Buying a handset : Is Vodacom a ripoff ?

Rouxenator

Rouxenator

Dank meme lord
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I have been with VodaCom for almost 10 years now but whenever I needed to buy a handset with cash (prepaid) I always did it from Cell C. Partly because the Cell C shop here on Stellenbosch (Maties Cellular) has a very hot lady working there but mostly because they always have it for cheaper (and in stock).

Say you want to but a Nokia 5000 :

Vodacom charges R1299 on prepaid
http://www.game.co.za/portal/game20...t_leaflets/111/Game-Vodacom-2008-11-14-10.gif

Cell C charges R849 + R84 (starter pack) + R25 (airtime) = R958
http://www.game.co.za/portal/game20...tent_leaflets/96/Game-CellC-2008-10-22-05.gif

Anyone else than made the same finding with regards to buying a phone from Vodacom ?
 
I have - Vodacom wanted about R7700 for a 8GB iPhone and I found one at DionWired of all places for R6500ish !
 
Cell C's prepaid phones are cheap, but do you want to be on their network?

Does the warrantee expire if you use a SIM card from another network in the phone? I know that this is the case with Vodacom.
 
Port to MTN and don't look back. I wonder were the VC reps are to back their company.
 
I use all the networks for various things but my main number is with VodaCom. A lot of things can be said of them but in the close to 10 years of them I have been pretty happy overall. I have experienced a lot of crap with the other networks and personally I dislike MTN for a lot of reasons.

My point is that when buying a phone cash (AKA non-contract AKA prepaid) I do it from Cell C. I have accumulated few of their starter packs in draws by now. I have only once used the 2nd year warranty on Vodacom. Apart from that I rely on the manufacturers warranty and Nokia has exceptional support if you deal with them directly.
 
Yeah, Vodacom is a bloody rip-off. The Nokia E71 is just over R5000 from MTN, but at Vodacom it's R6700!! :eek:
 
Have to agree. When i needed to upgrade last year (i was with vodacom for about 7 years), all the deals vodacom had were more expensive then the ones the other networks were offering. Eventually I ported to mtn, because of the cheaper phone.

In response to rouxenator having had crap with networks other then vodacom, i find vodacom and mtn's networks in the johannesburg region to be very similar - cant say either is better, both have similar issues.
 
I would never port from Vodacom, especially not over the price of a phone. But when I just want a handset Vodacom is the last place I would look.

MTN is just too yellow for me. Besides, when you call a MTN number the "ringing signal" you get sounds close to the busy signal on other networks. MTN has crap data services also, especially on prepaid.

But that is not the point here - so thanks for your input Catweasel, seems it is not just me that finds Vodacom's handset prices too high and uncompetitively priced.
 
Grumpy Old Man said:
Is prepaid phones from Cell C network locked?
Click to expand...

This was outlawed a few years back. All phones bought within South Africa will work on any network.

Just a bit off-topic, the manufacturers warranty - how does that work? I bought a Nokia 5500 from bidorbuy with no documentation - will Nokia fix it for me if it's within the two years?
 
Shahil said:
This was outlawed a few years back. All phones bought within South Africa will work on any network.

Just a bit off-topic, the manufacturers warranty - how does that work? I bought a Nokia 5500 from bidorbuy with no documentation - will Nokia fix it for me if it's within the two years?
Click to expand...

Manufacturers warranty is only 1 year. The 2nd year warranty is from the network. Vodacom for example have rules into which your phone must fall before they will repair it under 2nd year warranty. Firstly all the normal 1st year condition are taken into account (no abuse, water damage, etc...) then they check the IMEI of the phone to see if it was supplied/sold by VodaCom (VSP Phone) then they check to see if the phone was active on the network (made a voice call) in the last 60days. If all that is true then they will repair it under 2nd year warranty.
 
Vodacom is a rip off, plain and simple. They have lost the plot with pricing and are ripping their customers off. 10 yrs and they cannot even give it for free on talk 500 or talk 100??? :mad:
 
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