Guide to pricing

Telecom and Vodafone’s advertised plans look strikingly similar. Both are built around discounted rates for calls to other mobiles within an organisation, and nominated outside numbers.

Large customers can expect significantly better terms than those advertised. The telecoms manager at a 350-user Vodafone customer reported paying a monthly talkZoneZero access fee of $30, compared to the $44/mth advertised rate. Calls were also significantly cheaper: free between the organisation’s mobiles; free between mobiles and head office (and vice versa); 30c/min to all other cellphones; and 8c/min to any landline.

That deal, recently reached, represented a 25 per cent saving on Vodafone’s initial offer. Vodafone “sharpened its pencil” to match a Telecom offer.

The telecoms manager said his deal is far from being the best around. An organisation several times the size of his had a contract that included some call prices about a third lower than his.

Similarly, a Telecom customer with about 200 users and a plan allowing free calls between mobiles within the organisation was paying a $28-$35/mth access fee compared to the advertised $44-$49; outside calls were 25c-35c/min compared to the advertised 44c-49c/min.

Telecom “would do anything” to keep a customer’s business if it knew Vodafone was sniffing around, he said.