I currently have an iPhone 4…it is nearly time to renew it.
I have also recently become very, very annoyed with Vodafone. I spend a not inconsequential sum of money with them and the last few customer service interactions have been less than desirable.
I also find their network coverage annoying with regular drop outs of service in spots there shouldn’t ever be. So should I stay or should I go…I certainly don’t feel like a wanted customer. Read more »
Dominion Post reporter and future Labour Party press secretary Tom Pullar-Strecker isn’t very good at hiding his dislike of the Government.
Yesterday he gave his future boss Clare Curran a free run in a story that appears to be based on a combination of hearsay and an interview with his keyboard.
The gist of his story was that he and Curran have decided the Government should have already auctioned the 4G spectrum freed up by the switchover to digital television.
He then goes in to some bizarre angle based on a “suspicion” by Labour there has been some kind of massive conspiracy that isn’t backed up anywhere with facts.
Pullar-Strecker than contradicts himself by writing:
“It was never envisaged the spectrum would become available to new users before the end of this year.”
And ICT Minister Amy Adams has repeatedly said the spectrum would be auctioned by September, which will give plenty of time for business and network planning. Read more »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TELECOM, VODAFONE, KIM DOTCOM AND TELSTRA INTEND TO CO-INVEST IN NEW AUCKLAND-SYDNEY TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE
19 February 2013
Telecom, Vodafone, Kim Dotcom and Telstra announced today they have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to co-invest in the construction of a new submarine cable between Auckland and Sydney.
The new cable, tentatively titled the Multiplex eFibre Global Access (MEGA) Cable, will significantly improve New Zealand’s international telecommunications connectivity as well as strengthen links into fast-growing Asian markets.
The total cost of the MEGA cable is expected to be less than US$60 million. The cable will incorporate four fibre pairs with a current design capacity of 40 terabits per second – approximately 400 times the current internet data demand out of New Zealand.
The MEGA partners expect to finalise the design within the next few months, with a likely completion date of mid to late 2014. Read more »
As MUNZ and the NZCTU run around claiming underhand tactics (“ruse”) on the formation of the new PortPro Union is wanting to negotiate with the ports management (POAL) – a number of interesting issues come to mind.
I wrote many months ago about how Union members pay MUNZ to represent them – secure employment conditions and in particular provide a service. I made the observation that a Union member could indeed take the service provider (in this case MUNZ) to task if the failed to achieve their outcome.
I linked it to the classic contract wording of “offer and acceptance”.
PortPro is a new competitor on the wharf in “Unionland”. They saw an opportunity and decided to build a business around it. What are they offering? – I am assuming “Employment Service Advice”
The general public tends to use the word “Union” – but reality is that a “Union” is an “Employment Service Advice Agency”.
PortPro have 33 members (according to the NZ Herald Report) – or once again shall we call them 33 clients.
Most people in business know that getting 33 clients on day one is a major achievement. In my business I had to give away countless free products before I secured my first full paying customer.
More importantly PortPro is going to advise its clients how to get the best deal in the marketplace, best employment advice and overall secure long-term contracts. One would assume PortPro have sent out details about what they want to achieve and the services they provide. 33 people have decided to become customers or clients.
Even if MUNZ settles with POAL and holds the head collective agreement, the sharp point of this move by PortPro is there is a “new union on the block”. I cannot give a better example of what a “new competitor does” by referring you to the Telco industry – Telecom versus, Vodafone versus 2 Degrees.
There is also the classic story of Virgin Airways and British Airways when the new Virgin airline was set up.
Both examples went through very interesting court cases and parliament stages before the industries were deregulated or as some would say – more regulated.
Telecom spent years in court defending their position and then Parliament split Telecom up.
BAA and Virgin spent years in court with BAA defending strongly their position and then the aviation industry was overhauled by Parliament in England.
The Owl predicts that PortPro is the start of many new Unions to spring up which focuses on Employment Services (and Health and Safety – I do agree H & S is paramount, it is just whether you use it for political reasons) – there may even be a court battle and possibly intervention by Parliament.
For me the most interesting point and I think it will only be resolved in court will be if PortPro is allowed the freedom of speech on the wharf which the Unions have desperately sought in getting accountability on the wharf by the POAL Management and demanding good employer processes.
PortPro now challenges those assertions and tests whether a good employer will allow two unions to operate at one site. Many businesses have multi-union sites so precedence has been set.
I am in the market at the moment for my mobile service. So it is with some interest that I read the Herald on SUnday article about mobile network pricing. Whilst pricing is an issue, coverage is more of a factor as I am sick to death of drop outs…and being connected in order to fulfil my role as NZ’s top bloggers is very important.
The cost of some mobile services is still too high, says a consumer watchdog, despite competition driving down prices.
It was revealed this week that the industry’s newest entrant, 2degrees, has amassed a million customers. Vodafone is still the biggest player, with 2.4 million customers, followed by Telecom.
…
Venture Consulting found that since the third quarter of 2007, New Zealanders had saved $1.36 billion, about 25 per cent, off their phone bills as a result of increasing competition. Virtually all services have dropped in price.
Between 2008-09 and 2010-11, mobile-to-international calls on average dropped from almost 60c per minute to just over 45c.
Mobile-to-fixed line calls dropped from 35c per minute to just over 20c per minute and off-network calls, those made from one mobile network to another, dropped from just under 50c per minute to less than 40c.
The average price of sending a text has also dropped, from just below 10c from one network to another in 2008-09 to just over 5c in 2010-11.
The price of an on-network text has been stagnant at about 2c and international texts have dropped from an average 23.5c to just under 20c.
The other, sadly, involved more unexpected action by the Commerce Commission, with the effect of destroying wealth belonging to NZ KiwiSavers, people with money in funds, and direct investors.
This was in regards to Sky TV entering into deals with Telstra, Vodafone and Telecom over whether this might impact on competition on pay TV. (this after they cleared Sky TV going into partnership with one of its competitors on the grounds it wasn’t a big deal).
SkyTV are partnering with the companies that give it more options with the distribution of its content in anticipation of the big fibre rollout. Unsurprisingly, SkyTV want to ensure they get exclusive rights with the broadband retailers they partner with. This has caused the Commerce Commission to wade in and sniff around.
It’s a nonsense concern, because thanks to the Government rolling out fibre (in concert with Chorus) it will be cheaper than ever before for a new entrant to come to NZ, and offer set top boxes that plug into fibre connections for entertainment. Who needs expensive broadcast equipment anymore? It would be cheap for a new entrant to offer a broadband/fibre based TV package to consumers. (Just don’t mention how the Commerce Commission is going to disincentivise broadband users by artificially forcing down old copper prices!)
Sky TV’s shares were down by over 7% yesterday, or around $150 million in shareholder value lost.
Add to that the $180m of value lost in Chorus after the Commerce Commission unexpectedly proposed dropping copper wire broadband pricing by a large amount (and also involving the subsidising of rural users by town users), and you now have over $330m that got wiped away in the last two weeks – all thanks to the unexpected actions by a Government organisation.
If the National Party professes to respect property rights, then it’s now high time for the government to step in and re-write the Commerce Commission’s frameworks and guidelines, so as Bryan Gaynor so rightly put in the other day, the interests of shareholders and investors in NZ companies are considered in the mix as well.
We learned this week that Bronwyn Pullar and Michelle Boag are accomplished at stand-over tactics.
They were successful with Sovereign Insurance and that was detailed first on this blog and then later by Close Up. They got busted when they tried their stand-over and blackmail on ACC, but unfortunately they cost Nick Smith his job.
But they have also played the double team over smaller issues and in other areas.
From: Bronwyn Pullar
Date: Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Subject: Russell Stanners Mobile number/email address please
To: “Michelle Boag (Business)”
Cc: Cam SlaterMichelle,
I’m still getting the run around from Vodafone and had nothing but appalling service for the past three weeks. It’s beyond a joke.
It basically started with wanting to close down my second phone line which has my fax and ADSL line on it, and switching the ADSL to my main phone line. Whilst the switch was done was the connection hasn’t worked, and is worse that dial up. I can’t use the phone line and the ADSL at the same time due to “noise”. (This is despite advising them prior to the switch that I had alarm monitoring on the same line and they reassured me there was no issue with that.)
Anyway all I need is a technician to rewire a plug and despite requesting it a week ago I have yet to get one, at my cost! The latest is they’ve put it on hold until 2nd July which is Thursday this week! Talk about frustrating! I must have called them over 50 times in the past three weeks. USELESS. Now they’ve put in another request to the provisioning team to prioritise it. That has been done over three times now – so that process is completely ineffective. So despite getting off the phone with them I still have no idea when my broadband will be sorted.
Anyway I’m going to get a printout of all contact points with Vodafone over this matter since 1 November 2008 emailed to me. Hopefully Whale Oil will blog it for me.
Useless bastards.
I’ve had a gutsful.
Thanks
Bronwyn
I didn’t run a story about Bronwyn Pullar’s customer service issues. But knowing that Pullar had sent all this to her stand-over expert Michelle and how she operates I gave the Vodafone PR guy a little heads up about it. He told me that she had been driving them all nuts and now he knew what she meant when she said it was going to get nasty for them.
When I advised Bronwyn that I had told the Vodafone PR bloke about it she replied:
I hold [sic] you told them I was a mental bitch, with a head injury who doesn’t cope with any form of stress, and has a tendency to get very violent when angry. Just a shame I haven’t got a gun or I’d be down at Fanshaw [sic] street demanding service!
It seems that whenever Bronwyn has an episode she riuns off to Michelle Boag and then they do their little double team stand-over routine.
They have been running their scam for years. I wonder who else they have bullied?
I’m getting mixed messages from the All Blacks sponsors. First Adidas told us to go f*** ourselves. Now we are being told not to?”
And then Telecom went all limp and ditched the ad.
Pity because I’m told that Vodafone was seriously considering running an ad along these lines.
John Key has announced a government fund to assist those affected in the Christchurch easrthquake.
Prime Minister John Key today launched the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, a global fundraiser for the recovery effort in the city and the Canterbury region.
“It’s vital we reach as many people throughout the world as possible who want to help. This isn’t just New Zealand’s tragedy – the February 22 earthquake affected countless people internationally.
“Like all Cantabrians and fellow New Zealanders, I have been humbled by the offers of help and assistance pouring in from individuals, organisations and governments around the world. This new Appeal gives people another means of donating to the people of Christchurch and the recovery effort.
Mr Key said the Appeal was designed to complement those already established, such as the funds organised by the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
“It’s my intention that the Government will work alongside these organisations to make sure the funds are used in the best possible way.
The links and numbers are:
Donations can be made at www.christchurchearthquakeappeal.govt.nz
Telecom, Vodafone and 2 Degrees mobile customers can text chch to 933 to make an automatic $3 donation.
Donations can also be made via internet banking, or at any branch of New Zealand’s retail banks, by depositing into account number 03-0251-0039807-00.
Go to www.facebook.com/ChristchurchEarthquakeAppeal to find out more.
SInce November 1 we have had a new city in Auckland. It encompasses seven previous municipal authorities. Yet the teleco’s, namely Telecom and Vodafone are still ripping off their customers with toll rates and charges for calls within the boundaries fo the new city. TUANZ is making a fuss about it and rightly so:
Some calls being made within Auckland’s new council boundaries are being charged at a toll rate.
The Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) said it had received complaints from consumers and that the charges from within the super city are unfair.
TUANZ chief executive Paul Brislen told TV ONE’s Breakfast that toll calls should be scrapped not only in Auckland but across the country.
Telecom’s response is simply weasel words:
Telecom spokesman Mark Watts said the current toll boundaries were designed before the Auckland Council was a “gleam in anyone’s eye”.
So we can amalgamate 7 cities into one, pass legislation and do all that before Telecom will even lift a finger.
Only TelstraClear seems to have local calling areas that broadly represent the boundaries of the new city. They even provide a nice clean map so you can get the picture.
Telecom has no map at all, but instead a stupid calculator that tells me that if I live in bucklands Beach and want to ring a number of a business in my new city that is located in Pykekhe then that will be a toll call, unless I sign up and select just one neighbouring local call area.
Telecom’s local call areas surround the main Auckland one are:
All of which are inside the boundaries of the new city.
Vodafone are no better. The only upside is they have a clumsy Google Map of the regions but state on their site:
Vodafone Local Calling Areas (LCAs) are based on the Telecom New Zealand Local Calling Areas. However, there may be some variation around the geographic boundaries of those areas. Please note that above map of Vodafone LCAs is indicative only.
This simply isn’t good enough from these large, supposedly customer focused companies. Only TelstraClear seems to recognise the realities of the new city. The telcos need to get with the programme, and fast.
