Well as I mentioned over at Crass Stupidity, I’d been considering an iPhone 4 after it was announced and given it a guarded ‘maybe’, so I’d registered an interest in it with 3 and indeed Vodafone.
Recent searches had also indicated that 3 might well be offering free tethering, whereby you use your phone’s data package with other devices like laptops and indeed an iPad to save you having to splash out on a separate data contract. And yes, I am beginning to be tempted by the thought of an iPad as well, having had a photographer friend extol the virtues of his and having played with one at Meadowhell last weekend.
Merely having expressed interest, I’d been surprised to receive this text from 3 on the 22nd June:
“Great news: You’ll get an iPhone 4 upgrade and we’ve already reserved one for you…”
I didn’t even say I wanted one yet!
Then on the 24th June:
“Update. Your iPhone 4 is still reserved. Due to high demand we’ll contact you when we can process your order. View tariff details at three.co.uk/iphone”
The next day, I received this text:
“Great news. Your iPhone 4 will be available w/c 19 July. We’ll contact you between 1 & 7 July to process your upgrade…”
Well I’ve just received that call late this afternoon. They’re offering me a 16GB iPhone 4 on a 24 month contract with a one-payment to start with. In other words, it’s the same offer as anyone else would get, except that:
- I wouldn’t want a 16GB one as I’d intend to actually use it and fill up the phone with music, video and of course work.
- Why the hell would I want a 24 month contract when Tesco are offering a 12 month one?
- Why the hell would I want a 24 month contract when my current one is a 12 month one?
- Why the hell would I want a 24 month contract when Apple tend to launch a newer, better iPhone every year?
- Why the hell would I necessarily want to stay with 3 when I have two pay monthly phones and want to combine the two into one?
Time to talk to 3’s customer retention department, I think…