From Tuesday 31st May 2011, Asda Mobile are making changes to there standard pricing:

All calls per minute 10p
All texts 6p
Voicemail 10p
SMS 6p
GPRS/Data per MB  50p
Calls to Overseas from UK per Min  30p
Texts to Overseas from UK per SMS  30p
Minimum call charge is 10p per minute.


http://www.asdamobile.com/compare_tariffs.html

Is this a sign of things to come from other suppliers ?

Wow very expensive compared to most

Terrible news! ASDA led the way in cheap PAYG calls and texts, so this really is a huge blow to low mobile phone users.

I can't believe this is a belated increase to cover the recent rise in VAT. A company the size of ASDA can easily afford to absorb such a rise indefinitely.

It will be interesting to know if the other 8p per min/4p per text MNVOs (e.g. Tesco Lite, Talkmobile Essentials and Giffgaff) will follow suit, but I'd say there's every likelihood that they will, eventually - especially as mobile termination rates are soon to fall (www.bt.com/mobileprices).

By the way, I notice that ASDA's new prices do not mention non-geo numbers...

Oh well... bye-bye ASDA Mobile. Hello Giffgaff!

Trenod wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 12:58am:

Terrible news! ASDA led the way in cheap PAYG calls and texts, so this really is a huge blow to low mobile phone users. […] Oh well... bye-bye ASDA Mobile. Hello Giffgaff!

Perhaps the headline low rate was never going to last anyway. Perhaps it was put there just to entice customers to this new service.

I think that a few customers who follow mobile tariffs as closely as Trenod, and decide to leave, are not going to affect the service very much.



Trenod wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 12:58am:

It will be interesting to know if the other 8p per min/4p per text MNVOs (e.g. Tesco Lite, Talkmobile Essentials and Giffgaff) will follow suit, but I'd say there's every likelihood that they will, eventually - especially as mobile termination rates are soon to fall (www.bt.com/mobileprices).

I wonder to what degree the reduction in termination rates affects MNVOs. I assume that their hosts will charge more, but at the same time, off-net calls will be reduced.

It stands to reason that for every customer, an MNVO incurs a charge from its MNO. So the increased cost will be relative to the customer base and will be there and then.

The decreased cost of off-net calls will be dependant on the number of calls made in the future.

Time to move to Giffgaff PAYG (8p/minute calls, 4p texts and free freephone* calls)?

* Which, if you have such an account, allows use of 18185's freephone gateway number for 1p/minute UK calls and very cheap international calls - e.g. 1p/minute to Spain).

Heinz wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 4:09pm:

Time to move to Giffgaff PAYG (8p/minute calls, 4p texts and free freephone calls)?

From what I understand, this is a fledgling operator, so I wonder if we might expect it to increase its prices once it's built up a certain size customer-base.

Dave wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 4:11pm:

Heinz wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 4:09pm: Time to move to Giffgaff PAYG (8p/minute calls, 4p texts and free freephone calls)? From what I understand, this is a fledgling operator, so I wonder if we might expect it to increase its prices once it's built up a certain size customer-base.

Or when its owners Telefonica/O2 tell it to do so. ;)

bigjohn wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 5:54pm:

Dave wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 4:11pm: Heinz wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 4:09pm: Time to move to Giffgaff PAYG (8p/minute calls, 4p texts and free freephone calls)? From what I understand, this is a fledgling operator, so I wonder if we might expect it to increase its prices once it's built up a certain size customer-base. Or when its owners Telefonica/O2 tell it to do so. ;)

I was not aware that Giffgaff is owned by Telefonica; I thought it merely runs via its UK network.

Dave wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 5:57pm:

bigjohn wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 5:54pm: Dave wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 4:11pm: Heinz wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 4:09pm: Time to move to Giffgaff PAYG (8p/minute calls, 4p texts and free freephone calls)? From what I understand, this is a fledgling operator, so I wonder if we might expect it to increase its prices once it's built up a certain size customer-base. Or when its owners Telefonica/O2 tell it to do so. ;) I was not aware that Giffgaff is owned by Telefonica; I thought it merely runs via its UK network.

According to Wikipedia it is owned by Telefonica and was dreamed up by someone at O2 UK - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giffgaff

:-)

CJT-80 wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 7:02pm:

According to Wikipedia it is owned by Telefonica and was dreamed up by someone at O2 UK - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giffgaff

Thanks. I didn't know that and I didn't realise what Giffgaff is (other than a mobile operator).

Dave wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 10:44am:

Perhaps the headline low rate was never going to last anyway. Perhaps it was put there just to entice customers to this new service.

Who knows? But if Tesco don't pounce on this rise in their advertising (they've never been shy about making comparisons with their great rival ASDA before, and using it to their advantage), I'd say it's a dead cert that they intend to follow - in time...


Dave wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 10:44am:

I think that a few customers who follow mobile tariffs as closely as Trenod, and decide to leave, are not going to affect the service very much.

Nice of you to refer to me in the third person, as if I'm not here...

I'm not doing it as a protest - I'm doing it to save money. Isn't that what your site is all about?

Judging by the number of online discussions comparing mobile tariffs, I'd say it's a subject that interests more than just "a few customers". Probably more, in fact, than the number of people interested in non-geographic charges.


Dave wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 4:11pm:

From what I understand, this is a fledgling operator, so I wonder if we might expect it to increase its prices once it's built up a certain size customer-base.

Quite possibly. But I'll worry about that when it happens... ;)

Heinz wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 4:09pm:

Time to move to Giffgaff PAYG (8p/minute calls, 4p texts and free freephone* calls)? * Which, if you have such an account, allows use of 18185's freephone gateway number for 1p/minute UK calls and very cheap international calls - e.g. 1p/minute to Spain).

Does Giffgaff really allow unlimited use of freephone override providers?

Trenod wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 10:14pm:

Heinz wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 4:09pm: Time to move to Giffgaff PAYG (8p/minute calls, 4p texts and free freephone* calls)? * Which, if you have such an account, allows use of 18185's freephone gateway number for 1p/minute UK calls and very cheap international calls - e.g. 1p/minute to Spain). Does Giffgaff really allow unlimited use of freephone override providers?

Yes you can call a 0500/0800/0808 freephone number as long as you like whatever the number is used for. As soon as it starts costing Giffgaff/O2 a lot of revenue i guess they might well start charging to call access numbers . ;)

If your looking to save money,this newcomer to the market might be of interest . :)

Works over Voda.

UK Landline 1p a min.

UK Mobi 5p a minute.

UK Texts. 4p a minute.

Free Voice Mail.


www.icardmobile.co.uk

Note the rates only apply to 30/4/2011 at present.

Trenod wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 10:11pm:

Dave wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 10:44am: I think that a few customers who follow mobile tariffs as closely as Trenod, and decide to leave, are not going to affect the service very much. Nice of you to refer to me in the third person, as if I'm not here...

Sorry about that. I tend to avoid referring to members in the first person as I don't want postings to be seen as only being between two individuals. Perhaps sometimes I should avoid it.  :-[



Trenod wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 10:11pm:

I'm not doing it as a protest - I'm doing it to save money. Isn't that what your site is all about? Judging by the number of online discussions comparing mobile tariffs, I'd say it's a subject that interests more than just "a few customers". Probably more, in fact, than the number of people interested in non-geographic charges.

Relatively speaking, I would say it's a few customers. In general, consumers are influenced by marketing from providers.



Trenod wrote on Apr 16^th, 2011 at 10:11pm:

Dave wrote on Apr 16th, 2011 at 4:11pm: From what I understand, this is a fledgling operator, so I wonder if we might expect it to increase its prices once it's built up a certain size customer-base. Quite possibly. But I'll worry about that when it happens... ;)

If Giffgaff is generally run for its users (sounds a bit like a co-operative in that respect), then perhaps it won't increase prices in the way others have done because its knows its customer base is much more sensitive to such changes. After all, it's largely word of mouth (and postings on the internet) that it's been promoted. Or has it took out advertisements to promote its service?

bigjohn wrote on Apr 17^th, 2011 at 2:27am:

If your looking to save money,this newcomer to the market might be of interest . :) Works over Voda. UK Landline 1p a min. UK Mobi 5p a minute. UK Texts. 4p a minute. Free Voice Mail. www.icardmobile.co.uk Note the rates only apply to 30/4/2011 at present.

This looks good - but alas it does not provide GPRS data services, so no mobile internet.  Great if you have a basic phone and just want to make calls.

Phillip21 wrote on Apr 18^th, 2011 at 8:14pm:

bigjohn wrote on Apr 17th, 2011 at 2:27am: If your looking to save money,this newcomer to the market might be of interest . :) Works over Voda. UK Landline 1p a min. UK Mobi 5p a minute. UK Texts. 4p a minute. Free Voice Mail. www.icardmobile.co.uk Note the rates only apply to 30/4/2011 at present. This looks good - but alas it does not provide GPRS data services, so no mobile internet.  Great if you have a basic phone and just want to make calls.

Also, no roaming! Plus they charge 10p a minute for 'freephone' numbers (0800/0808/0500). On Giffgaff they're free and on Tesco Lite they're only 8ppm. Giffgaff also charges less than Icard for non-geo calls (20ppm, as opposed to 25ppm on Icard). Conversely, Giffgaff charges a one-off fee of 8p per Voicemail call, whereas on Icard it's free... It's always swings and roundabouts with these 'cheapo' mobile providers. You really do have to compare the non-headline charges and decide which one best suits your needs. I tend to call Voicemail more than 08 numbers, and don't go abroad, so perhaps Icard would be better for me than Giffgaff.