From today giffgaff will offer full BlackBerry services for the first time, including BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry (push) emails and BlackBerry Internet. The move comes following customer requests from the community-led mobile network’s members and prospects for BlackBerry compatibility.
giffgaff, SIM only mobile network, has today launched a range of new data-only goodybags.
Developed in response to demand from its community of members, there will be three data-only options: £5 for 500MB, £7.50 for 1GB or £12.50 for 3GB. The new products join giffgaff’s range of hugely successful goodybags, which combine the value and convenience of contract bundles with the simplicity and flexibility of PAYG tariffs.
giffgaff has also launched a new app, designed to be used in conjunction with the new goodybags, which will make it even easier for members to track their usage and avoid extra charges. The app will be available on Apple/iOS, Android and Blackberry.
The new launches are available for use in all data devices including tablets, dongles and PCs as well as mobiles, and there are no restrictions for streaming, downloading or tethering. As with all goodybags, the new data-only options will be valid for one month and will give members free giffgaff to giffgaff calls and texts and free calls to 0800 numbers.
Tom Rainsford, Head of Brand and Proposition, said:
“At giffgaff, the community is at the heart of everything we do and the new data-only products have been developed in response to the high demand we saw from our members. We encourage our members to come up with new ideas and shape our products. Through consultation we aim to deliver these great ideas and be true to our ‘Run by you’ slogan. Only with giffagaff can our members get this level of interaction and communication with their mobile network.”
For more information on giffgaff – the community led mobile network – visit www.giffgaff.com
Millions of UK mobile users could be unknowingly paying twice to insure their handset, according to a new study by SIM-only mobile network giffgaff. The research reveals that approximately 5.7 million mobile customers in the UK could be doubling up – by taking on insurance from their mobile provider when their handset is already covered by their home insurance policy.
All major networks and handset retailers encourage consumers to take out insurance for their new handset at point of purchase – charged at £8.20 per month on average. This means consumers could be throwing over £100 per year down the drain if they also have a home insurance policy. Some major networks and handset retailers charge up to £14 per month to insure the latest Smartphones and despite the high cost, 78 percent of those with mobile phone insurance have never even made a claim.
This situation could be related to the level of customer confusion surrounding what their home insurance policy covers. One in three people (30%) admit to paying for separate mobile phone insurance without knowing what their household policy covers.
The research also revealed a change in consumer behaviour over the last five years, with a stark rise in the number of mobile users taking out insurance. In 2006, only three percent of respondents insured their handset, however, in 2011, out of the people who have an active insurance policy in place, 32 percent have open taken up an insurance policy in the last 12 months – a number which is only set to soar as mobile handsets increase in capability and price.
James Atkinson, editor of Mobile Magazine commented on the changing behaviour of the mobile user:
“As technology gets more and more advance, the price of mobiles is really rocketing,which makes consumers more wary about loss or damage to their new prized possession. There is a lot of emotion involved when buying the latest mobile or gadget,so people’s judgement can sometimes be a little clouded at point of purchase and the major mobile retailers should not take advantage of that.”
Mike Fairman, CEO of giffgaff who commissioned the research, said:
“The rise of the Smartphone has seen the rise in uptake of insurance policies soar, so it’s really important that consumers are aware of which policies cover their handset, to avoid paying over the odds. The mobile retailers will only be too happy to sign people up to the higher premium insurance policies, and they often apply the pressure using scare tactics to make consumers sign up on the spot.
“As giffgaff is community-led we want to help our members make informed decisions, our reason for unveiling this big issue. I’d urge anyone who’s thinking about insuring their handset to check with their home insurance provider to avoid wasting their hard earned money.”
Which? Mobile, the UK’s leading consumer association offer the following tips to consumers when considering their options for mobile phone insurance here, and below:
For more information on giffgaff – the community led mobile network, visit www.giffgaff.com.
Mobile network, giffgaff, has joined forces with Wood Green, The Animals Charity, to launch a unique campaign to help give freedom to thousands of battery hens and encourage consumers to break free from the shackles of their mobile contract. From today, the community-led mobile network will unlock and re-home a battery hen for every new giffgaff customer with an unlocked mobile handset[1].
In a unique partnership – the first of its kind for a mobile network – giffgaff will donate £4 to Wood Green, The Animals Charity, to cover the cost of re-homing a battery hen for each person who unlocks their phone and joins giffgaff. By launching this campaign, giffgaff hopes to help consumers, as well as chickens, go ‘free range.’ giffgaff customers provided inspiration for the campaign as they expressed a sense a freedom after escaping their restrictive mobile contracts and joining giffgaff.
Earlier this year, new research showed that over half (55%) of Great Britain’s mobile customers – 25 million people[2] – own locked handsets, which prevent them from freely using alternative network SIM cards. As well as potentially preventing customers from freely switching to get the best deals, they are being held hostage to the tune of £400 million[3] by big mobile networks who charge for unlocking handsets.
giffgaff hopes the campaign will help more consumers break free from their contracts and set thousands of battery hens free at the same time. The campaign comes as figures reveal there are currently 16 million[4] battery hens in need of re-homing, a figure which is set grow as the EU ban on battery farms comes into force in 2012.
Millions of battery hens are locked in cages which are no bigger than a size of piece of A4 paper meaning they are unable to live the free range lives they deserve. giffgaff has pledged to support Wood Green, The Animals Charity, to triple the number of battery hens they re-home each year and ensure there is enough help for ex- battery hens long after the EU ban on battery-farmed eggs comes into force in 2012.
giffgaff’s, Head of Brand and Proposition Tom Rainsford, said:
“As a community-led business we champion the rights of consumers and encourage them to adopt a un-restricted attitude to their mobile phone. So when we heard about the great sense of freedom many of our new customers felt when they left their contracts and joined giffgaff we were inspired to do something different.
“Through our partnership with Wood Green, The Animals Charity, I want to encourage the millions of consumers who are currently being locked up by their network to break free and at the same time help to liberate the millions of battery hens prior to the 2012 EU ruling out Battery hen farming. All you need to do is join giffgaff.com, pop our SIM in your unlocked mobile and Wood Green, The Animals Charity, will rehabilitate and re-home a battery chicken.”
Wood Green, The Animals Charity Tara Dundon said:
“We’re delighted that giffgaff has decided to use their expertise in helping liberate consumers to help free the millions of battery hens that are suffering every day. Their support will mean we can re-home hundreds extra of ex-battery hens every year.
“When the EU ban on battery farming comes into force in 2012 there will be millions of battery hens in need of new homes and companies like giffgaff will make their transition from cage to field all the more pleasurable. We take our hats off to giffgaff and urge more companies to follow their lead”
To find out more about the ‘Unlock a phone, unlock a chicken’ campaign go to www.giffgaff.com/unlockachicken for more information.
[2] Blue Rubicon has calculated this figure based the ONS’ current figure of the GB adult (18+) population. 97% of 18-65 year olds own a mobile phone and 55% of them own a locked handset equating to c.25 million people.
[3] Blue Rubicon calculations reveal that the average cost charged by mobile operators to remove SIM locks is £17.26. If all 25 million owners of locked handsets were to unlock their mobiles it would cost a total of £ 431,500,000.
[4] According to the British Hen Welfare Trust (http://www.bhwt.org.uk/)
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