I'm due for an upgrade.
I've been on Cell C pre-paid since getting a Zest T1, the phone didn't even outlast the Afrihost 12 month data SIM. LOL
Not wanting to make the same mistake, I decided to get a higher end phone this time around.
Looking forward to my upgrade options I was disappointed to find that my options were severely limited for my R500 PM budget (including usage). It seems the shift towards data has caused the amount of bundled minutes to decrease.
Exhibit A: Cell C SmartChat 1GB.
Includes 25 voice minutes, Are you freaking kidding me? Has Cell C forgotten what the primary use of a PHONE is?
I don't mind that they have data-centric packages, but I DO mind that they shove it down your throat as the BEST and ONLY option on their website. Look at the amount of deals they have on SmartChat (78) compared to the amount of deals available for ChatMore (15) and Straight-Up Standard(0). What ever happened to "build your own contract"?
Not to mention the EPIC contracts with it's stupidly high call rates! Isn't Cell C supposed to be the consumer's champion? Or is that past-tense?
I thought about getting the Huawei Mate 7, but can I find Straight-Up or ChatMore deals for it? Noooo. Only SmartChat or EPIC. Sure you can phone Cell C and get deals on other packages, but they are clearly priced in such a way to discourage purchase, probably in a bid to shift customers towards the packages with higher call rates. Is the 99c per minute offering catching up with them?
E.g:
The Huwaei Mate 7 on a Straight-Up 200 is R639 p/m
Subtract R200 p/m for the contract and you end up paying R439 * 24 = R10,536 for a phone that you can buy cash for R6,000. Only an idiot will sign up for this contract. (IMO)
In the past, contracts used to subsidize phones, the opposite is happening now.
Since I'm mostly kind-of reasonably satisfied with Cell C's network performance in my area I haven't yet looked at Vodacom/MTN deals, and they're call rates are way too high anyway.
But I've come to the following conclusion (revelation if you will)
Buy your phone cash, go pre-paid, don't look back! With this option YOU get the best deal, YOU decide how long you'll use that phone for (e.g 3 years instead of 2), and most off all, YOU can switch to any other network whenever you want. Also, your calls are way cheaper, so now you can use your phone as a phone!
I suspect many other consumers who take the time to do some research before signing up for new packages will come to the same conclusion and that we will notice a shift towards pre-paid away from contracts in great numbers in the near future.
I've been on Cell C pre-paid since getting a Zest T1, the phone didn't even outlast the Afrihost 12 month data SIM. LOL
Not wanting to make the same mistake, I decided to get a higher end phone this time around.
Looking forward to my upgrade options I was disappointed to find that my options were severely limited for my R500 PM budget (including usage). It seems the shift towards data has caused the amount of bundled minutes to decrease.
Exhibit A: Cell C SmartChat 1GB.
Includes 25 voice minutes, Are you freaking kidding me? Has Cell C forgotten what the primary use of a PHONE is?
I don't mind that they have data-centric packages, but I DO mind that they shove it down your throat as the BEST and ONLY option on their website. Look at the amount of deals they have on SmartChat (78) compared to the amount of deals available for ChatMore (15) and Straight-Up Standard(0). What ever happened to "build your own contract"?
Not to mention the EPIC contracts with it's stupidly high call rates! Isn't Cell C supposed to be the consumer's champion? Or is that past-tense?
I thought about getting the Huawei Mate 7, but can I find Straight-Up or ChatMore deals for it? Noooo. Only SmartChat or EPIC. Sure you can phone Cell C and get deals on other packages, but they are clearly priced in such a way to discourage purchase, probably in a bid to shift customers towards the packages with higher call rates. Is the 99c per minute offering catching up with them?
E.g:
The Huwaei Mate 7 on a Straight-Up 200 is R639 p/m
Subtract R200 p/m for the contract and you end up paying R439 * 24 = R10,536 for a phone that you can buy cash for R6,000. Only an idiot will sign up for this contract. (IMO)
In the past, contracts used to subsidize phones, the opposite is happening now.
Since I'm mostly kind-of reasonably satisfied with Cell C's network performance in my area I haven't yet looked at Vodacom/MTN deals, and they're call rates are way too high anyway.
But I've come to the following conclusion (revelation if you will)
Buy your phone cash, go pre-paid, don't look back! With this option YOU get the best deal, YOU decide how long you'll use that phone for (e.g 3 years instead of 2), and most off all, YOU can switch to any other network whenever you want. Also, your calls are way cheaper, so now you can use your phone as a phone!
I suspect many other consumers who take the time to do some research before signing up for new packages will come to the same conclusion and that we will notice a shift towards pre-paid away from contracts in great numbers in the near future.
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