WIND WAKE UP!!! Your Galaxy S3 Master Plan is a FAIL!!!

[Tendenzi]

But why would demand from existing customers be greater than new customers? Aren't they both subject to the same $299 upfront cost? Existing customers would have to pay off their remaining tab balance, start a new tab with $299 upfront, no? So if the $299 is a deterrent for one group, it should also be so for the other.

And there's a sound argument to be had.

@FTW, I know the reason for it, and we still don't know how likely they are to stick around. Because cancellation is just the device balance remaining, it's not really a hard incentive to stay put. WIND's focus with their set-up (tab included and according to their commercials) is that they want people to stay with them because they want to stay, not because of some contract term.

It's poor show of a company like this performing as such. They rely on good word, and fanboy driven viral marketing to convince people to join up and stay. If you burn the existing users like this, it leaves bitter tastes that start to change that mindset. Just look at SharpieFiends story above. It sucks but if they want to pretend they're here for the customer and are differentiating from the current industry practices while making up a faux-contract and trying to lock people in, they need to give and take a little in both directions. So, as has been said, first come first serve. At least you keep existing customers happy and have new customers still hearing good buzz from their friends. Or you do this, and it's just another carrier doing other carrier things, with a network and customer service that can leave a lot to be desired at the end of the day.

It's not worth it. WIND just needs to shut this policy up, start selling immediately any inventory they have as-is to whoever wants it. And start knocking on Samsung's doors for more product.

[seanryann]

And there's a sound argument to be had.

@FTW, I know the reason for it, and we still don't know how likely they are to stick around. Because cancellation is just the device balance remaining, it's not really a hard incentive to stay put. WIND's focus with their set-up (tab included and according to their commercials) is that they want people to stay with them because they want to stay, not because of some contract term.

It's poor show of a company like this performing as such. They rely on good word, and fanboy driven viral marketing to convince people to join up and stay. If you burn the existing users like this, it leaves bitter tastes that start to change that mindset. Just look at SharpieFiends story above. It sucks but if they want to pretend they're here for the customer and are differentiating from the current industry practices while making up a faux-contract and trying to lock people in, they need to give and take a little in both directions. So, as has been said, first come first serve. At least you keep existing customers happy and have new customers still hearing good buzz from their friends. Or you do this, and it's just another carrier doing other carrier things, with a network and customer service that can leave a lot to be desired at the end of the day.

It's not worth it. WIND just needs to shut this policy up, start selling immediately any inventory they have as-is to whoever wants it. And start knocking on Samsung's doors for more product.

I agree 100% with this. I've been asked by a couple of friends recently, who have known for some time that I want to buy this phone, if I've bought it yet. I tell them no, they ask why, and I have to tell them it's because WIND won't sell one to me.

That just looks bad no matter how you look at it. One of those friends wants to switch to WIND once his Rogers contract is up in September too. But I have no doubt this would make it think twice.

[Confushius]

I agree 100% with this. I've been asked by a couple of friends recently, who have known for some time that I want to buy this phone, if I've bought it yet. I tell them no, they ask why, and I have to tell them it's because WIND won't sell one to me.

That just looks bad no matter how you look at it. One of those friends wants to switch to WIND once his Rogers contract is up in September too. But I have no doubt this would make it think twice.

I've had this happen to me on several occasions in the past couple of weeks.

[FTW]

And start knocking on Samsung's doors for more product.

And that is the problem, there isn't more product to be had. I'm not saying I disagree with you it does look bad. But what is the alternative, have customers go sign up with other carriers because you don't have the phone that they want. I can tell you that if the number of existing customers came to buy the phones there wouldn't be any for new customers.

Also, say Wind did what you said and sold out I can tell you that there would be threads of people complaining that Wind didn't have the S3 and what was wrong with them.

[Confushius]

And that is the problem, there isn't more product to be had. I'm not saying I disagree with you it does look bad. But what is the alternative, have customers go sign up with other carriers because you don't have the phone that they want. I can tell you that if the number of existing customers came to buy the phones there wouldn't be any for new customers.

Also, say Wind did what you said and sold out I can tell you that there would be threads of people complaining that Wind didn't have the S3 and what was wrong with them.

Valid points from the both of you. One pro of Wind giving existing customers priority and having little stock for new customers is the mindset that "Wow, Wind really does treat their customers well and follow through, I should join Wind." But in the end it's a balance between which of the two gets the short stick, and we know which Wind decided to go with.

[killer007]

And that is the problem, there isn't more product to be had. I'm not saying I disagree with you it does look bad. But what is the alternative, have customers go sign up with other carriers because you don't have the phone that they want. I can tell you that if the number of existing customers came to buy the phones there wouldn't be any for new customers.

Also, say Wind did what you said and sold out I can tell you that there would be threads of people complaining that Wind didn't have the S3 and what was wrong with them.

actually i did @.@....
well let just say it didn't work out at my location (weak signal) for me and no phone available and no LTE, so i did what you said @.@....

[seanryann]

And that is the problem, there isn't more product to be had. I'm not saying I disagree with you it does look bad. But what is the alternative, have customers go sign up with other carriers because you don't have the phone that they want. I can tell you that if the number of existing customers came to buy the phones there wouldn't be any for new customers.

Also, say Wind did what you said and sold out I can tell you that there would be threads of people complaining that Wind didn't have the S3 and what was wrong with them.

Good point in your last paragraph, but how long does WIND give new customers before selling the remaining S3 stock to the rest of us? We're approaching two weeks, and that seems like a good time to open up sales to everyone.

I would imagine a lot of the non-WIND customers who wanted an S3 would have signed up with WIND by now. If they wait another few weeks, which it sounds like they might, they're just losing potential sales as current WIND customers buy elsewhere.

[Tendenzi]

Also, say Wind did what you said and sold out I can tell you that there would be threads of people complaining that Wind didn't have the S3 and what was wrong with them.

How much easier is it to deflect blame on Samsung by saying "we're waiting on Samsung for more stock". And the fanboys would still be defending WIND saying "they can't sell you what they don't have".

But that's not the case right now is it.

It's happened in the past and has worked out better even with the whiney complaints from people who couldn't acquire the hardware WIND had no stock of... coughBB9780cough.

[Tendenzi]

Good point in your last paragraph, but how long does WIND give new customers before selling the remaining S3 stock to the rest of us? We're approaching two weeks, and that seems like a good time to open up sales to everyone.

I would imagine a lot of the non-WIND customers who wanted an S3 would have signed up with WIND by now. If they wait another few weeks, which it sounds like they might, they're just losing potential sales as current WIND customers buy elsewhere.

And not even just about the customers, but if they wait another 3 weeks let's say, who really feels like they want to buy this device instead of waiting another 6 weeks for the next best thing. It's just a vicious lifecycle of the new and shiny, each passing moment waiting is losing vast amounts of interest and appeal too. It's not like it's Apple where you only have one iOS device on market, released at one time for every customer. It's samsung, and samsung releases a lot of their own breed, then you have HTC, LG, Motorola still beating down the door for the next great thing.

In other news, the verge made a compelling argument today that the Galaxy Nexus is (in their editorial opinion) the best ICS device currently on market. Which I thought was interesting.

[killer007]

i think selling the phone, even outright doesn't make that much money, does it?
and by the end of the year report it won't have increase of subscribers

[SharpieFiend]

i think selling the phone, even outright doesn't make that much money, does it?
and by the end of the year report it won't have increase of subscribers

I would think that Wind's price on the phone would be somewhere around $500 (maybe a bit less), so they would make somewhere around $150 by selling it outright. Don't fool yourself into thinking that Wind is giving them away at $649.

If you've been following the thread you will know that Wind lost at least one customer by not selling it outright. While I'm sure they have limited amounts of S3s to sell, the bad customer relationships they've created is not worth the extra few subscribers they may have gained. I'm not pleased at all over this fiasco and no longer feel as if I should be recommending their service to others, and I'll bet there are other people here that feel the same way. That alone has cost them far more then they ever stood to gain by withholding phones from their loyal customers.

[savbers]

And there's a sound argument to be had...
It's poor show of a company like this performing as such. They rely on good word, and fanboy driven viral marketing to convince people to join up and stay. If you burn the existing users like this, it leaves bitter tastes that start to change that mindset. Just look at SharpieFiends story above. It sucks but if they want to pretend they're here for the customer and are differentiating from the current industry practices while making up a faux-contract and trying to lock people in, they need to give and take a little in both directions. So, as has been said, first come first serve. At least you keep existing customers happy and have new customers still hearing good buzz from their friends. Or you do this, and it's just another carrier doing other carrier things, with a network and customer service that can leave a lot to be desired at the end of the day.

That is going in my signature.

I can agree with you more now that I've opened my eyes. If WIND wanted to keep the fanboy marketing going this nonsense shouldn't have happened.
Yes, it happened with the BB9somethingsomethingsomething... but this is the phone that captured 18% of the UK Smartphone Market in its first week!
Restricting access for any other reason than "it's Samsung's fault" makes the brand look bad.
I'm reiterating what you said, but I agree 100%.

The whole thing with not selling phones outright leaves that bitter taste you talked about.
Just another company trying to make money.

[Tendenzi]

I would think that Wind's price on the phone would be somewhere around $500 (maybe a bit less), so they would make somewhere around $150 by selling it outright. Don't fool yourself into thinking that Wind is giving them away at $649.

If you've been following the thread you will know that Wind lost at least one customer by not selling it outright. While I'm sure they have limited amounts of S3s to sell, the bad customer relationships they've created is not worth the extra few subscribers they may have gained. I'm not pleased at all over this fiasco and no longer feel as if I should be recommending their service to others, and I'll bet there are other people here that feel the same way. That alone has cost them far more then they ever stood to gain by withholding phones from their loyal customers.

Pretty much sums it all up here.

[Tendenzi]

That is going in my signature.

Speaking of signatures, at least this is one thing that my signature has pointed out that Tony said and actually came true.
It's one thing or another for everyone to wake up here, I was entirely skeptical of their do-gooder marketing stunts from the beginning. Still very important that we're saving a$$ loads compare to the incumbents offering*


*if you're living, working and staying with in a WIND Home zone for about 70% of the time.

[seanryann]

What's most puzzling for me seeing this all unfold is this: it's so easy to fix this PR blunder. Just start selling the damn phones to everyone. It's that simple. The fact they aren't reacting to all this negative reaction is pathetic.

I sent them an email telling them how I went to their store today, and was turned away. I asked them how they'll rectify this for a customer of two years who prior to this, has had nothing but good things to say about them. We'll see if I get any sort of non-canned response...