Retaining customers

[Powdah]

So many of us are ready for upgrades but want the BB 10 phones, so why not create a leasing program using OS7 phones. Using November as a release date, and figuring the average phone has a 24 month life and using an upgrade cost of $300, charge $12 per month.

This would promote OS 7, retain and perhaps get new customers. Then if someone did not want to upgrade to 10, the lease fee could be applied to the upgrade fee.

Either that or give a free Playbook to every upgrade, thus making the phone a freebie.

[Palmless]

Well, if I follow you, the problem is that you can get plenty of folks to pay $12/month for the next ten months but very few after that.

You're basically wanting to amortize the phone over 24 months while acknowledging that most people will not want it after November.

The lease would look more like $30/month between now and November. Far fewer takers at that price.

[Powdah]

You missed the point. It was to provide many of us with a temporary upgrade (OS7) at a reasonable cost, while allowing us to keep are upgrade to use for the new BB10 phones. Then the lease phones would be turned back in to be recycled or even sold for a discount.

[TGR1]

Originally Posted by Powdah

You missed the point. It was to provide many of us with a temporary upgrade (OS7) at a reasonable cost, while allowing us to keep are upgrade to use for the new BB10 phones. Then the lease phones would be turned back in to be recycled or even sold for a discount.

And the advantage to carriers/RIM would be, considering that your plan makes them little to no money?

You want an easy upgrade path but expect the sellers to gladly take back inventory that will be almost worthless and very difficult to resell and eats up costs just by holding?

RIM et al aren't charities or fan sites.

[Sandman333]

No advantage for the carriers. For someone like me, RIM just lost me for at least two years (just went from Storm 2 and my Razr Maxx will be here tomorrow). Maybe by then RIM will have a competitive phone. Today they don't hence why I moved on...

[soogriffin]

Not sure how a leasing program would help. Many people are very clumsy with their phones. Broken screens, etc from drops. I don't even want to know what the phone rental would look like when it was returned. Like a previous poster said, the used phones would be pretty worthless.

It sucks that a cheap upgrade means signing on for a 2 or 3 year contract, but I'm ok with that. It is what it is.

[Palmless]

Originally Posted by Powdah

You missed the point. It was to provide many of us with a temporary upgrade (OS7) at a reasonable cost, while allowing us to keep are upgrade to use for the new BB10 phones. Then the lease phones would be turned back in to be recycled or even sold for a discount.

Oh, I got the point! I run a $100M lease portfolio.

You're looking for someone to eat the cost of an early upgrade. Your plan leaves the carrier with a huge unamortized expense, for no benefit. Not gonna happen, but I agree... you would benefit greatly if they would decide to be so charitable.

[Rootbrian]

I will remain a customer for research in motion/blackberry regardless of what the future holds.

But with what the op was saying, I don't agree. Just let it be. Edit: I don't think there are allot who even care about "the next big thing" or the "latest greatest". I don't. I am not stereptyping either. Think about the amount of waste there would be afterwards.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com using Tapatalk

[dblcup1]

Although the OPs suggestion wouldn't work, RIM is going to have to eat something if they want to regain US market share. The current situation is a cluster #### of RIM's own doing. If they want to be competitive in the US they need to provide deep discounts now! Aside from people here, who may be willing to stick with them at full prices for their phones, I can't see ANYONE in the general smartphone market choosing a current Blackberry as their upgrade when the iPhone is the same price and many Andriods are cheaper. Couple that with signing a 2 year contract for a current BB which will be obsolete before year-end and there is ZERO incentive for the consumer. I'm dying to get a 9930, but why? So I can be once again locked into an old phone for two years once again??? BB lovers aside, this is the epitome of a recipe for failure. Again, if RIM wants to be a going and profitable concern with regard to the US, I think they have to do something drastic and unprofitable right now.

[Palmless]

Originally Posted by dblcup1

Couple that with signing a 2 year contract for a current BB which will be obsolete before year-end and there is ZERO incentive for the consumer.

Let me tell you what you'll hear in reply.

Release of the new BBX/10 phones and the announcement that all future development will be on the X/10 platform doesn't make a BBvii phone obsolete.

I'm not buying that either, but that's what you are going to hear.

Osborne Effect. Can't believe they didn't anticipate it.

[undone]

Originally Posted by Palmless

Let me tell you what you'll hear in reply.

Release of the new BBX/10 phones and the announcement that all future development on the X/10 platform doesn't make a BBvii phone obsolete.

I'm not buying that either, but that's what you are going to hear.

Osborne Effect. Can't believe they didn't anticipate it.

Most people dont know about BB10 never mind BB7. With little to no carrier support, RIM is a footnote at the moment.

[dblcup1]

None of this would be all that troublesome if phones didn't cost so much. I'm not a tech guy, but I fail to understand what makes a smartphone $600. In a world where you can buy decent laptops for $400 or incredibly technical handheld video games for $200 I just don't get the pricing. My daughters Nintendo 3DS was less than $200 and it has 3D technology, wifi, can surf the web, communicate with other devices, has front and rear-facing cameras, etc...also has pretty dam good battery life!! Why then does a Blackberry that's 1-2 years behind the competition cost so much??

[Rootbrian]

Dude, it's the carriers that set the prices, not RIM. They are the ones ripping people off. If you don't like blackberry, get something else. It's not always about the "latest greatest", it's about what people WANT from a smartphone, or that it taleurs to their needs.

Originally Posted by dblcup1

None of this would be all that troublesome if phones didn't cost so much. I'm not a tech guy, but I fail to understand what makes a smartphone $600. In a world where you can buy decent laptops for $400 or incredibly technical handheld video games for $200 I just don't get the pricing. My daughters Nintendo 3DS was less than $200 and it has 3D technology, wifi, can surf the web, communicate with other devices, has front and rear-facing cameras, etc...also has pretty dam good battery life!! Why then does a Blackberry that's 1-2 years behind the competition cost so much??

[Palmless]

Originally Posted by Rootbrian

Dude, it's the carriers that set the prices, not RIM. They are the ones ripping people off.

Carriers sell the phones below their cost.

[kbz1960]

Any phone you get today will be outdated in a week. So by that respect no one will ever get one on contract if they have to have the latest. If you need that you're going to pay for it. You think the newest android or iphone isn't going to be outdated in 2 years.

Heck in 2 years you all could be using the phone in your glasses.