3 Disputes T-Mobile Minutes Guarantee

Author	Gordon Kelly
Published	8th Jul 2008

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If you thought T-Mobile might be setting itself up for a mountain of trouble with its revolutionary £30pm minutes guarantee then you'd be right...

First to get irritated over the deal is the ever progressive 3 network which claims the T-Mobile proposal has already failed before it starts since it currently offers a selection of handsets on its 'Mix & Match' £27pm tariff with a potential 1,100 minutes. What's more 3 has understandably taken such umbrage that it has lodged a formal complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority to protest T-Mobile's promotional slogan: "You won't find more minutes for £30, Guaranteed"

Of course if you take a look at the small print here however T-Mobile does have something of a case, albeit a distinctly slippery one, and the hint is in the wording: for £30. Like it or not, 3 doesn't have a tariff at £30 so in T-Mobile's eyes it doesn't count. At the same time, Orange, O2 and Vodafone currently do not offer more than the 700 minutes T-Mobile currently provides for £30 - though if any of them did T-Mobile would be obliged to offer this to the consumer without penalty or contract extension.

Despite this however I think it is safe to say the ASA will take issue since the T-Mobile slogan is certainly misleading in its current wording and personally I would expect a re-jig of this rather than any change to the promotion. That said, I wouldn't bet against 3 coming up with a £30 tariff now just to get even.

Network wars... we love 'em!

Link:
3 Mix & Match Plans

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tommyf said on 9th July 2008

The argument that Three doesn't currently offer a £30 tariff is irrelevant: if you sign up to their advertised Mix & Match 1100 for £27, and then make 1125 minutes calls (... more