Dubai: If you're a pre-paid customer looking to purchase a new iPhone4 from etisalat, don't bank on buying one through a deferred payment plan.
Etisalat's latest "unbelievable prices" advertising campaign for Apple's iPhone4 comes with a big hitch — unless you've been signed up as a post-paid customer for at least six months, you're not eligible for an easy payment plan that stretches the cost over the long term.
According to etisalat, existing pre-paid customers are not eligible for easy payment plans. To defer the overall cost over 12 months, "customers must be at least six-month etisalat subscribers in any post-paid account," etisalat said.
Existing post-paid customers are eligible to opt for one plan that gives them the iPhone4 16GB for a Dh849 initial instalment, followed by a monthly payment of Dh249 for 12 months.
Another option for an easy payment plan — for existing post-paid customers — allows them to walk away from an etisalat business centre with an iPhone4 16GB with no money payment in the first month, followed by monthly payments of Dh449 for the rest of the year.
For brand new customers (who were formerly pre-paid only), an etisalat representative added that the iPhone4 16GB can be purchased up front under two separate options.
The first one requires the customers to pay Dh2,049 in cash, with a Dh99 per month payment for the remainder of the 12-month contract.
A second plan offers the phone under a pre-paid only option for Dh2,249. However, unlike other offerings, this package does not include any voice, data or data freebies, an etisalat spokesperson said.
Despite the glitch for customers who have always been pre-paid, the latest iPhone4 sales are going well — to the point that the iPhone cupboards are completely bare at some etisalat business centres.
"We're totally sold out of the iPhone4 and we're not sure when we're getting more," said one representative. Sales of the new iPhone4 have been strong after the lead-up to what many believed would be an all-out ban on the BlackBerry, earlier this month.
The ban never mater-ialised and sales of the BlackBerry are reportedly bouncing back.
Paying up front
Etisalat is selling BlackBerry models without an easy payment option, forcing purchasers to pay up front for BlackBerry's Bold and Curve models.
The new Bold 9000, for example, is being sold for Dh2,300 while the Curve 85270 is offered at Dh1,200, the representative said.
The post-paid etisalat monthly plan that accompanies BlackBerry models costs Dh185 for the local service that provides unlimited data services.
There is, of course, no charge for the BlackBerry BBM service, a global messaging service hosted by Canadian BlackBerry makers Research in Motion (RIM).
For mobile users looking to buy the latest Samsung Galaxy smartphone, etisalat is offering a special deal on the i9000 Android model without offering a deferred payment plan on the phone.
The Galaxy i9000 can be purchased up front for Dh2,699 and includes a free unlimited data package for three months, in addition to free talk time and free SMS.
After the three-month period, the post-paid monthly charge is Dh395.
For customers interest in the new HTC Magic phone from etisalat, the device is available through an easy plan for post-paid customers with two payment options: Purchasers can make a first payment of Dh899 and pay Dh195 each month for the remainder of the year or they can pay Dh599 up front and Dh295 each month for the remainder of the contract.
For pre-paid users, the new HTC Magic Android phone can be purchased for Dh2,199, negating any obligatory monthly charges afterwards.
Take a quick online shopping tour on the website of du, the UAE's alternative telecom provider, and you won't find any free models of the iPhone4 as part of special offers nor will you will be offered any deferred payment plans.
The iPhone 4 16GB is being offered at an up-front purchase price of Dh2,449 that can be tied to a variety of du's Elite post-paid plans for Dh125 a month or the pre-paid, pay-as-you go option.
The du website puts the price for a BlackBerry Bold 9700 at Dh2,045 while the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is priced at Dh1,045.
However, du says that its BlackBerry models are out of stock.
The Samsung S8300 is listed at Dh2,849, the Nokia E5 will cost you Dh979 while the Sony Ericsson is for sale at Dh2,499.
