"From the dark they came, through gloom and rain a spark of hope emerged, from all corners they gathered united in truth." The IMPDA leaves their meeting with Ofcom with a positive outlook.
It sounds like a scene from what Faisel calls return of the Jedi, but it was the IMPDA and a group of dealers descending on the headquarters of Ofcom in London early in the morning for probably the most important meeting the dealers have ever had. It was at last a chance to put the record straight, and to give the regulator first hand the true reasons why cash-back started and why it continues today.
For reasons of confidentiality we cannot say in detail what was discussed but we did cover areas of competition, the networks, the consumer, and much more. The meeting was a positive one and the regulator now has a better understanding of what dealers whether they are shop owners to just web based or call centres have to put up with and how they are not treated fairly, and the wish for a level playing field.
We left Ofcom after an extended meeting with positive attitudes on both sides, and our recommendations for change for the industry and the networks. As we said in our press statement the industry needs now more than ever to change, and the time has come for the networks to work with UK dealers and not against them, both in communication and in competition.
Ofcom and the IMPDA will be meeting again in the future for further meetings, all we can do is hope that the networks will agree to have meetings with us also.
The IMPDA still has a meeting with MP’s this month, but already we are hearing that parliament has been following what the IMPDA is doing and they support us, so much so that, an Early day motion for debate on the floor of the house of commons is imminent. We would in the view of this ask that the networks to agree to a meeting of a selection of dealers to discuss the problems and how we can move the industry on. The networks if they wish can email me at admin@impda.co.uk.
The iPhone goes on! More and more people want the phone, but despite O2’s protestations people just don’t like the crappy tariff its on. We predict even more phones will be unlocked and we can only hope that both O2 and Apple have learnt the lesson of the launch and fall out that ensued and let their own authorised dealers sell the new 3G version when its released and not hold them back like they did with the iphone. You have an independent dealer network so use it, you could have had more sales if you had first time around. Lesson learnt? Well we will have to see……….
The IMPDA main site has now moved servers and also has now joined up with the PhoneDealerForum site, so if you log in from the main IMPDA site you will be logged into the forum as well. The consequence means additional facilities on the site such as being able to comment on stories etc.
For reasons of confidentiality we cannot say in detail what was discussed but we did cover areas of competition, the networks, the consumer, and much more. The meeting was a positive one and the regulator now has a better understanding of what dealers whether they are shop owners to just web based or call centres have to put up with and how they are not treated fairly, and the wish for a level playing field.
We left Ofcom after an extended meeting with positive attitudes on both sides, and our recommendations for change for the industry and the networks. As we said in our press statement the industry needs now more than ever to change, and the time has come for the networks to work with UK dealers and not against them, both in communication and in competition.
Ofcom and the IMPDA will be meeting again in the future for further meetings, all we can do is hope that the networks will agree to have meetings with us also.
The IMPDA still has a meeting with MP’s this month, but already we are hearing that parliament has been following what the IMPDA is doing and they support us, so much so that, an Early day motion for debate on the floor of the house of commons is imminent. We would in the view of this ask that the networks to agree to a meeting of a selection of dealers to discuss the problems and how we can move the industry on. The networks if they wish can email me at admin@impda.co.uk.
The iPhone goes on! More and more people want the phone, but despite O2’s protestations people just don’t like the crappy tariff its on. We predict even more phones will be unlocked and we can only hope that both O2 and Apple have learnt the lesson of the launch and fall out that ensued and let their own authorised dealers sell the new 3G version when its released and not hold them back like they did with the iphone. You have an independent dealer network so use it, you could have had more sales if you had first time around. Lesson learnt? Well we will have to see……….
The IMPDA main site has now moved servers and also has now joined up with the PhoneDealerForum site, so if you log in from the main IMPDA site you will be logged into the forum as well. The consequence means additional facilities on the site such as being able to comment on stories etc.