Why no free items with data bundle?

Dolby

Dolby

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Hi,

Mine and my brothers 3G have expired and were just wondering why you don't get 'free' items if you resign? The contract is R450.00pm (R10,800 over 24 months) and they either give a modem or a R1000.00 phone :/

Whereas on Weekender and other cheap voice contracts, you get phones, Garmins, iPods etc for seveeral thousand :/

What's the reason?
 
Becuase on the Voice contracts they can milk you for a fortune...
 
Perhaps there are a few things to consider here. Vodacom relies heavily on Telkom still for backhaul and Telkom can pretty much charge Vodacom what they want for this. Because of this, the profit margin might be too small on data lines to actually give expensive equipment. Perhaps once Vodacom have finished its fibre rings and becomes more self sufficient when it comes to backhaul this will change. Just a thought. Also, erecting 3G base stations is a very expensive exercise and that equipment needs to be paid for somehow. Maybe that is also part of it. 3G roll out is still ongoing so more costs being incurred from that side.
 
Maybe because the phone manufacturers subsidise the great phone deals? Also, why should they, yet?
 
DJK said:
Maybe because the phone manufacturers subsidise the great phone deals? Also, why should they, yet?
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Well ... to keep clients? Overall I'm happy with Vodacom and would sign another contract, but now that I'm finished my contract I'm looking at Neotel, Telkom 3G and MTN.
 
I don't see the benefits at all of a data contract, from a subscriber's perspective. That's why I didn't renew mine last year. Instead, I converted it to a weekender package, got a free phone, and now use bolt-ons as and when necessary - far better value...
 
DJK said:
I don't see the benefits at all of a data contract, from a subscriber's perspective. That's why I didn't renew mine last year. Instead, I converted it to a weekender package, got a free phone, and now use bolt-ons as and when necessary - far better value...
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:confused:

I don't see the benefit of using Vodacom's Contract Data Bundles, where the normal 24 month jobby as well as Bolt-Ons and Ad-Hocs, are in fact all different variants [types of] the Contract Data Bundle. The reason is that Vodacom's CDBs do not have realtime data usage monitoring, whereas Vodacom's PPDBs do have realtime data usage monitoring.
 
ic said:
:confused:

I don't see the benefit of using Vodacom's Contract Data Bundles, where the normal 24 month jobby as well as Bolt-Ons and Ad-Hocs, are in fact all different variants [types of] the Contract Data Bundle. The reason is that Vodacom's CDBs do not have realtime data usage monitoring, whereas Vodacom's PPDBs do have realtime data usage monitoring.
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Remember Data Top-Up, where you get a subsidised modem but on the pre-paid billing engine. So it's kinda the best of both worlds. 'Free' modem upfront, no OOB bill-shock.
 
vodacom3g said:
Remember Data Top-Up, where you get a subsidised modem but on the pre-paid billing engine. So it's kinda the best of both worlds. 'Free' modem upfront, no OOB bill-shock.
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True, but I was under the impression that Weekender contracts are not TopUp contracts.

In addition, DataSIM is not available to TopUp contract subscribers, and I bought my E272 outright.
 
ic said:
True, but I was under the impression that Weekender contracts are not TopUp contracts.

In addition, DataSIM is not available to TopUp contract subscribers, and I bought my E272 outright.
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Data TopUp will only make sense if you don't buy the modem upfront. And you don't mind recharging yourself every month.
 
I think ic has hit the coin nearest to the mark so far...

I think what the OP meant to say was "Voda isn't giving me much reason for renewal, rather than doing prepaid from here on". If that was his meaning, I agree. The prepaid market for Voda data has MUCH more to offer it's customers tbh (realtime usage, no surprise bills, you leave when you want without penalty, adjust your usage as you see fit, etc etc).

But I also agree if he meant "Voda data contracts are a ripoff". R1000 phone or datacard on a 24 month contract is peanuts.


But on the other side of the fence... Data is not Vodacom's main business...
Thusly in their defense, I wouldn't really expect them to bend their backs for data only customers.


I would actually be greatly appreciative if a pure ISP and data provider entered the market.
The new VANS self-providing licenses might actually achieve exactly that for us, but until then...
 
Only Dolby can clarify, but I agree that Dolby was probably asking 'Voda isn't giving me much reason for renewal [of mine and my brother's 24 month data contracts]?'.

As we all know, the free stuff one receives with a voice contract, is not really free, and is recovered in costs that are embedded in such a voice contract, i.e. the expected ARPU associated with both the subscription fees and OOB usage.

Vodacom's 24 month Data Contracts include the price of a modem which is why the 24 month CDB prices are somewhat higher than other CDB and PPDB prices for the same bundle sizes that do not include a bundled modem.

PS: @v3g, the following is IMO incorrect:
When signing a new 24 month data contract package, you will receive:

* A free Vodafone 3G Broadband Mobile Connect card or Free USB Modem (when signing a 24 month contract)
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Last edited:
Indeed...

But if they didnt claim it was free... nobody would go "ZOMG FREE STUFFZZZZ!!!"

Marketing really is the right pinky-toe of the devil.
 
I was trying to say there is no reason for renewal.

So, now that I know I get nothing free, the best route be to convert to prepaid ?
 
Dolby said:
I was trying to say there is no reason for renewal.

So, now that I know I get nothing free, the best route be to convert to prepaid ?
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Yes, or migrate to a TopUp contract which effectively uses the PPDB system for data bundles.
 
BT6LW said:
Becuase on the Voice contracts they can milk you for a fortune...
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Oh really? wha ha ha! :D

With roaming, they can charge R150 per meg - and on a 3.6 Connection that means you can spend R50 per second, watching a stupid monkey put on 2 suits on youtube....
 
Is it possible to sign a 24 month without modem at lower than the 450 we're paying now?
 
Im not sure Dolby. From what I know in retail dealings with Vodacom, the answer would be no.
We once had a customer forfeit his "free modem" coz he had a better one. He still had to pay the full contract amount though.

Consider though, that this was just a Vodacom booth inside another shop, like Game Edgars etc.
Maybe from a Vodashop it may have been different.
 
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