Orbit 2 pricing

[Michael_Mcr]

Hi - I am not sure how to link to other threads / posts, so i will cut n paste my post from an earlier thread about purchasing an Orbit 2, which covers the experience i had in getting a decent deal:

"Hi all - my experience

I am an existing 02 Orbit owner who is out of contract this month, so i spoke initially to the 02 Customer services and then the 02 Upgrade line about geting an Orbit 2 and I was offered various deals which seemed to be broadly £30 or greater each month with a purchase fee of £49.99 - £199 for the Orbit 2.

Local 02 shop(s) said they couldnt match or better those deals and said that 02 online is always a better deal than they can do.

Step 2 was the 02 Retention Department via Customer Services and was initially offered the Online 45 plan discounted to £35 per month, but with £49.99 purchase of the Orbit 2.

This was no good for me as i am a failry light user of the phone (the majority of the bill is calls which can be billed back to clients - i only make about 3-4 hours of "personal" calls per month and some texts)

Eventually after much huffing and puffing from the 02 salesman about how expensive the Orbit 2 is and how their break point is £35 per month, i got this down to an 18 month Online 30 plan for £30, but with free web bolt-on and still retaining the free 02 to 02 bolt-on and no purchase fee for the Orbit 2 (with Co-pilot). Apparently it will arrive in 1-2 days and i have 14 days to change my mind

From my experience, i would say go in hard on 02 and just keep saying "thats more than i can afford to pay..."

Regards

Michael

Hope this is of some assistance in grinding out the deal....

[iduxbury]

Cheers Michael, its a similar experience to the one I had last year when I upgraded to the original Orbit. I rang the CPW and asked to be put through to retentions straight away. When they asked why, I said that I could guarantee that retentions would give me a better deal than the sales person I was talking to.

I will employ the same tactic this year me thinks

[cyclist]

Don't forget to compare the business contract at the same price point - there are some differences in what's included and excluded where I preferred the business setup.

As to renewal tactics, do phone up on the last or next to last day of what is probably a quiet month, when the person on the other end may need just a couple more sales to achieve a target that gets them a bonus. Push hard and you may be lucky and get just a little more out of them in those circumstances.

[Michael_Mcr]

Telephone-based salespeople are in a Bear-pit...they are in direct contest with the people sat around them. If you go off the phone for any reason, then if and when ring back you will inevitably end-up speaking to someone else and thereby giving the business / commision to someone else.

So even though they may huff and puff about how its the best deal they can do and how discounting is impossible due to the high demand etc, etc, etc - the last thing they want is for you to go off the phone, because all of their effort will have been a waste and they end up with exactly 0% commission.

In such a situation, if the price is still too high for you, then it often works wonders to say something along the lines of:

"Well Bob, i'm gratefull for all your help with this, but i am sorry - i'm going to have to go and shop around some more as it is just too expensive / too long a contract / not enough monthly minutes etc,etc,etc" - "Its a shame really , because I need a new phone now and i really wanted to get this sorted out today"

Then say ABSOLUTELY NOTHING MORE (there is great leverage in an embarassing silence)

Within 6 seconds ( try it, it works !) the salesperson will feel obliged to speak in order to break the silence and will say "Hang on, i'll see what i can do with these figures...."

If they still brave it out and maintain that they cant do a better deal, then you have either hit the lowest commision / best deal already or you have found a very brave salesperson, in which case you have lost nothing and you can still walk away

This has always worked for me - i hope it is of assistance

Remember "beat that price till it hurts !"

Regards

[iduxbury]

Originally Posted by Michael_Mcr

Then say ABSOLUTELY NOTHING MORE (there is great leverage in an embarassing silence)
Regards

Also know as 'going for the close' in sales cirlces

[Michael_Mcr]

Originally Posted by iduxbury

Also know as 'going for the close' in sales cirlces

indeed - "The Silent Close" It is remarkable how quickly people start to squirm with embarassment if you simply look them in the eye and say nothing or just go quiet during a conversation - most people feel compelled to speak within 5 - 10 seconds in order to break the embarassing silence....

A lot of the psychology used in selling is suprisingly effective.

One of my favourites is when i get stopped by these aggressive Credit Card sales people who hang around Halfords and Retail Parks trying to collar people to get them to take out a credit card.

They usually have a very aggressive pitch prepared, partly i suspect because so many people just brush them off, so when they approach me and start reeling out the speech i say with all the sincerity i can muster "Thats sounds fantastic - just what i need !"

They always get flustered and go off script and start mumbling, because they are not expecting an easy sale...

Then i say "I cant stop now, i'll pop back and fill out the forms later"......hehehehehe

Regards

[ukdutypaid]

Best I've seen (if this is can be termed as best), is...

349.00 straight out purchase...Plus 30 day notice (month by month) 15 quid per month Simplicity contract. Plus a 30 quid trade in for an old phone.
Cancel the 15 pound per month Simplicity contract and you're off onto any tariff any other network..
Only found this in a shop though.... Hardly a give away, but no contract tie in....

[boz]

That is a pretty good deal, iirc the Polaris costs more than that!

[Michael_Mcr]

Originally Posted by ukdutypaid

Best I've seen (if this is can be termed as best), is...

349.00 straight out purchase...Plus 30 day notice (month by month) 15 quid per month Simplicity contract. Plus a 30 quid trade in for an old phone.
Cancel the 15 pound per month Simplicity contract and you're off onto any tariff any other network..
Only found this in a shop though.... Hardly a give away, but no contract tie in....

I got 18 month Online 30 plan for £30, but with free web bolt-on and still retaining the free 02 to 02 bolt-on and no purchase fee for the Orbit 2 (with Co-pilot).

18 months X £30 = £540 total cost to me. Take away £349 cost of phone = £191 airtime fees = £10.60 per month for 400mins of calls + 1000 texts + free 02 to 02 + unlimited Web / Data.

If you pay £349 for your Orbit without contract, what sort of contract will you get elsewhere for £10.60 per month ? Its gonna cost you a heck of a lot more in the long term.

Best deal by far i think is to commit to an 18 month contract if you are in a position to do so and push hard for free phone and free extra bolt-ons.

From my research, the break point for the phone companies is £30 per month - less than that and they arnt bothered about loosing your business, more than that and you dont really get a much better deal.

O2 have been pricing very aggresively and attractively since they were sold to Telefonica as they are trying to steal the market from Vodaphone and others..

[waveydavey]

Originally Posted by Michael_Mcr

If you pay £349 for your Orbit without contract, what sort of contract will you get elsewhere for £10.60 per month ? Its gonna cost you a heck of a lot more in the long term.

Best deal by far i think is to commit to an 18 month contract if you are in a position to do so and push hard for free phone and free extra bolt-ons.

It depends on how much you use. Most cellular companies will give you a very nice discounted contracted if you don't have a device. TMobile offered me £38 worth of call credit (roughly 300 + 300) and their WnW data bolt on for £12.50 a month on a 12 month contract. This makes the SIM free option very nice indeed. It's not something they'll publish though, you need to bargain for it. O2 do a simplicity SIM only option which is ok, but not that good.

Personally I don't do 18 month contracts, it's just too long. I'd want 2 devices in that time.