Vodacom "Smart More Data" contract packages

[bluepoole]

In addition to the Smart S, M, L etc. contract packages, Vodacom now also offer what they call "Smart More Data" packages, in 2Gb, 4Gb and 6Gb varieties.

I'm currently on a Smart L package where I get 500Mb of data p/m. When I upgraded two years ago, there was a special promotion at the time where you got an additional 500Mb p/m for the full 24 months. I am now done with those 24 months and do not want to go back to only 500Mb p/m, so I thought one of the Smart More Data packages would be the answer...until I saw the pricing.

They basically offer you less free minutes and more data, which is a great idea in theory, if you don't phone that much but rely more on data.

But let's look at the Smart S and Smart More Data 2Gb. Smart S is R209 p/m with 75min, 75 SMS and 200Mb of data. Smart More Data 2Gb is R349 p/m with 50min, no SMS, and 2Gb of data. Even though the minutes are less, I could still make sense that you pay more for the extra data.

The real trouble comes in when you want to add a handset to it. Was looking at the iPhone 6S 16Gb. On the Smart S, handset installment is R320 p/m, so a total of R529 p/m whereas on the Smart More Data 2Gb the handset installment is R460 p/m, for a total of R809 p/m.

I don't understand why the handset is more expensive (so less subsidized?) on a higher package?

 

[AstroTurf]

In addition to the Smart S, M, L etc. contract packages, Vodacom now also offer what they call "Smart More Data" packages, in 2Gb, 4Gb and 6Gb varieties.

I'm currently on a Smart L package where I get 500Mb of data p/m. When I upgraded two years ago, there was a special promotion at the time where you got an additional 500Mb p/m for the full 24 months. I am now done with those 24 months and do not want to go back to only 500Mb p/m, so I thought one of the Smart More Data packages would be the answer...until I saw the pricing.

They basically offer you less free minutes and more data, which is a great idea in theory, if you don't phone that much but rely more on data.

But let's look at the Smart S and Smart More Data 2Gb. Smart S is R209 p/m with 75min, 75 SMS and 200Mb of data. Smart More Data 2Gb is R349 p/m with 50min, no SMS, and 2Gb of data. Even though the minutes are less, I could still make sense that you pay more for the extra data.

The real trouble comes in when you want to add a handset to it. Was looking at the iPhone 6S 16Gb. On the Smart S, handset installment is R320 p/m, so a total of R529 p/m whereas on the Smart More Data 2Gb the handset installment is R460 p/m, for a total of R809 p/m.

I don't understand why the handset is more expensive (so less subsidized?) on a higher package?

Because they will make more money on you buying data bundles than they would on you phoning people.
With a smartS you will addon data at least once a month.

 

[bluepoole]

Because they will make more money on you buying data bundles than they would on you phoning people.
With a smartS you will addon data at least once a month.

Valid reasoning but that, for me, would explain the higher tariff of the package, I still feel it shouldn't affect the handset installment as well.

 

[AstroTurf]

Valid reasoning but that, for me, would explain the higher tariff of the package, I still feel it shouldn't affect the handset installment as well.

I am also looking at new phones and noticed that they have different prices for different packages.
I think it's purely about how much profit they can expect to get from you in 24 months and still making the price seem "attractive".

I also sometimes think that Vodacom's online sales try to work on impulse buys more than anything else.

 

[bluepoole]

Worst part of it all, it is so difficult to get proper information on Vodacom's website. I don't like their website at all, it looks cheap, very difficult to get info and pricing...

The Smart More Data packages don't get advertised anywhere (unless I've missed it), most people have not heard about it, I feel they would attract a lot of customers if the pricing was a little bit better.

I could rather take the Smart S package, add a recurring top-up data bundle of 2Gb (for R249) on it, have more minutes and 75 SMS (not that one use SMS so much!) and have an extra 200Mb of data, for R778, and still have R31 change compared to the Smart More Data package.

 

[AstroTurf]

Worst part of it all, it is so difficult to get proper information on Vodacom's website. I don't like their website at all, it looks cheap, very difficult to get info and pricing...

The Smart More Data packages don't get advertised anywhere (unless I've missed it), most people have not heard about it, I feel they would attract a lot of customers if the pricing was a little bit better.

I could rather take the Smart S package, add a recurring top-up data bundle of 2Gb (for R249) on it, have more minutes and 75 SMS (not that one use SMS so much!) and have an extra 200Mb of data, for R778, and still have R31 change compared to the Smart More Data package.

Another thing you can look at is getting the cheapest possible package for the phone itself then just getting a pure data package for your upgrade.

Some of the pure data packages you pay much less to add data bundles.