[3GScottishUser]

From tmcnet.com (14.07/2005):

When easyMobile.com launched its new mobile service on March
10 2005, CPW (Carphone Warehouse) took several actions intended to minimise
the effects increased competition will have on its business. Not only did it
instruct its subsidiary Fresh to slash prices to match the opening offer of
easyMobile.com, CPW also opened a website with the domain name
easiermobile.com with the obvious intent to confuse consumers that were
intending to sign up with easyMobile.com. Now, WIPO (World Intellectual
Property Organisation) Arbitration and Mediation Centre has ordered CPW to
transfer the domain name to easyGroup, owners of easyMobile.com. WIPO has
based its ruling on the fact that CPW has registered and used the domain in
bad faith and that CPW did not have a legitimate interest in the domain name.


"We are very happy WIPO has ordered CPW to hand over the
domain and that there will be one less thing to confuse British mobile users"
says Frank Rasmussen, CEO of easyMobile.com, and continues "Even though its
laughable the way CPW is going to extremes to defend their market share, it
points to the more serious issue that British mobile users in both obvious
and less obvious ways suffer from the many convoluted practices of many
players in the market".


"easyMobile.com has set out to offer British consumers a
mobile service that is the best combination of quality, service and price.
With us mobile users experience a transparency and convenience they have
never had before", adds Frank Rasmussen, and concludes, "We are very proud
with the many mails we receive from our satisfied customers praising us and
the fantastic customer service they experience".

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/jul/1163369.htm

[Ben]

Who the hell do CPW think they are! Buying easiermobile was obscene - they should have seen sence and handed over the domain, not used it in 'bad faith, or better still not registered it in the first place! It's hardly like EasyMobile seems to be posing a threat.

I had no idea it'd even happened - thanks for bringing that to light. Makes me think twice about setting foot in a CPW again to be honest if these are the tactics they're employing.

[solo12002]

And the sad thing of all this is we are no better off,CPW still charge the same as easymobile.

One has to wonder if there is price fixing going on and ask what ofcom is doing about it.

I mean most of the networks have the same bundle mins at almost the same prices and call charges are almost the same, funny the same can be said for Text messages, most networks charge 12p It does make you wonder!

[Hands0n]

Cosy cartel sessions in the old boys clubs no doubt. It is astonishing how competition between the networks has never really materialised. They even appear to be happy with their share and the churn that goes on between them. I would say that this is why there are so many similarities between "competing" tariffs.

It really is about time that OFCOM did their job (or perhaps they are!!?) and get the mobile ops to start competing properly - even MVNOs are limited in what they can compete with given the fact that they dont even own the network they are selling on and therefore are at the mercy of the host network operator's charges to them.

It's all basic re-packaging and branding - the choice is not terribly great ........... until Vodafone's recent efforts with the likes of Stop The Clock and their current Free Videocalling until Sep '05.

[Ben]

It's all basic re-packaging and branding - the choice is not terribly great ........... until Vodafone's recent efforts with the likes of Stop The Clock and their current Free Videocalling until Sep '05.
Mhm I agree with the first part, but I think you're confusing the second part with a particularly attractive offer. There are various offers, bundles, add-ons etc on all the networks that, if we were all robots, could probably save us quite a bit. However, in reality, this is just an 'attraction', another temporary temptation with no underlying fundamental changes (ie cheaper minutes, cheaper texts, clearer tariffs and more operator differentation).

[Hands0n]

I really should'nt be sharing my garbled thoughts at such a ridiculous hour of the night/morning :) I did rather blend two different ideas together .......

Of course, you're right, the underlying funamental aspects of the network tariffs do not change (such as Voda's £7+ charge for GPRS data by the MB). The carrots seem to be brighter and more attractive (temporary or permanet) which may sucker the unwary into the deeper waters of their tariff structures.

As I start working on an analysis of the most suitable net/tariff for me the lack of transparency becomes apparent quickly. Very specific information of my actual/likely usage has to be factored in to get anything approaching a true cost of each offering. Not a problem if one has any experience of performing such deeply detailed analysis but surely beyond the capability of the average on the street punter.

The situation is more confusing and complex in PAYG than it is on the bundled tariffs providing it is possible to operate within the monthly package. Once outside thse and back in al a carte tariff the complexity returns. This is probably why folk seem to "over-buy" - for example, I have yet to make full use of either my Orange or Three bundles. But it is cheaper than drifting out of the bundle as I found out to my cost early on in my Orange contract a few years back. That was one scary bill!!

That is why, in some respects, I quite like easyMobile's very simple tariff. Perhaps not the cheapest at first glance. But it is a shame that easyMobile do not offer the full raft of network services with similar transparency. Now that would really chuck the proverbial cat in amongst the pigeons, if they got their marketing right.