it is working) making it £12 a month.

http://ovivomobile.com/blog/

Herongull

Ovivo have also improved the paid for bundles:

http://ovivomobile.com/12/our-offer/the-ovivo-smartphone-tariff/

And they also have interesting "Loyalty offer" http://ovivomobile.com/255/ovivo-rewards/featured-promotions-1/

If you topup by £10 for 3 consecutive months, your free monthly bundle is increased.

After 3 months topping up, your free bundle is "permanently" upgraded to:
150 minutes, 150 texts, 300mb

If you topup for 6 consecutive months, your free monthly bundle is permanently upgraded to:

200 minutes, 200 texts, 400mbs.

Of course there is always the risk that Ovivo goes broke or changes their T&Cs.

But if they stay around, these offers make them attractive to light medium and heavy users.

grumbler

In August I ordered Ovivo sim for £5, and today was the first time I put it into a handset.

The problem is that the credit is £0 and I am required to "arrange a top-up" to be able to make a call.

Why? Is it normal?