Optus has today announced new handset options for customers with leasing options now available with My Plan Flex and My Plan Business Flex plans now available.
Under these new plans, customers will be able to upgrade to a new eligible device for $99 after 12 months, if they return their current phone in good working order and sign up to a new 24 month plan.
The new leasing option appears to be in response to the speed at which new, often better handsets are now being launched. Managing Director of Product and Marketing at Optus, Ben White said
Technology is moving faster than ever, and we want our customers who sign up to an Optus My Plan Flex or My Plan Business Flex, to have the option of being able to upgrade to a new eligible smartphone any time after 12 months.
The reasons for leasing are, according to Optus, that it will reduce e-waste, with Optus promising to put any returned handsets to good use. You can also pay up to $10 less on your monthly bill when compared to similar My Plan Plus options, so it could be good for the hip pocket too.
The leasing plans are now a direct competitor to Telstra’s leasing options which launched in November last year.
As with the Telstra leasing plans, Optus has options for customers if the phone isn’t quite in ‘good working order’ with the fee structure similar to Telstra’s offer. For a phone with a repairable issue like a cracked screen, the fee to upgrade jumps to $229, but if the phone is unrepairable, a $499 fee will need to be paid before a new contract can be signed up to.
It’s pertinent to note that the device is not owned by the customer and fees will also be levied if the phone is returned at the end of the 24-month contract in anything less than good working order.
Optus has launched their new leasing plan website outlining the details, as well as showing the phones on offer. Currently only the iPhone 7/iPhone 7 Plus and Samung Galaxy S8/Galaxy S8+ are available for leasing, with a range of options starting at $76 per month for the GS8 which includes unlimited standard national talk and text and 1GB of data.
If you’re interested in viewing leasing options on Optus you can head over to www.optus.com.au/lease and check it out.
