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SmarTone and Vodafone agree not to renew their marketing cooperation

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  1. #1

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    SmarTone and Vodafone agree not to renew their marketing cooperation

    Received this e-mail last night, as, I am sure, have other SmarTone Vodafone customers, saying that with effect from December 2011, the company will revert to their trading name SmarTone.

    Although the marketing cooperation with Vodafone has been valuable to both parties over the years, our interests have diverged for some while and, after extended discussions, both parties agreed it best for each other to pursue its own course.
    I am a satisfied customer, but I have no experience of SmarTone before their tie-up with Vodafone, (I was a disgruntled Orange customer and then a disgruntled Sunday customer before moving over), so I have no idea what they were like before. Regardless of how they were in the past, surely they will be a stronger, more customer-oriented service provider looking ahead. I hope.

    A friend and I agree that this is "exactly the brand problem they will face."

  2. #2

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    It was all really about using Vodafone's name and colour. That was pretty much the extent of it. I don't think Voda used any of its network or hardware as part of the deal. Voda is also pulling out of its marketing agreement with M1 in Singapore.

    Nothing will change, apart from the loss of Vodafone in the name and probably a change in branding.


  3. #3

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    Received same email last night


  4. #4

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    And me. I've been impressed with their customer service so far, let's hope it continues!


  5. #5

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    NOTHING will change on the CS front.

    The whole Vodafone thing was merely a marketing thing, nothing more nothing less.


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Satay Sue:
    And me. I've been impressed with their customer service so far, let's hope it continues!
    I canceled my account there a couple of months ago, entirely due to their (admittedly, Hong Kong typical) abysmal customer service. Moved over to One2Free (i.e. CSL) and I've been pretty satisfied so far - and I don't often say that when I'm dealing with big companies in HK...

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by vmlinuz:
    I canceled my account there a couple of months ago, entirely due to their (admittedly, Hong Kong typical) abysmal customer service. Moved over to One2Free (i.e. CSL) and I've been pretty satisfied so far - and I don't often say that when I'm dealing with big companies in HK...
    Must be you then, I've never had a problem with 3 or Smartone CS.
    I just go instore as opposed to speaking to the call centre monkeys and whatever I need gets done.

  8. #8

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    i never had any problems with smartone customer service either.


  9. #9

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    I wonder if it will affect the roaming agreements? They connect well with all the Vodafone networks in many other places


  10. #10

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    Well I'll damned! That's one for the books!

    http://www.hutchison-whampoa.com/upl...2/2322_eng.pdf

    But then again, I've noted that Hutch and Voda been becoming pals in other regions as well, like Oz.


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