[3GScottishUser]

3 will freshen up its prepay proposition next week, but is still frustrated by the absence of cheap 3G handsets.

A new scheme will be unveiled next week, with customers able to buy value-based vouchers with more flexibility to use on voice, text or any of 3's services such as downloads or messaging. New denominations of vouchers will be introduced to engage more customers.

Two new prepay handsets will also be added to 3's slim, prepay portfolio. The devices will be a new Sony Ericsson handset and a new Nokia model, but neither are even close to the critical sub-£50 bracket for prepay phones.

3 is expecting a wave of budget 3G phones to come into the market in 2007. Manufacturers at the 3GSM conference in Barcelona this year pledged to bring cheaper 3G phones to the market under a '3G for all' campaign.

The operator is sticking to its 'We Pay' proposition, despite new terms from Ofcom earlier this month, hiking up termination rates. 3 had used its exemption from a termination charge to offer its customers a share of the money when they received calls. 3 was the only network to be exempt as Ofcom tried to encourage greater take-up of 3G in the mobile industry.

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/content/16143.asp?men=1&sub=6

[solo12002]

Is this the start if it??



http://www.three.co.uk/personal/price_plans_/pay_as_you_go_/top_ups.omp

[Hands0n]

Okay - so I thought Orange was confusing ...........! 3 have just taken over that particular slot!!

The "new" PAYG tariff is not at all competitive, and it is confusing, and there is a distinct lack of freebies such as the free weekend/evening texts/voice-calls that you get with the other networks PAYG/PAYT.

Apart from the usual WePay tariff .....



3-to-3 calls 10p per minute
Text to any UK network 10p per message
Voice calls to UK landline 15p per minute
Voice calls to other UK mobile networks 30p per minute
UK video calls 50p per minute


.......... 3 are offering a series of Add Ons, but seemingly packaged differently to what they were last week!!! Are we supposed to be impressed?

Contrast this with, say, T-Mobile's Everyone flat rate tariff;
Text to any UK network 10p per message
Voice calls to any UK number 12p per minute
Website [only] offering includes unlimited FREE evening/weekend texts for life
Job done!

All I can see is a touch of Smoke and Mirrors with the "new" offering. WePay is still ridiculously over-priced in this day and age. Or am I missing something here?

[bsrjl1]

£5 = "Add Text 80 that's just 7.5p/text". No it's not.

[Hands0n]

£5 = "Add Text 80 that's just 7.5p/text". No it's not.

Oh yea, well spotted, its 6.25p/text - :rolleyes: if they can't do that simple math what hope is there :D :D

Isn't it way beyond the time for a series of ritualistic sackings at 3 to get those that remain a bit more focussed. You could start with the entire Board and then move down the food chain.

I truly reckon that us lot here on T3G could get 3 up and running in about a week!!

[hecatae]

nokia 6151

and

sony ericsson W660

those are the two new phones, I think

[3GScottishUser]

Yep.... it's the same rubbish offer. 30p x/net calls etc.

All they have done is add new top-up options.

This will make no difference really, it's a dead duck!!

[getti]

the sony ericsson k610 will drop to 99.99. The nokia 6288 will be 109.99 with £10 credit. Also new vouchers for cash. £25 and £50 plus 2 more

Modaco are also confirming 3 are getting the motorola q9 first which is a windows mobile hsdpa device with a keypad.

[3GScottishUser]

The handset prices are fair nuff...... shame about the shockingly expensive call charges on WePay though.

Can't imagine many being attracted at 30p/min nowadays.

[getti]

how do you think customers on o2 and vodafone payg feel then paying 40p a minute cross network! Looking at it like that the 30p from 3 is not bad

[3GScottishUser]

how do you think customers on o2 and vodafone payg feel then paying 40p a minute cross network! Looking at it like that the 30p from 3 is not bad

At least 02 and Vodafone customers get free evenings and weekends and discounted top-up's. Vodafone customers also get Stop the Clock making off-peak calls very cheap per minute. Vodafone don't charge 40p/min for x/net calls, its 30p then 10p off-peak or 30p 1st 3mins/day then 10p/min for the rest of the day.

A 60 minute off-peak call x/net on WePay = £ 18.00 Vs Vodafone Anytime Max charge = £0.90. A 60 min peak call on 3's WePay = £ 18.00 Vs Vodafone Anytime (3 X 30p + 57 X 10p) = £6.60.

There is no doubt that WePay is one of the most expensive and inflexible Pre-Pay oferings on the market right now.

Just been to Morrison's and they have a Nokia 1200 on T-Mobile for Just £19.99 and calls to any network are 12p/min anytime!! Now that's more like it!

[solo12002]

I have to say I agree partly with 3SGU if T-Mobile can charge 12 x net, as well as local and national calls.

I wonder why none of the other four networks can't!

[3GScottishUser]

They do..... Vodafone Anytime is 10p/min after 1st 3 mins at 30p. Tesco Mobile is just 10p/min too (subject to minimum monthly top-up) 15p/min otherwise.

02 have rewards and discount top-ups and Orange also have pre-pay incentives that makes the overall cost less than the published rates.

The headline tariffs on all the main networks apart from 3 probably don't reflect the true cost to a mainstream user. Only very low users would incur the published rates. 3 seem to have shot themselves in the foot with WePay and it's hard to imagine anyone opting for it with that 30p/min anytime x/net voice charge + it costs more for landline users to call a 3 phone!!