Expansys have knocked £60 off their LG Renoirs — for today only, between 11am and 4pm. So you have be double quick to qualify.
But if you were thinking of buying a Renoir… this looks like a rather good deal!
Here’s the link you need.
(They’ve also got £35 off the Nokia E51).
I need not point out the current economic climate to any one of you; the news is bombarded with stories highlighting the latest business failure, another stage in the economic down turn, and how it’s getting frightfully worse. Then, Mr. Darling the UK’s Chancellor for the Exchequer announced yet another Government attempt to revitalise our spending… But will it work?
Now if you’ve ever read one of my rants before, you may be aware that I’m hung up on mainly two things.
The first being the lack of any originality in the Mobile sector (but I won’t go into that now), and secondly, price.
I’m a happy student; I live at home with my Mum, thanks to Ewan I have a job; but I also have quite a lot of expenditure. I fund all my school-books (and the price of them is astonishing), I pay for my own internet; I pay for all my socialising, my mobile, clothes and all the general stuff. Okay, I don’t have a mortgage to pay off; but even so, I’ve had to put off buying myself a car, and getting driving lessons because I simply cannot afford to be spending that much.
Well, I suppose that’s okay. At least I know I have my head screwed on, and I’m aware of my own financial limits. But even saying that, as I’ve mentioned before I really want a new phone – in fact I’ve been looking for something since the summer.
So it a two and half percent tax cut going to affect me buying myself a car, driving lessons, or even a mobile phone at the moment?
Simply, it’s a no.
Now, it’s not that I can’t afford it (because honestly, I can); the point being I know firstly I’m being cheated by mobile manufacturers. The clever plans to get you to think you’re buying into the latest technology to only find a month or so later the same company has released a better mobile, is just a joke.
Secondly, the amount of money I’m prepared to spend on a mobile is around £100, my absolute limit would have to be £120. Even so, two and half percent off of that is only a difference of £3! Now, even with my own self-admitted tightness when it comes to money, three pounds is hardly a noticeable difference now, is it?
Finally, I can happily predict that we’ll see lets say, some interesting sales in the near future. Well, this a blind guess, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t happen (and I don’t mean the normal January sales), I’m guessing there’ll be price reductions, sales, and attempts to move stock out of the back of the shop.
I’m saying this as a seventeen year old that has a job. Quite a few of my friends, also of the same age, in full time education in Sixth Form; who don’t have jobs. They rely on the menial amounts that their parents will spare them each week (which generally gets wasted on booze-ups at the weekend or something); and leaves them with nothing.
In fact, even just trying to get a new top from Top Shop takes a couple of weeks of saving, so think of how long it would take to get a mobile?
So do I think that Mr. Darling is going to spruce up the “young” people of England to be spending more? Certainly not, and I don’t see that this is going to affect the mobile market in any way whatsoever.
Then again, I may be wrong, and two and half a percent will make the world of difference; but if anyone was to work out their actual savings that they’re making by this VAT change, then I’m sure you may well find that it’s not a lot… A couple of pounds at the most!
Send any queries, e-mails or anything to Samantha@mobileindustryreview.com
Three of the big boys on the block have just kicked off their tax breaks for the UK mobile telephone market place, some for handsets others for tariffs and all for the greater good.
First up, Orange put into play their cuts starting from today and way ahead of the new tax initiative being launched next week.
These ideally are for new customers to Orange who will benefit from a full two days worth of buying, both on prepay and contract deals.
We’ve been told these will appear in their actual stores, online stores and even over the phone through their telesales, in fact in every possible avenue they sell.
Existing Orange customers will see their bills affected from December the 1st, which is a decent enough start date and not at the end of the month which some were predicting.
To a lot of people we’ve just reached the very last payment day before Christmas. Seeing as these have been introduced on this very day, it could benefit the muggles out there who believe they are getting a better deal.
Next up, 3 has introduced their cuts too but to their tariffs as well starting from today, on both prepay and contract customers.
Orange really are only hitting up new customers and leaving the rest out in the cold this weekend.
Although in saying that, 3 will still display the old tax rates online and in store with the figure being introduced at the point of sale.
We believe this is only the case as a wide scale price mark down of this magnitude would have been a big big issue to introduce, which is why Orange perhaps have stayed clear of this.
Carphone Warehouse has introduced a similar policy on hardware only, leaving the carriers to fight it out amongst themselves. How very wise, diplomatic and astute of them.
Others we’re sure will make their initiatives clear very soon we believe. It just goes to show who stands head and shoulders over the rest and have decided to help those out in these troubled times.
See more on the Orange announcement here, the 3 details are here and the Carphone Warehouse
here.
This post is more of a question then an actual post. Those of you based in the UK will know that VAT is being lowered to 15% and your mobile service includes VAT.
Will the networks be recaulating bills in regards to the drop automatically from the 1st of December? I certaintly will be contacting by network operator (T-Mobile) to ensure that the changes are reflected in my bill.
I know the savings will only be a few pence however in these hard times every penny is essential!
Have the networks planned for the situation? We shall be finding out soon!
Check this issue out from Steve Rowlands (of S60blogger) about Orange (yeah, them again):
Steve writes:
Sick and tired of the lack of customer service from Orange, I decided to cancel my contract with 10 months remaining.
Upon making the phone call to the customer (dis)service disconnections department, I found myself greeted by a rather rude and abrupt representative..
Informing said representative of my intention to cancel my contract, she informed me that the ‘charge’ for doing so would be 200. For the purpose of my sanity, I will leave out the shrapnel from this equation.
“How is this so?” I asked.“Well, your contract is 20 per month, multiplied by 10 months, equals 200″ came the reply.
My contract is 20 per month, but that is INCLUSIVE of VAT. In my understanding, VAT is charged on a service being provided. Since Orange is not actually going to be providing me with a service for those 10 months, why should I have to pay the VAT?
Indeed, do I actually have to pay the VAT? Can I just send them the amount, less the VAT element and be done with it?
Is this another example of l’Orange’s ineptitude of providing excellent customer service? The real kick in the teeth? Vodafone don’t charge VAT on their cancellations, for exactly the reason stated above……
Maybe I’m just barking up the wrong tree. Taxation expert, I am not.
How did they respond Steve? Did they waive the VAT or stick to their guns?
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