Within the last 24 hours, 3 Australia have launched a new website, http://www.three.com.au/iphone, in order to petition Apple into giving 3 Australia the iPhone. I’m sorry, what? A well-reputed, multi-billion dollar company has to publicly lobby a handset provider to get a phone? They must be desperate, and negotiations must have broken down completely for this to be happening now!
But that isn’t the biggest problem. The biggest issue, for me, is that I was lied to by Three. Two weeks ago, I called them and asked them point blank “Will the iPhone be coming to 3 Australia?” In no uncertain terms, I was told that yes, it would be and that an announcement would be coming within the next few weeks with pricing details and upgrade deals for existing customers.
I then confirmed, on 2 seperate occasions, this information with Three stores around Melbourne (Elizabeth Street and Melbourne Central), who both said that the iPhone would be coming to Three and that it would be out in August. So definite were they about this that they told me I should not cancel my contract, because I would be eligible for upgrade deals.
And then this website! It just blatantly annoys me that they lied to me and so many othe customers. A simple “We don’t know yet” would’ve done the trick just fine. But instead, they give customers misleading information and have to resort to the public humiliation of launching a petition! I’m sorry, but this is just outrageous and utterly ridiculous. Because of this, I will be cancelling my contract with Three. As most web users are aware, online petitions simply do not work. And if Three can’t convince Apple that they would be a good carrier for the iPhone, then they can’t convince me I should stick around waiting.
Typo alert. You put partition instead of petition.
By the way, I strongly suspect the petition is a marketing ploy by 3 Australia. They fully expect to get the iPhone (why wouldn’t they) and this petition is to get customers “invoved” in the process. Granted, it is a ballsy strategy. I would have opted for the “we have better value phones” strategy, but whatever.
Thanks for the typo alert!
Perhaps it is a marketing strategy, perhaps not. But it is a very poor one if it is, it only casts doubt and makes them seem desperate. If they had the phone, I would’ve thought a better approach would’ve been to have a “Do you want the iPhone? Fill out this form!”. Instead, it makes Apple look like the bad guys which can’t help their business arrangement. Apple are very secretive - the last thing they would want is to see a company who they are dealing with publicize it in this way.
I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that you were lied to. The “definitely yes” and “coming in August” may well have been true at the time. Or they may have been so close to closing the deal that they felt it was fair to say this (risky, I admit, but they wouldn’t be the first). I think it’s all a marketing ploy and my main reason for thinking this is that Hutchison has snaffled the iPhone in other markets with no apparent difficulty.
Clearly 3 wasn’t able to get the priority to be launching it on 11 July. (And I’ve read various theories about that.) And they don’t want customers leaving because they can’t wait a month or so to get the iPhone on 3. Yes, sure, they could have created an online signup form. Just like everyone else’s. Yawn.
I think the petition is meaningless as a petition. But as a way to generate more buzz around an online expression of interest process and to get free PR and to give their customers a chance to express their enthusiasm, impatience, whatever it’s at least original and kind of clever.
What’s going on exactly? I’d love to know as I too am a 3 customer and I’m not inclined to switch. It’s true that it comes across as a bit dodgy, and I can respect your being cross about that. But if in other respects you’re happy with 3’s coverage and prices then don’t be in rush to cancel your contract in a huff over a little marketing ploy.
I think you can be sure they’ll get the phone. Probably in August like they originally said. And when they do, the prices are going to be wildly better than what you could do on Optus or Vodafone. Check out the detailed analysis here*, and see what a great deal you have as a 3 customer and are likely to enjoy when the iPhone eventually reaches 3.
*http://forums.mactalk.com.au/53/49396-depth-look-3g-mobile-data-rates-australia.html
I have the LG viewty with 3, and it is a reasonable product, I just don’t want to lose the built in camera. But at the end of my contract, I would be seriously considering switching to another service provider if they couldn’t provide me with the iPhone.
And yes, you were lied to. Bad customer experience is worse than saying ‘we are in discussions with them at the moment’ because as this site shows, a bad experience gets out on the web and every can see it when looking for 3 iPhone Australia…
They should of briefed their staff better.
Interestingly Three have apparently pulled the comments down from the website.
It appears the site will be next.
TMiF
it is going to come to 3. but they cannot publicly announce it because its part of their terms and conditions to carry the handset in their network set by apple in negotiations with other networks. they didnt lie it would be definately coming.
http://blogs.smh.com.au/gadgetsonthego/archives/2008/07/telstra_improves_iphone_plans.html
very interesting commentry on the iphone situation from Sydney Morning Herald Blog, well worth a quick read!