I have to say I was very surprised to see Orange offering a “deposit” for iPhone contract purchases. What is the point? I’ve not seen this approach anywhere else. I suppose it bridges the ‘free’ gap. Huge chunks of the UK customer base still demand free phones — so a 4-month refundable deposit could be a nice way of getting around this.
Still, if it helps encourage people upgrade from feature phones to smartphones, good news.
Spotted this yesterday. I don’t get it…
I imagine it makes people feel better — a lot of people shy away from anything with an upfront cost. It’s not unusual for an iPhone 4S to cost £39 or £49 upfront on many contracts — but by calling it a ‘deposit’, consumers might react differently.
good point. wording it differently makes people think different!