According to a recent article in The Independent, Carphone Warehouse is going one step further in the attempt to increase its customer base for its broadband services, by introducing a new offer of a free laptop when certain broadband packages from 3, T-Mobile, Orange and its own product, Talk Talk, are purchased.
The move is seen as being the next big step in expanding the broadband market, because it seems to mirror a similar pattern to the one seen with mobile phone packages. Eventually, people began to receive free PSPs and Ipods when they committed to a certain monthly contract.
However, it doesn’t stop there. People who take advantage of the scheme will be able to choose from six different laptop models and will then have the opportunity to upgrade to higher-spec machines for an added price if they so choose. This appears to be a great promotion, especially when compared with the offer launched last year from AOL Broadband, which provided just one model.
However, there have been warnings from industry experts about hastily committing to a contract without reading the small print. According to Rob Barnes, the head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com, “once you start breaking it down […] you soon realise this is just another marketing ploy”. The offer is for an 18 month contract at £35 per month, and the deal only offers 3Gb of data allowance, which he describes as “highly restrictive to medium or heavy internet users”.
It’s possible that if customers choose their package carefully and make sure they shop around to find the cheapest deals available, the amount that they could save over the contract period could be enough to buy an even better laptop. It is therefore worth being cautious before taking up an offer which seems too good to be true.
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