I posted last week on the release of the HTC Touch HD2 on Australia’s Telstra NextG network. Surprisingly enough it debuted at a stunningly reasonable price, $829.
The HTC HD2 has an RRP of $829, and is also available for $0 upfront on a $80 plan over 24 months. It is also available on a range of Telstra Enterprise & Government and Telstra Business plans including for $0 upfront on a new $85 Mobile PLUS plan.
Well apparently that price has changed, as I found out this afternoon. $979, is now what you will pay for the device. $150 more.
That price varied though, between tickets in two TLife stores in the Melbourne CBD. That was shocking in itself. JB Hi Fi, across the road from the TLife store in Melbourne Central, still had the HD2 at $829, but the store attendant assured me the phone was locked to the Telstra network. Which it shouldn’t be. The Telstra site still has the phone at $829 for online purchase.
So what is it Telstra, are we getting screwed over by you, less than ten days after the release, on this hot device. If I walk into a TLife shop, and the ticket says $829, and I get to the checkout and you tell me it’s $979. Shouldn’t I get charged the displayed ticket price?
Should you better educate your affiliate sellers as to the properties of the devices they are selling, Should you better co-ordinate your online, and physical presence to reflect what you are doing with handset prices? Telstra’s arrogance at being the largest, once completely government owned Telco in the country, breeds complacency. Having the fastest network, doesn’t necessarily mean the best service.
Telstra lost a customer today, even if it was one simple handset sale, more on my Touch HD2 tomorrow. Whatever happened to “the customer is always right” philosophy. At Telstra’s stores I met sales people that assumed I new nothing about what I was looking at, and didn’t even have the sense to ask me what device I was using at the moment. Overall though my Telstra experience today, just reinforced why I go prepaid and unlocked phones.
The whole Telstra approach with their TLife stores was meant to enhance the user experience, real devices, real time. That part of it’s fine, now how about real people, real time?
Telstra Touch HD2 Price Rise! Rant
You must log in to post a comment.