jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
How about asking instead of swearing? Who said this will not be extended to other packages? Link please?
-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: Which is the most hair-raising South African mountain pass you've driven?
Massive free data increase from Vodacom
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
How about asking instead of swearing? Who said this will not be extended to other packages? Link please?
jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
Don't think that's possible.
abandonallhope
Expert Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2011
- Messages
- 3,384
- Reaction score
- 7
I don't see anybody getting a skrik here...
Everybody just lagging it off ?
Everybody just lagging it off ?
jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
Not at all. I can't speak on behalf of Nashua. You need to ask them as your SP.I have emailed Nashua to enquire.
But I don't understand why this is not made clear. How am I suppose to guess this? I asked JvZ directly several times incl when the new Smart packages were upgraded recently. Maybe has me on ignore
grim
Expert Member
Sorry, my bad. Haven't used my 3G in a while, logged in saw 6GB available and thought night owl, actually just rollover.
jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
AfricanTech
Honorary Master
Thanks and appreciated.
I think the core facts get lost in a lot of the ranting about Vodacom:
Data (and phone) contracts are signed at a point in time which produce future commitments for both parties to the contract as set out in the terms. [Lets simply assume both parties will honour the contract and take risk of non-performance as adequately insured - there is an unfortunate asymmetry as Vodacom taught me back in 2006, never trust an undertaking from customer care even if in writing - and of course the only recourse is to personally "blacklist" the company as a firm not to do business with] These terms are agreed upon based on prevailing conditions in the market and assumptions about where the market is heading. 24 months ago data was at a different price than today so a new contract and even a renewed contract has different terms - a different price and a different amount of data. In data contracts the conditions have changed such that data is a lot cheaper. Notwithstanding my general disdain for a lot of the large corporate stupidity that can pervade Vodacom, it isn't a fair criticism that their pricing on contracts have fallen behind because Vodacom is a "bad", "greedy" or "uninnovative" company. Instead the dynamics that are at play and need to be looked at is that Vodacom knew 18 months ago when customers signed the contract that the dynamics would shift over time and they built some of those numbers into their then pricing. When Vodacom launched 3G they did so at competitive pricing and with a lot of money being spent on capacity building. I think that a lot of their early lead in many things does come at a price which allows smaller companies to enter in but this is all part of the market. Right now Vodacom is comparatively over priced but I suspect that as things move along the game will change.
I am very curious - especially with what JvZ revealed about their infrastructure upgrade rate - how much more data at the same price is now possible over 18 months ago and 60 months ago.
So Vodacom has a big problem on their hands: If I know that data pricing is going to come down why on earth would I want to be in a fixed term fixed rate contract. And with LTE we know data pricing is going to come down. Moreover they have customers who were early adopters and who didn't re-shop at renewal (either through being lazy or simply because no compelling alternative deal was around) who are now not getting the best deal. Vodacom ultimately using the annuity income that contracts basic monthly commitment provide to finance their network and the fact that the assets that R149 contributed to acquiring allow for less dataput than what R149 does now doesn't change the fact that they are locked into contracts to have purchased the earlier equipment.
This move should therefore be seen for what it is - "a re-balancing" (to use JvZ terms) where Vodacom at their own volition recognize that the original deal signed up for is not the best amount of data as what you should be getting at that price. Its the same sort of thing as VC allowing you to get your handset at month 22 of a contract. It makes the customer feel warm and fuzzy and entices them to keep or extend their business. It is therefore a good move which really shouldn't attract snarky criticism - which I see as very different to jestful remarks.
We should however look to critique and criticize Vodacom's current pricing - which for me is made a lot easier by the delivery to my post box of a 4U Edition 5 promotional broadsheet. To put it into context if I look at the Acer Aspire E5 deal at R429 on a 24 MyGig 1 contract I am looking at R10 296 over the term of the contract and then I make a call whether the 24 gigs of data spread out over that term together with the device makes the deal worth it - in the context of what other deals are available and which I anticipate to be available.
In any event taking the 4U package pricing as a standard non promotional pricing the price reduction over time is there - I don't think it is quite enough:
500MB - R39
1GB - R69
2GB - R99
3GB - R169
What is interesting here is that Afrihost has 1GB without a contract at R99 and at the expiry of the promotional era 2GB no contract at R145. However with the current run Vodacom's 3gigs for R169 is horribly uncompetitive to Afrihost 5 gigs for R149 especially because there is no contract tied with Afrihost. If Vodacom were to borrow Afriman's cape I suspect that the 3GB guys would be given 4GB of data extra a month until April 2014 at which case the extra data would be revisited in line with market conditions ...
{yes I am using the term contract badly here - you have a contract with Afrihost of a single month term}
Also has the Standard vs Advanced division been buried?
[as a final side note this particular advert form is a perfect example of Vodacom baiting customers into an OOBShark attack: 16 pages broadsheet advert with 18 tablets/laptops excl Apple punting Night Owl (which necessitates being on post-paid data and susceptible to the shark) and not a single indicator that Top-up is a measure to avoid the OOBShark. A decent advert block dedicated to OOBShark education would have been a great touch]
Data (and phone) contracts are signed at a point in time which produce future commitments for both parties to the contract as set out in the terms. [Lets simply assume both parties will honour the contract and take risk of non-performance as adequately insured - there is an unfortunate asymmetry as Vodacom taught me back in 2006, never trust an undertaking from customer care even if in writing - and of course the only recourse is to personally "blacklist" the company as a firm not to do business with] These terms are agreed upon based on prevailing conditions in the market and assumptions about where the market is heading. 24 months ago data was at a different price than today so a new contract and even a renewed contract has different terms - a different price and a different amount of data. In data contracts the conditions have changed such that data is a lot cheaper. Notwithstanding my general disdain for a lot of the large corporate stupidity that can pervade Vodacom, it isn't a fair criticism that their pricing on contracts have fallen behind because Vodacom is a "bad", "greedy" or "uninnovative" company. Instead the dynamics that are at play and need to be looked at is that Vodacom knew 18 months ago when customers signed the contract that the dynamics would shift over time and they built some of those numbers into their then pricing. When Vodacom launched 3G they did so at competitive pricing and with a lot of money being spent on capacity building. I think that a lot of their early lead in many things does come at a price which allows smaller companies to enter in but this is all part of the market. Right now Vodacom is comparatively over priced but I suspect that as things move along the game will change.
I am very curious - especially with what JvZ revealed about their infrastructure upgrade rate - how much more data at the same price is now possible over 18 months ago and 60 months ago.
So Vodacom has a big problem on their hands: If I know that data pricing is going to come down why on earth would I want to be in a fixed term fixed rate contract. And with LTE we know data pricing is going to come down. Moreover they have customers who were early adopters and who didn't re-shop at renewal (either through being lazy or simply because no compelling alternative deal was around) who are now not getting the best deal. Vodacom ultimately using the annuity income that contracts basic monthly commitment provide to finance their network and the fact that the assets that R149 contributed to acquiring allow for less dataput than what R149 does now doesn't change the fact that they are locked into contracts to have purchased the earlier equipment.
This move should therefore be seen for what it is - "a re-balancing" (to use JvZ terms) where Vodacom at their own volition recognize that the original deal signed up for is not the best amount of data as what you should be getting at that price. Its the same sort of thing as VC allowing you to get your handset at month 22 of a contract. It makes the customer feel warm and fuzzy and entices them to keep or extend their business. It is therefore a good move which really shouldn't attract snarky criticism - which I see as very different to jestful remarks.
We should however look to critique and criticize Vodacom's current pricing - which for me is made a lot easier by the delivery to my post box of a 4U Edition 5 promotional broadsheet. To put it into context if I look at the Acer Aspire E5 deal at R429 on a 24 MyGig 1 contract I am looking at R10 296 over the term of the contract and then I make a call whether the 24 gigs of data spread out over that term together with the device makes the deal worth it - in the context of what other deals are available and which I anticipate to be available.
In any event taking the 4U package pricing as a standard non promotional pricing the price reduction over time is there - I don't think it is quite enough:
500MB - R39
1GB - R69
2GB - R99
3GB - R169
What is interesting here is that Afrihost has 1GB without a contract at R99 and at the expiry of the promotional era 2GB no contract at R145. However with the current run Vodacom's 3gigs for R169 is horribly uncompetitive to Afrihost 5 gigs for R149 especially because there is no contract tied with Afrihost. If Vodacom were to borrow Afriman's cape I suspect that the 3GB guys would be given 4GB of data extra a month until April 2014 at which case the extra data would be revisited in line with market conditions ...
{yes I am using the term contract badly here - you have a contract with Afrihost of a single month term}
Also has the Standard vs Advanced division been buried?
[as a final side note this particular advert form is a perfect example of Vodacom baiting customers into an OOBShark attack: 16 pages broadsheet advert with 18 tablets/laptops excl Apple punting Night Owl (which necessitates being on post-paid data and susceptible to the shark) and not a single indicator that Top-up is a measure to avoid the OOBShark. A decent advert block dedicated to OOBShark education would have been a great touch]
SaiyanZ
Executive Member
Paul, there is a place for contracts if the price is great. 8ta launched their 10GB for R199 in June 2011. Over 2 years later it is still the best value for money mobile data. Those who signed up then got a really good deal and are still getting a good deal.
that is very much the case. My point is that contracts are negotiated into based on things applicable at the time. If prices are coming down using todays prices for tommorows obligations isn't good for the consumer. Good on VC for balancing it a bit but I don't think their current data contracts are worth the commitment based on what is likely to happen with data pricing. I really think they should commit to a schedule of minimum allocation increases if they want people to sign up
grok
Honorary Master
Apologies, you're right Jannie I was totally over-reacting.
Just realised now I don't even have VC data except for a mygig 1 that I got for a friend in need that I took back when he stopped paying me for it. See, I stopped using VC for data a couple of years ago due to high prices and I see nothing's changed. Who in their right mind pays R285 for a gig of data in 2013? Even if it's supposedly superior quality as Vodacom likes us to believe (ha ha).
I admit I shouldn't have sweared, I should simply have pointed people to Afrihost's R145 for 5gig offer and let them decide for themselves. I mean, a really good, non-stealh & transparent offer like that, available to everyone who wants it not just on selected existing packages at Vodacom's discretion? Really? What's not to like?
I've been a customer of VC since June '96 but I'm planning to port my 3 numbers away end Oct when my contract expires. Work out for yourself why a loyal customer like me finally had enough of your company and it's way of doing things, maybe then you'll realise why I swore.
Lord Farquart
Expert Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2012
- Messages
- 4,718
- Reaction score
- 936
So I am with Nashuamobile on a Vodacom MyGig2 contract. Will I also receive this increase?
biometrics
Honorary Master
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2003
- Messages
- 71,856
- Reaction score
- 2,239
So much for migrating. Nashua sells the "legacy" Smart packages not the new ones.
Something stinks ...
Something stinks ...
jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
No probs
But where do you get R285 for 1GB from? It's R69 on contract and R149 on month-to-month or prepaid.
The AH offer for 2 + 3GB @ R145 is a great offer and exactly what you would expect from a new entrant that only have pricing to acquire new customers. This is standard practise for any new entrant and we've seen this happen at least twice over the last few years.
You can see it in the underlying construct, firstly it's on the MTN network so logically they cannot undercut the host network for any length of time. The 2GB for R145 is more in line with current pricing (we're on R99) and the 3GB is likely part of the sweetner to move subs across and is not part of the base product.
Guantanamo
Expert Member
So my current MyMeg 500 bolt on which I got at the R99/month price is going to be upgraded to 3 gigs at R149/month? But the 500 megs I get with my contract is going to remain in place? Jannie are there any smaller bundles coming in at lower prices?
jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
No, you never pay more. The 500MB @ R149 got moved to 3GB @ R149.
The 500MB @ R99 will have a different target bundle but still at R99.
You're never out of pocket, you just get extra data.
and cet. par. a marginally lower chance of being bitten and if bitten a smaller bite from the OOBShark (because less data is OOB)
BUT if the assumption of same usage patterns is removed things can change a lot.
jannievanzyl
Telecoms expert
and I will continue to nag 
[in between nagging Afrihost to get some IPConnect in PE [well actually to push their network operator]- largely on the basis that these things require somebody to make a move (speaking of which doesn't Vodacom have a business ADSL ISP in its stable ...)]