Telstra have seen Optus’ offer to pay new customers $450 towards break fees incurred on a previous carrier, and have decided to offer potential Telstra customers the same deal.
From September 16, in a move to help customers decide to join Telstra’s network, Telstra will offer customers credits up to $450 when they incur a contract break fee to transfer to Telstra. Customers must also trade in their old phone, and sign up to a new, eligible, 24 month handset payment and mobile plan to be eligible for the credits.
As an extra sweetener, Telstra is also offering to include its ‘new phone feeling’ service, normally valued at $10 a month, for free when new or existing customers take up a new smartphone on a $70 or above Mobile Accelerate plan. What is ‘new phone feeling’? It allows you to trade up to a new smartphone after just twelve months instead of waiting for their contract to end; customers simply hand back their original phone in good working order, and take up a new 24 month contract to receive a new handset.
John Chambers, Executive Director, Telstra Mobile told Ausdroid:
We know our customers really love getting their hands on the latest smartphone technology and we want to give them the chance to get that new phone feeling more often.
We also know many Australians are frustrated by their current mobile provider and we’re making it easier for them to trade up to a great mobile experience with great-value plans and the best smartphones on the network with more reliable speeds and fewer dropouts.
If you’re interested in taking Telstra up on one (or both!) of these offers, you can get in touch with them the usual ways; pop into a Telstra store, give them a call or order online.
Now that Telstra and Optus are offering this, all that remains to be seen is whether Vodafone will offer the same. One thing’s for sure, if you aren’t happy with your current carrier, now’s as good a time as any to start looking elsewhere with offers like this about. Bear in mind though, if you’re holding out for a new phone that’s yet to be announced, tying yourself in to a new contract just now might not be the best idea.
$250 for the likes of the Galaxy S5 is beyond terrible. Phone trading websites are currently giving at least $350 even that is bad enough.
To move telcos can be a big deal for people… this could help twist peoples arms. But correct me if i am wrong… isn’t this no different to what the korean telcos did earlier on in the year when they all got banned from signing up any new customers?… they were providing subsidies for people to change provider and sign new contracts. The communications body deemed the subsidies illegal and banned them just at the launch of the S5! Imagine all the telcos in Australia not being able to sign up new contracts or do upgrades right at iphone launch… Read more »
No one would react that way if they felt in anyway threatened
You’d want that new phone feeling given how pathetic Telstra is with their software updates. The XSA and Optus and Vodafone Galaxy S5 all recieved the latest update version 2 weeks ago (all be it 1mth after the rest of the world) yet we are still waiting on Telstra. There is no “T” version crap anymore its all the same old handset!